Creative Classroom Management Part 2: Brain Breaks

Have you mastered your gesture and facial expression, class geography and use of music yet? If not, take a look back at Part 1 of our Creative Classroom Management series. In the meantime: Brain Breaks!

What is a Brain Break?

Exactly as its name states, a brain break is a break from using your brain. It’s a short blast of light physical activity completely unrelated to the task at hand.

Why should I use them?

Just like working out in the gym we need a break every now and then. Students, young and old, often need a chance to reset and refocus.

Short bursts of energy increase blood flow which in turn sends more oxygen to the brain. Kids fidget because their body physically needs to move! They are instinctively trying to increase blood flow. Scientific studies prove that the brain is more active post-movement - even after just a gentle walk.

This sounds good. Do you have any activity examples?

Ooooooof course. Some quick examples are:

1. Rubber Chicken

• Raise your right arm, shake it fully whilst counting from 1 - 10 out loud. 

• Do the same with your left arm, your right leg and your left leg. 

• Finish by shaking your entire body, on the spot, counting 1 - 10 out loud.

• Repeat this sequence 2 or 3 times, getting faster each time!

• Repeat this sequence in reverse - counting backwards!

• Set this sequence to music!

2. Do as I say, not as I do

• Establish 3 clear instructions with your class. E.g. Head, Shoulders, Tummy - the actions for each being your hands on your head, your shoulders and your tummy respectively.

• Begin by calling out the instructions and performing the appropriate actions with your class.

• Next, only call out the instructions, don’t move. The class can no longer copy you, they must listen to the instruction. 

• Finally, instruct your class to ‘do as I say, not as I do’ whereby you perform a different action to the one you are calling out but the class must tune in to your voice and perform the action you said.

• E.g. You say Head! But put your hands on your tummy. Students are to put their hand on their heads. 

• As your students become more familiar with the activity, be more adventurous with your actions - Tiger, Elephant, Ant! Drastic changes in shape make things more difficult, and so more fun! 

3. Body Percussion

• Standing in a circle, start by clapping a simple rhythm. 

• As quickly as possible, go round the circle one by one. Each student is to repeat the clap rhythm using different parts of their body. 

• They might choose to stamp it out, slap their thighs, click their fingers, pat their heads, clap using only two fingers, or anything else they come up with! 

• Send a different clap rhythm back the other way as soon as you receive the first - and so on!

How and when should I use them?

Brain breaks are best scattered throughout the day, during class activity. And they don’t have to be a big deal or take up too much (precious) time. In fact the subtler, the better:

• Utilise the transition from carpets to desks, for example, to do a quick body countdown (as above).

• Have children stand up from their chairs during a writing task for a quick bout of Head, Shoulders, Tummy. (Include Sit as one of the three instructions and finish on that one when you’re done. They can continue working straight away!)

Remember, brain breaks are short bursts of activity to re-engage. We don’t want classes becoming completely distracted!

I think I can manage that. Anything else I should know?

Remember that the aim is to utilise brain breaks as part of normal class activity. It is sometimes easy to slip into using them as fun treats to aim for, and taking them away as punishment. This defeats the point entirely. If there is unrest and fidgeting in your classroom, learn to recognise this as a need to move or reset, opposed to punishing misbehaviour.

Finally, as my two references indicate, I found two other really useful websites whilst working on this blog. And so, if you’re keen to find out more about the importance of brain breaks and ways to use them, along with heaps of other useful topics, be sure to visit understood.org and realmomnutrition.com

- Sarah