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BRAIN BREAKS
OUR PHILOSOPHY
1) Sustaining Focus
WHEN?
2) Switching Gears
5 Reasons
3) Energizing
4) Calming Down
PICTURE THIS:
Students step up and down 20
Your students have been times alternating legs.
working diligently for the
p a s t 1 5 m i n u t e s , b u t i t s
the afternoon and you
can see them losing
energy and focus. ONE AFTER
Start an action. Kids only do the
You need something to action after you do a second one.
bring them back to it... Eg.
Teacher snaps fingers, students
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? stand still.
Teacher does jumping jacks,
students snap fingers.
etc.
T
IS THERE VALUE
IN TAILORING
INDIVIDUAL
BRAIN BREAKS
FOR SPECIFIC
STUDENTS, OR
ARE THEY MEANT
TO BE DONE AS A
GROUP?
As for fidgets, not all students will need or benefit from this
practice. As a teacher, you can support individual students
requiring additional or different breaks to practice them quietly
and independently when needed.
ARE BRAIN
BREAKS PROVEN
TO IMPROVE
ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE?
SHOULD BRAIN
BREAKS BE
TECHNOLOGY
FREE?
That being said, there are some great online resources that can be of
value in the classroom. We have all been in that class where time is
w a s t e d w h e n t e c h n o l o g y d o e s n t w o r k - n o s o u n d , n o c o n n e c t i o n , y o u
name it. So if you do choose to use technology for brain breaks, we
h a v e a f e w t i p s t o m a k e s u r e t h a t t h e b r a i n b r e a k d o e s n t e n d u p b e i n g
a bigger distraction:
- Have your technology all set up and ready to go beforehand
- Make sure there are no ads or that you have played through them
before the video starts (ads not only waste time, but can be
inappropriate for the classroom)
- Have a backup plan! If the technology needs troubleshooting, choose
a different brain break
- Make sure that the video is educational or purposeful