Brain Breaks Kim CruzRachel Spencer Jamie Whittley

What is a Brain Break?

A Brain Break is a kinesthetic activity used to re-focus student’s attention.

Brain Breaks improve concentration and relieve stress!

They are fun, fast, and need limited equipment.

Brain Breaks are great ice-breakers and help build cooperation, creativity, hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills, and motivation in the classroom.

They are a handy classroom management tool

and importantly are a lot of fun!

Which brain would you prefer to teach?

Red indicates brain activity

Why is it important?Our brains are constantly working to:

Receive, filter, and prune away information

Make choices

Every 25-30 minutes students need a brain break.

Once a brain has reached capacity the student is no longer learning.

Brain breaks allow students to re-focus his or her attention on instruction.

Brain breaks provide the brain with energy required for learning.

6 Reasons why breaks are a necessity?

1. Circulation: To increase attention more oxygen needs to go to the

brain by engaging in motor movements.

2. Episodic Encoding Provides learners new spatial references.

3. Learning Breaks Brains need time to process information

4. System Maturation Brains are changing as we grow.

5. Good Chemicals Movement produces good chemicals and re-energizes

our brains

6. Too Much Sitting

How to conduct a brain break?

In order to be effective, there are steps you must follow before initiating a break.

Step 1: Explain PurposeYou need to explain brain breaks at the beginning of the school year. Inform your students what a brain break is and what the different types of brain breaks will look like in your classroom. You may even write up instructions to display during the brain break.

Step 2: Set Behavior Expectations

Step 3: Set a timer

Movement

Motor movements are the most effective type of brain break.

Motor breaks can help with improving attention and learning.

There is a large variety of different motor breaks that can be done in the classroom.

Here are two examples one for elementary and one for secondary level.

Everyone standhttps://www.gonoodle.com/channels/koo-koo-kanga-roo/wobbly-man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61JVHiXUeRo

Yoga

Yoga breaks can relieve stress, improve focus and boost student’s mood as well as teacher’s mood and stress level.

Elementary Examplehttps://www.gonoodle.com/channels/maximo/cirque-de-so-leg

Secondary Examplehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCe6w_kUFik

AuditoryAuditory breaks or quiet time in the classroom can help students focus and reflect on what they have learned.

Elementary Examplehttps://www.gonoodle.com/channels/game-on/flow

Secondary Example2-10 minutes of quiet time

No music, no work, no talking

Time to reflect and collect their thoughts

Teachers participate in quiet time as well

Lets practice, Everyone close there eyes and remain silent for two minutes. I will let you know when time is up. Ready begin.

Portable Brain Break

Brain Break Sticks

Small pad of paper and crayons/pens/pencil.

Book

Small Toys

Just a few ideas…. Be Creative!

Use what is around you!

You can also utilize what is in your environment

A long hallway to walk down.

IPAD for a quick game

Stairs to go up and down

Go get a drink

Deliver something to the office

Spontaneous Vs. Scheduled

Have scheduled brain breaks

Be flexible enough to provide spontaneous breaks

Know your students – Individualize your breaks

A movement break for one may not work as well as a quiet break for another student.

Spontaneous

When students exhibit….

Frustration

Fatigue

Tapping

Pacing

Laying their head down

Asking to take an abnormal amount of bathroom breaks

Break Out Session

Work in a small group and come up with 5 brain break ideas.

Be Prepared to Share!

Scheduled

Benefits of scheduled brain breaks……….Students have something to look forward to.

Can use for transition.

Making sure they fit into the day.

Provides structure for students with behavior problems.

Can put on a visual schedule for students who do not do well with surprises/change in routine.

Use as a reward for completing their workAfter a math unit for example

Give yourself a break!

Everyone deserves a break. Even you the teacher!!!

When you are feeling frustrated.

When your mind starts wondering.

When you need time to reflect on the information presented to you.

Brain breaks only take between 1 to 3 minutes.

Remember our brains can have a maximum load capacity. When that is reached, the student shuts down and is no longer learning.

Productive learning derives from an alert brain!

References: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Brain-Breaks-Printable-games-and-activities-for-5-minute-classroom-breaks-391555

o https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/FreeDownload/Brain-Breaks-Break-it-Down-with-35-Fun-Quick-and-Easy-Brain-Break-Activities

http://www.realmomnutrition.com/2015/01/26/brain-breaks/

https://www.gonoodle.com/

http://brainbreaks.blogspot.com/

Incorporating Brain Breaks. Retrieved from: www.pgsd.org/cms

Jensen, E. 2003. Moving with the Brain in MindRetrieved from: www.nemours.org

Brain Breaks Ideas from HPEC In-Service: First Group:

Take a walk around the building strategically placing letters to sound out or do an action

Use tennis balls

Sensory/stress balls

Velcro under desk

Boxes

Hopscotch out in hallway

Mini Scavenger hunt

Cleaning Windows and Vacuum

Second Group:

Go outside

Use the Wii

Mini Trampolines

Give student a job (i.e.: collects roll every hour)

Heads up 7 up

Hangman

Two liter bottle of beans with mini objects to find

White board and markers

Go to gym

Flying kites

Walking

Jumping jacks

Pandora: listen to music

Silly Putty or therapeutic

Third Group:

Doodle on dry erase board

Go out in hallway

Go get mail

Dance videos

Treasure hunting

Reading words around the room

Simon Says

Marshmallow catapult

Bouncing a ball

Fourth Group (Secondary Teachers):

Running around track

Balance Board

Belavistics

Coloring books

Puzzles in back of the room

Pettyson’s Inventions (iPad app)

Jumping Jacks

Chi Machine

Fifth Group (Early Childhood Teachers):

Dr. Gene songs

Tall kneeling at table

Sitting on exercise balls

Laying on stomach while playing on iPad

Sixth Group:

Let them tell you or friends what happened for two minutes

Letter ladder

Snowball

Shaving cream

Blocks

Swing