1. Kim Cruz Rachel Spencer Jamie Whittley
Brain Breaks
Kim Cruz
Rachel Spencer
Jamie Whittley

2. 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!

3. Which brain would you prefer to teach?
Red indicates brain activity

4. Why is it important? Our brains are constantly working to:
Receive, filter, and prune away information
Make choices
Every 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.

5. 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

6. How to conduct a brain break?
In order to be effective, there are steps you must follow before initiating a break.
Step 1: Explain Purpose
You 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

7. 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 stand
roo/wobbly-man

8. Yoga
Yoga breaks can relieve stress, improve focus and boost student’s mood as well as teacher’s mood and stress level.
Elementary Example
de-so-leg
Secondary Example
Do the first exercise with the group on the secondary video. Just the Breath of Joy. Ends at 1:27

9. Auditory
Auditory breaks or quiet time in the classroom can help students focus and reflect on what they have learned.
Elementary Example
Secondary Example
2-10 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.

10. Portable Brain Break Brain Break Sticks
Small pad of paper and crayons/pens/pencil.
Book
Small Toys
Just a few ideas…. Be Creative!

11. 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

12. 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.

13. Spontaneous
When students exhibit…. Frustration Fatigue Tapping Pacing Laying their head down Asking to take an abnormal amount of bathroom breaks

14. Be Prepared to Share! Break Out Session
Work in a small group and come up with 5 brain break ideas.
Be Prepared to Share!

15. 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 work
After a math unit for example

16. 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!

17. References:
Printable-games-and-activities-for-5-minute-classroom-breaks

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

19. http://www.realmomnutrition.com/2015/01/26/brai n-breaks/
Incorporating Brain Breaks. Retrieved from:
Jensen, E Moving with the Brain in Mind
Retrieved from:

20. Ideas from HPEC In-Service: First Group:
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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. Fifth Group (Early Childhood Teachers):
Dr. Gene songs
Tall kneeling at table
Sitting on exercise balls
Laying on stomach while playing on iPad

25. Sixth Group:
Let them tell you or friends what happened for two minutes
Letter ladder
Snowball
Shaving cream
Blocks
Swing