Course Overview!


Transform How You Teach. Transform How Your Students Learn.

Every student brings a brain into your classroom that’s uniquely designed to learn — but also highly sensitive to distraction, stress, and motivation. What if you could align your teaching with how the brain naturally works, creating a classroom where students are fully engaged, emotionally safe, and driven to learn?

Creating a Brain-Friendly Classroom gives you a step-by-step blueprint grounded in neuroscience that you can apply immediately. Whether you’re new to brain-based teaching or ready to deepen your skills, this course equips you to design lessons that work with the brain — not against it.

What You'll Learn:

  • How the brain’s attention, emotion, and motivation systems interact to shape learning

  • The R.A.D. Framework — your brain-based teaching guide:

  • Reticular Activating System (RAS): Capturing and sustaining student attention

  • Amygdala: Creating emotional safety to unlock learning potential

  • Dopamine: Building intrinsic motivation, joy, and persistence

  • How to reduce classroom stress that interferes with learning

  • Practical, research-based strategies to engage every student

  • How to design your own fully integrated, brain-friendly lesson plan

Inside This Course

  • 5 interactive, easy-to-follow modules

  • Built-in learning checks and knowledge assessments

  • Downloadable application guides for immediate classroom use

  • Video-based instruction grounded in neuroscience and practical experience

  • Canva Lesson Planner Template to support your Capstone Application Project

  • Certificate of Completion — ideal for professional development credit

Who Should Take This Course?

  • K–12 Teachers

  • Instructional Coaches

  • Higher Education Faculty

  • Homeschool Educators

  • Trainers, Facilitators & Learning Consultants

  • Administrators & School Leaders

  • Anyone committed to creating optimal learning environments

Why Brain-Friendly Teaching Works

Decades of cognitive science confirm what great teachers know:

  • When students feel safe, they learn better.

  • When lessons capture attention, focus deepens.

  • When motivation is nurtured, persistence grows.

This course provides you with actionable tools to turn these insights into daily teaching habits that transform your classroom.

“Great teaching isn’t just about delivering content—it’s about designing experiences that fit the brain’s design.”

Special Capstone Project: Apply What You’ve Learned

By the end of the course, you’ll complete a Capstone Application Project, designing your own brain-friendly lesson plan that applies everything you’ve learned. You’ll leave with a practical, classroom-ready tool you can implement immediately.

Meet Your Facilitators

Learning & Development Consultant Dr. Larry A. Mercer D.Min., CKM, CTP, CID

A globally experienced educator, certified instructional designer, and knowledge management consultant, Dr. Mercer brings over 40 years of leadership across education, training, and organizational development. His expertise ensures this course delivers cutting-edge, research-based content with real-world application.

Literacy & Instructional Strategies Expert Michele Mercer Charles , M.Ed.

With 15+ years of classroom experience, leadership, and professional development expertise, Michele specializes in literacy, differentiated instruction, and data-driven teaching. She guides educators in translating neuroscience into practical strategies that work for real students.

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome to Creating a Brain-Friendly Classroom

    2. Welcome to Module 1

    3. Before We Begin: Check What You Already Know

    4. Learning Objectives

    5. The R.A.D. Framework Overview: 1. Reticular Activating System (RAS) – Reach

    6. Video

    7. Mini Quiz

    8. Strategies for Engaging the RAS

    9. The Emotional Brain & Learning – The Amygdala

    10. Strategies for Reducing Stress & Boosting Engagement

    11. Motivation & Learning – The Role of Dopamine

    12. Engage: How Does Your Brain Learn Best?

    13. Quiz: Understanding How the Brain Learns

    14. Module 1 Teacher Application Handout

    15. Transition to Module 2:

    1. Before We Begin: Check What You Already Know

    2. Quick Refresher:

    3. The Role of the Reticular Activating System (RAS)

    4. Understanding the Reticular Activating System (RAS)

    5. Learning Objectives

    6. Strategies to Engage the RAS in the Classroom

    7. The Video Game Model for Mindset & Engagement

    8. Video

    9. Reflective Journal Activity

    10. Mini Quiz

    11. Video

    12. Engage: Reflections on Capturing Attention

    13. Quiz: The Reticular Activating System (RAS)

    14. Module 2 Teacher Application Handout.

    15. Transition to Module 3:

    1. Quick Refresher:

    2. Welcome to Module 3: The Role of the Amygdala in Learning!

    3. Before We Begin: Check What You Already Know

    4. Learning Objectives

    5. The Amygdala’s Role in Learning

    6. How Stress and Anxiety Block Learning

    7. Creating a Low-Stress, High-Engagement Learning Environment

    8. Video

    9. Reflective Journal Activity

    10. Mini Quiz

    11. Video

    12. Engage: Emotional Safety in Your Classroom

    13. Quiz: The Amygdala & Learning

    14. Module 3 Teacher Application Handout.

    15. Transition to Module 4:

    1. Quick Refresher:

    2. Welcome to Module 4: The Role of Dopamine in Learning!

    3. Before We Begin: Check What You Already Know

    4. Learning Objectives

    5. Video

    6. Understanding Dopamine – The Brain’s Motivation Chemical

    7. Why Some Students Struggle with Motivation

    8. Classroom Strategies to Boost Dopamine

    9. Video

    10. Reflective Journal Activity

    11. Mini Quiz

    12. Engage: How Can You Boost Motivation?

    13. Quiz: The Role of Dopamine in Learning

    14. Module 4 Teacher Application Handout.

    15. Transition to Course Completion:

    1. Before We Begin: Check What You Already Know

    2. Quick Refresher:

    3. Congratulations

    4. Learning Objectives

    5. Capstone Application Project

    6. Capstone Goal Statement:

    1. Quick Reference

    2. APA Reference List for 'Creating a Brain-Friendly Classroom' Course

    3. Further Study Resources: Brain-Friendly Classroom

    4. Congratulations & Final Charge

    5. Video

About this course

  • $129.00
  • 73 lessons
  • 0 hours of video content

Enroll Now and create the kind of classroom where students want to learn — and keep learning.

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