Radical Teaching

Classroom strategies from a neurologist

by Judy Willis, M.D., M.Ed.

Boost Your Children’s Test Success With "Neuro-Logical" Strategies

With the help of correlations from neuroscience research, you can use best brain practices, like evaluating similarities and differences, to help your children build the learning habits for durable memory and strong test taking skills. As these strengths grow they will sustain or restore positive attitudes about school and their own potentials. Read More

Neuroscience Insights from Video Game & Drug Addiction

Video games are not the enemy of children’s successful and motivated learning, but rather a model for best strategies to apply to all learning. The same brain processes and neurochemicals that compel video gamers can be activated to increase children’s brains’ motivation to do homework with focus, reverse school negativity, & reignite their joy of learning. Read More

Your Bad Teacher Experiences Can Make Your Child’s Teachers Better

The greatest school fear reported by students is being reprimanded for in front of classmates. Embarassment or negative attention reduces children’s learning potentials because their brains learn to avoid participation to reduce the risk of potential mistakes. Sharing your “bad teacher” experiences can help teachers avoid making those same mistakes. Read More

Whose Children Will Get the Best Jobs in the 21st Century?

Until the educational system changes, parents can provide their children with opportunities to analyze information, use judgment, prioritize & develop goal-planning skills. Only children who build these neural networks will succeed at the best, most creative, and personally rewarding jobs available only for those who are prepared with 21st century skillsets. Read More

Inoculate Against Boredom

Better than Botox for Frown Lines: For the first time in our history, for students in high school, it is now more likely that their parents will have graduated than it is that they will graduate.The number one reason students give for dropping out is boredom. Read More

What Do They Call the Person Who Graduates Last in Medical School?

The answer is, "Doctor" but are you ready for a mediocre physician to do your brain surgery?

If your child hates school it is probably not his fault, nor that of his teacher. Rather, it can be evidence that his brain is functioning appropriately. Read More

Want Children to “Pay Attention”? Make Their Brains Curious!

Recall how, as a child, you felt about radishes as garnish on your plate. Now, imagine walking into your childhood classroom and finding radishes on all the desks. Read More

Why Healthy Teenagers Die

Teenagers are three to four times more likely to die during those years than at any other point past infancy, until they become elderly. The causes of death are largely attributed to their higher risk-taking and accidents. Read More

Recurring Final Exam Dream: You Forgot You Were Taking the Course

If you've had 'the dream' related to school, you know exactly what it is. This is the dream where it is the day of a final exam, and you realize that you forgot you were taking the course and therefore had not attended any of the classes, did not do the reading, and you are certainly are not prepared for today's test. Read More

Your Most Embarrassing Mistakes Do You the Most Good

Dogs learn pretty quickly not to chase skunks and children rarely put their hands into fire more than once. The brain has a special system that lets it learn from mistakes. Read More

"Dad, Mom, MUST You Drink That Wine to Feel Good?"

The last part of the brain to mature its neural networks is the prefrontal cortex, the center of highest thinking and executive functions. This is the part of the brain that is used for judgment, risk-assessment, critical analysis, goal-planning, and conscious decision-making. Read More

Your Brain Owner's Manual

One ten-year-old boy said, "I didn't know that I could grow my brain. Now I know about growing dendrites when I study and get a good night sleep. Now when I think about watching TV or reviewing my notes I tell myself that I have the power to grow brain cells if I review." Read More

Brain Toxic Classrooms

The toxic NCLB pressure resulted in teach-to-the test curriculum with its drill-and-kill worksheets and memorization. The cost is the loss of a golden opportunity to build on curiosity and enthusiasm. Read More

Top Ten Necessities for Education Reform

For the first time since the institution of public education in the U.S., students currently in high school are less likely to graduate than their parents. We are the only industrialized country where that is true. Here are my recommendations to change the appalling dropout rate and prepare students for the 21st century. Read More

Top 10 List to Improve Your Child's Memory

Brain imaging shows what you can do with your child to boost memory for test study. Check out the top ten tips to cut your child's study time, increase test success, and let you avoid the unpleasant, high-drama of test time. Read More

Dr. Judy Willis’ RAD Teaching Connections from Neuroscience Research to the Classroom

I left my neurology practice and became a teacher. Ten years ago I went back to university for my teaching credential and M.Ed when the number of referrals I was getting to evaluate kids for ADHD or petit mal seizures sky-rocketed. I found the toxic cause of the misdiagnosis in the classrooms using teach-to-the-test, rote memory, stuffed curriculum. The kids were fine - their classroom instruction was toxic. Since then I have written books and given presentations to parents and educators worldwide about what strategies are most neuro-logical based on brain research. Read More

Dr. Judy Willis, a board-certified neurologist and middle school teacher, is an authority on classroom strategies derived from brain research.

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About Radical Teaching

Dr. Judy Willis, a neurologist and who then taught school for 10 years, is an authority on brain research regarding learning and the brain. With the unique background as both a neurologist and classroom teacher, she writes extensively and does presentations and workshops internationally for professional educational and parenting groups. Dr. Willis has written six books and numerous articles about applying the mind, brain, and education research to classroom teaching and parenting strategies.