Happy Friday! Our blog this week is all about BRAIN BREAKS. Kids need them and teachers need them too.
Purpose of Brain Breaks from Peaceful Playgrounds:
"Well designed Brain Breaks accomplish three purposes: 1) they refresh students, 2) they refocus students for learning and 3) they re-energize students.
Every teacher has experience the glazed look from students who basically need a break. Kids check-out when sitting and listening for a long period of time. Once kids begin to check out– they cease to learn!"
When to Do a Brain Break:
The best time to do a brain break is before, during, and/or after an activity. The essential purpose for a brain break is to get students refocused and ready to learn again.
For example, if you have just finished a mini math lesson on counting, you may ask the students to count the steps it takes them to get back to their seats for a quick transition to the next activity. This will help you with classroom management as well, because students will be so focused on counting their steps, they won't have much time to chit chat during the transition period.
For the little ones in kindergarten, you may want to do a brain break after about five to ten minutes into a task when you notice students starting to wiggly around. For older students, plan for breaks about every 40-50 minutes.
WHAT DO TEACHERS SAY ABOUT BRAIN BREAKS?
May 13, 2015 / Lisa Irish/Arizona Education News Service
When students get antsy, what should a teacher do?
Some Arizona teachers have found that giving their students a “brain break” of a few minutes of physical activity not only gets the wiggles out but also sharpens children’s focus and improves their behavior.
“I know how antsy I get from sitting too long and understand the students feel the same way,” said Pearl Stumpf, a third-grade teacher at from Lone Mountain Elementary School in Cave Creek Unified School District. “The brain breaks aren’t anything formal, just a way to rejuvenate our energy.”
Stumpf has given her students brain breaks since she started teaching more than 10 years ago. She does so when she notices them losing attention.
“I have the students stand behind their chairs and lead them in some simple exercises,” Stumpf said. “They typically last five minutes and we do everything from stretching to yoga to jumping jacks to push-ups.”
Students often ask to lead the exercises, and Stumpf takes part in the physical activity, too.
“I feel the kids are more refreshed and ready to learn after we take a break,” she said. “They like taking the breaks.”
You can read the rest at: http://azednews.com/2015/05/13/active-brain-breaks-increase-focus-learning-teachers-say/
READY TO GO BRAIN BREAKS RESOURCES:
http://mrswarnerarlington.weebly.com/brain-breaks.html
https://www.gonoodle.com/
http://teachtrainlove.com/20-brain-break-clips-fight-the-fidgeting/
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