How to tweak the brain for optimal performance!

If you stop and think about it, our brains are one of the most complex organs in the universe. At any given second, we're sending thousands upon thousands of signals to our body. Just to type this message my brain had to capture memory on how to spell the words that I'm thinking, signals to my eyes to focus on the screen, and signals to my hands and fingers to use muscle memory and recall the correct keystrokes to type. In essence, it's the most complex "multitasker" known to man.

As a teacher, student success is often linked to one's ability to perform on a test. So why is it that some students can perform well on a test with minimal studying while others have to work so hard just to stay afloat? Although there many variables involved, here are a couple ways (in my opinion) to tweak the brain for optimal performance:

1. Get adequate sleep! While my body only requires 6-7 hours of sleep each night, most students require more. Your bodies are growing. Your brains are expanding. Believe it or not, just because you're young - YOU STILL NEED SLEEP :) Ever had a day where you didn't have anything to do so you just slept in? Chances are - you felt amazing the following day. That's your body saying a big "THANK YOU". Your brain is no different considering it's the one thing that decided your attitude for you.

2. Eat with balance in mind! Ever heard the statement, "You are what you eat"? There lies some truth to that statement. Food has a major role in affecting our attitude, our attention span, and our ability to recall information in a short-term manor. If you're not convinced, go eat a large bag of (insert your favorite candy) and wait 15 minutes. I guarantee you'll be ready to catch some Zzz's before the man on the moon has risen. Instead, eat small portions of a balanced diet as frequent as your schedule will allow. Keep the food colorful and leafy if possible. Mix in some quality protein and you'll be one a force to deal with in the classroom.

3. Study smarter - not harder! You've probably heard that by now, but what does it mean? Well, for starters, it means that just like every other muscle in your body, you can't grow a strong brain overnight. Here's a quick question to consider.

Q. Do runners compete in a full marathon (26.2 miles) their first time out?
A. Absolutely not!

They start off by running small intervals working up to the big race. Power-lifters don't max out their first trial. They work up to their maximum weight. We have to start treating our brains in a similar fashion. We've all heard of "cramming" for a test. While cramming has provided a marginal service, we really only proved that our short-term memory is functioning properly. What we really want is a conversion to long-term memory. And there's only one effective method to this... Practice! Practice! Practice!

Just as I said we need to eat small meals often, we need to study in small portions as well. Our brains perform better when we input knowledge in short bursts followed by a recovery time better known as sleep. Subsequently, there are many paths to complete the journey and one utility that I want to share is StudyBlue.com.

StudyBlue.com is one of several resources that I've come to love, not to mention - it's 100% free. In particular, this online resource offers my students a vehicle to study smarter and not harder. In short, one could sum up what they offer into three categories: 1). Online/mobile flashcards; 2). Online notes; and 3). Personalized quizzes which I like calling my own "quality-check". Add the ability to access all of this from an Apple or Android smartphone, and you've created your very educational healthy-choice meal.

The online flashcards are by far some of the most user-friendly I've encountered. The easy-to-use interface has little to no learning curve, leaving that much more time for you to study. Simply start typing notes on one side and answers on the other and you're off to building a digital masterpiece. BUT.... you can't stop there. You have to go back and review these flashcards often. Not just once. Not just twice. 3 still isn't enough. I recommend seeing these flashcards for at least the next 5 consecutive days for only 5-10 minutes total. By rapidly viewing the material over those next 5 days, you're essentially telling your own brain, "Hey! This information is important, so don't lose it". Afterwards, it's routine maintenance. Come back to review once a week followed by once a month. Your brain will feel like a well-oiled machine just off the assembly line!

Oooooh.... there's so much to say. I'll pause for now, but I'm just getting started. Tune in for more details and secrets on using StudyBlue.com.

Yours;

D. Rothrock

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Teacher Advocate program initiated by StudyBlue.com. I am paid a compensation for my discussions and advertisement of the company.