Let’s face it…. whether it’s the first day of school or it’s the last week of school… our students NEED a break at some point throughout the day.
Now I’m talking about lunch or recess… or even PE. I’m talking about giving your students an actual break from structured learning while still in the classroom! Many of our students don’t know how to independently take a break from working…. in our eyes, their “break” is when they start talking to other classmates, asking to use the restroom, or even getting up and wandering around the classroom, which then leads the teacher to thinking that the student is not following directions.
SCARY (BUT TRUE!) FACT:
Take a child’s age and add 2. (example…. the child is 6, plus 2, your answer is 8) Your answer is the maximum number of minutes that the student can be fully engaged in learning before needing a mental break!
IF a child has truly been labeled with an attention deficit disorder (ADD, ADHD, etc…), then you MINUS 2, leaving the amount of student engagement time even less!
SCARY HUH?!
Now think about your daily schedule. How long are you having your students sit on a rug in the morning? During Math? I’m guessing it’s for a MUCH longer time than they really need to be sitting!
This is where BRAIN BREAKS come in! If you are not doing brain breaks in your classroom…. START NOW! There are so many great things your can do so your students can have a break from structured learning and re-gain focus for better success!
Need some fresh (or even just need!) ideas?
I created a little pack just for brain breaks!
This pack has 36 different options that you can choose, ranging from 30 seconds up to 15 minutes, depending on the length of break you want to take! You can choose one activity…. or up to as many as you like!
Here are some different options:
So…. it’s not too late to start brain breaks…. and what better time to start than at the end of the year when our student’s attention NEEDS to be refreshed often!!!!
You can check out the 36 breaks in the pack by clicking below:
Off to finish up some growing bundles…. plan for the week…. and enjoy the rest of Sunday!
Happy Teaching friends!!
