A brain break is pretty much what the name implies. Giving one’s brain a break. As it pertains to school, this would be giving students a break from the rigors of learning. A brain break is a certain type of activity that takes students away from the mental work and allows their brains to reset. A brain break will relieve the stress of learning and allow the brain to relax.
Brain breaks are meant to be short in nature. Think of them as 3–5 minute pauses, but they are not intended for students to just sit at their desk and look around. These brain breaks can be physical in movement and they can also be mental breaks as well. Whichever way you go with them (we’ll discuss examples in a bit), they are designed to be quick and easy, just long enough to relax the brain, reset your student’s minds, and get them happily prepared to begin learning again.
WHY SHOULD STUDENTS TAKE BRAIN BREAKS?
Think of it like this – the brain is a powerful computer, one that needs time to process the information it has been fed. If you understand that your body only has a certain amount of stamina to get you through a run or a hike, then you also understand that the brain only has a certain amount of mental stamina to get you through learning sessions or projects. A brain break is a perfect way to get students refreshed and ready to go.
As a teacher, you probably hate the thought of disrupting the class to take a brain break. You know there is a ton of material that needs to be taught and every minute away from teaching it only puts the classroom further behind. But what good is it if your students are tuning you out? You may find that you are spending more time reteaching a specific item than you should be, thusly putting you in a worse situation.
It may sound harsh to some, but today’s students are not built like yesterday’s students. Blame it on society, blame on parenting, or blame it on the schools, but kids today are used to a fast pace. Many have attention issues just by the simple fact of the instant gratification kids get through social media and video games. Their brains, for good or for bad, are wired differently. They see things differently, they learn differently, and their patience lasts only so long.
So, if you think about it, a brain break, if worked into your daily lesson plan smartly, can actually be a benefit to the entire classroom; a win-win for teachers and students. So, what are some good examples of brain breaks? Are students the only ones who can benefit from one?
WHAT ARE THE BEST BRAIN BREAKS FOR STUDENTS?
As we mentioned, brain breaks should only last anywhere from 3-5 minutes. But what you should also know about a brain break is their frequency changes as kids get older. There is a general rule that teachers follow when implementing a brain break. Kids who are of elementary school age usually take their brain break after every 10 to 15 minutes of lecture. For middle schoolers and high schoolers, these times change. Older students should be taking their brain breaks after every 20-30 minutes.
There are many different variations or activities that can be used as a brain break. One of the things you may want to inquire about with your class is to ask, even before you start any type of brain break, just what they find relaxing. What do they like to do to make them feel calm? You might get a good idea or two from your students that can be implemented as a brain break.
As we said, there are many ways to go about your brain breaks. Some teachers use breathing exercises. These include flower breathing, balloon breathing, and blowing bubbles. With flower breathing you have your students breathe in through their nose, telling them to imagine they are inhaling the sweet fragrance of a flower. Then have them breathe out through their nose, making an “ahhhh” sound. Have them to this several times.
Balloon breathing is similar to flower breathing. Here students sit in a comfortable position and then start to breathe in through their noses, filling their bodies as if they were a balloon. Then they exhale slowly. Have students repeat this several times.