“5 Things That Should Be Done to Improve the US Educational System”:
An Interview with Dr. Tere Linzey by Penny Bauder
We need an overhaul or deletion of Special Education in public schools. If they would incorporate brain training into the study skills classes then students could remediate deficits and get back in regular education classes. Right now most of the kids feel labeled and disempowered in Special Education.
Dr. Tere Linzey is a Licensed Educational Psychologist and the founder of BrainMatterZ, a program meant to improve auditory processing, executive functioning skills, attention/focus, and memory in youths. Dr. Linzey specializes in “Brain Optimization,” or the practice of training ones brain to develop optimal fundamental skills that are necessary for learning. Dr. Linzey is certified in Neuropsychology and holds three additional masters degrees. Dr. Linzey researched brain potential and cognition at a number of top universities including Harvard and UC Berkeley. Though Dr. Linzey has been in education for 30 plus years, it was during her time at UC Berkeley that she became fascinated with brain science discoveries and the ability to reshape and alter cognitive function. Based on extensive research, Dr. Linzey developed her own comprehensive program designed to optimize brain function. Dr. Linzey serves as the Educational Psychologist for Cate School in Santa Barbara and maintains a successful private practice in Carmel and Santa Barbara. She is considered the premier cognitive skills expert as a result of her success rate and innovative programs. Her results are remarkable in helping students at all levels improve test-taking skills, executive functioning, and increase processing speed. Dr. Linzey’s work has been proven to vastly improve issues surrounding dyslexia, concussions, and ADHD. As a result, students feel more confident and empowered. Dr. Linzey’s Neurology Laboratories have expanded internationally, with facilities located throughout the US, as well as Mumbai, India and China. Her book, Measuring Up; A Guide to Help Students Retrain Their Brains for Maximum Academic Capability, has recently been updated with her clinical trials. Measuring Up shows readers how neuroplasticity and brain optimization work, and how to reshape a student’s cognitive skills which can lead to better scores and results. It is the go-to guide for parents and students looking for an edge in the hyper-competitive world of education. More information on Measuring Up click here. For more information, please click here. If you are interested in booking this speaker, please click here.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory” behind what brought you to this particular career path?
My journey from Head Coach to Head Coach…..I grew up in rural Oklahoma, where women’s basketball is “serious business”. I played college ball on a National Championship team and then went on to be a women’s basketball coach in Oklahoma and eventually California. I had the good fortune of studying the game of basketball with famed Indiana Hoosiers coach Bobby Knight and his wife, Karen Vieth Edgar, one of the best basketball coaches in Oklahoma. They stressed two things that have stayed with me: “Fundamentals are key and make the practice tougher than the game!”
Coaching was as easy as breathing for me. I designed drills for offense, defense, footwork, set shots, jumpers and every other aspect of the game, customizing the drills to remediate each player’s shortcomings. Later when I became a teacher, I used the same approach: drilling fundamentals, the primary building blocks of any athlete’s development.
When I began teaching I was surprised to find that my fellow teachers did not always utilize this approach in education. After I left Oklahoma to become a psychologist, I was lucky enough to be hired by Cate School, a prestigious boarding school in Santa Barbara, They offered to send me to Harvard, Berkeley, and other schools that were researching the new brain science. When I found out that muscles and brains trained the same way, I knew what I had to do. So I created a program, using the latest brain research regarding neuroplasticity, piloted it, ran a series of successful clinical trials and began getting the word out about the BrainMatterZ program. Today we are empowering students of all ages. Some of our best success stories include dyslexia, ADHD, concussions, test anxiety, and slow visual processing and auditory processing speed. We have programs throughout the country as well as India and China.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
2 years ago I worked with a young man that came to me from the Bay area. His mom brought him in because he had “bombed” his SATs and she wanted me to help him get his scores up. We did 30 hours of brain training with the young man and then I did not hear from them for several months. One morning in early May, his mom called me and said, “ Tere we need your help. Josh scored so much better on his second SAT that they flagged him for cheating! I need you to write a letter telling the college — board that it is not unusual for SAT scores to improve following the BrainMatterZ program. I was thrilled for him. I gave them a letter and they gave me a great testimonial!
Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority in the education field?
Education: Graduate degrees in Education Psychology, Special Education, Counseling, Physical Education, School Psychology, and Education Administration
Experience: In public school, I have been a PE and Art teacher, English teacher, Special Education teacher, School counselor, Special Education Coordinator, Athletic Director, School Psychologist, and coached 4 sports 13 years.
In private school, I have been Director of Counseling and Psychology, Education Consultant for 10 years and a Licensed Educational Psychologist in CA for 10 years.
Having experience in both public and private education allows me to help parents and students navigate education.
Can you identify 5 areas of the US education system that are going great?
1. Private schools are embracing and educating their teachers about new brain research.
2. Progressive boarding schools like Cate School, in Santa Barbara CA, are putting executive functioning skills and cognitive skills training in their Human Development curriculum.
3. 504 plans
4. Some public schools are doing a nice job of full inclusion for all students.
5. Learning Specialists do a great job in many private schools of assisting with the many challenges that many students face.
Can you identify the 5 key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?
1. We need an overhaul or deletion of Special Education in public schools. If they would incorporate brain training into the study skills classes then students could remediate deficits and get back in regular education classes. Right now most of the kids feel labeled and disempowered in Special Education.
2. All teachers should be educated in the new brain research.
3. We need to be teaching life-long learning skills — skills that will matter later, like financial planning, relationship, and mental health strategies that lead to healthy lifestyles.
4. If we are going to test kids, then we need to prepare them for the stress of testing just like an athlete prepares for a performance. “Make the practice harder than the game”
5. Allow students to evaluated his/her work and performance instead of the teachers always deciding the grade.
If you had the power to influence or change the entire US educational infrastructure what five things would you implement to improve and reform our education system? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Design courses and teaching strategies that support new brain research.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)
If I could meet and have breakfast with anyone, I would choose Oprah and Ellen because they are both role models for me in different ways. Oprah inspires me to become my best self and has spent a lifetime being a living example of that. She and I come from similar hardships early in life and she inspired me to rise above. Ellen, on the other hand, seems to enjoy building others up and using her humor to break through barriers and differences.
I think they both would enjoy the brain cards and the activities that we do in the Brain Labs and I would be honored to let them experience them.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
You can follow us on Instagram @brainmatterz_inc
