Three Chairs a Table and a Lamp: Or How Insights from Neuroscience Can Improve the Quality of Learning in Your School

IG: Well I'd gone to a lot of schools, working with a lot of teachers on helping them to improve learning in the classroom, accelerated learning, motivation etc, and I just felt that the more they knew about the brain, the better built they would be, to do the job that they do. The nineties was the decade of the brain. We've learnt more about the brain in the past ten to fifteen years than we have at any other point. If teachers knew about the brain, it would make it easier for them to do a better job in the classroom, and with learning. So ok, I need to learn about the brain myself. This is where Andrew came in. AC: Well I'd been talking to schools about the neurochemistry and the neuroanatomy of the brain, and how we can look at that in terms of learning and improving things such as the classroom environment. Ian and I seem to have a good collaboration, in that he was a teacher with experience, and I am a neuroscientist. We thought, let's get together and make this thing work! MS: Which is where I came in, in terms of doing the research, going into schools, collecting data, information and material, so that we could say, this is what happens in a classroom, but it could be any classroom, anywhere. AC: Effectively what we're doing is up-to-date, what teachers actually want to know, not what we're imagining they want to know IG: Well, I've got plenty of material, so why don't we sit down and let's start! AC: Sounds good to me! "Three Chairs, a Table and a Lamp" is a unique teacher training tool which uses research from everyday classroom situations, a consultant neurologist explains the behaviours involved and an experienced teacher and educationalist uses the behaviours to provide practical strategies to effectively manage the classroom.

Review :
"Funny. Clever. Provocative. Original. Really useful. One of only a few serious and informed attempts that try to make connections between the science of brain and mind and the craft and guile of the classroom. Just the kind of thing schools should spend their money on for INSET." Dr Bill Lucas, Best-selling author, Chairman of the Talent Foundation and Patron of the Campaign for Learning "Gilbert, Curran and Supple explain and analyse complex classroom situations and offer valid, realistic and pragmatic strategies. This resource can be used by individuals, teams and or the entire school staff to stimulate a richer, authoritative and more focused debate on effective classroom strategies. The balance of the scientific and the professional also point the way forward for more effective conversations about learning and teaching in schools." Professor John West-Burnham, Hon. Professor of Educational Leadership, University of Hull"