Brain Breaks E-Book

Deb Lancashire

• Herausgeber: WS
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Brain Breaks
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 234

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Unlock your teaching power with "Brain Breaks," a transformative guide designed for educators who recognize the challenge of maintaining student focus. If you’re searching for an effective, simple solution to reduce off-task behaviors and reinvigorate your classroom, look no further—brain breaks are your secret weapon.

This insightful book delves into the science behind brain breaks, illustrating how brief pauses can enhance learning by giving the hippocampus the downtime it needs to process information and make meaningful connections. As students engage in these energizing activities, they benefit from increased oxygen flow, leading to heightened concentration and creativity.

"Brain Breaks" offers a wealth of engaging stories, practical descriptions, and innovative uses for brain breaks that refresh both teachers and students alike. The appendix features 100 carefully curated brain breaks tailored to diverse classroom needs—from building knowledge and refocusing to energizing and fostering connections.

Perfect for educators in traditional classrooms, homeschool settings, and online environments, this book is your essential companion for fostering an engaging and dynamic learning atmosphere. Transform the way you teach and watch your students thrive!

Leseprobe

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT

BRAINBREAKS

“What an insightful guide to brain breaks tailored for educators who grasp the neuroscience behind them. Packed with personal anecdotes, this book offers a refreshing perspective on incorporating brain breaks into the classroom. A must-read for teachers seeking a deeper understanding of how to optimize student engagement and learning.”

NIAMH O’DONOGHUE, B.Ed., MSc Mental Health and Wellbeing in Education, International School of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany, MYP Language and Literature/PHE teacher, 10 years

“After reading this book, I talked with my kindergarteners about how their brains need a rest sometimes. We discussed how our transition activities and brain breaks give their brains a release from thinking. Now, my students are asking for brain breaks when they need them. They are noticing which breaks work the best for them, too. Brain breaks are changing my young learners.”

GRACE RODRIGUES, International School Shanghai, Shanghai, China, kindergarten teacher, 38 years

“Brain breaks are an essential tool in maintaining student engagement and facilitating effective learning, and I believe this book will be a valuable resource for educators seeking to enrich their classroom practices.”

DR. TAYLAN CELTIK, International School Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany, MYP/DP Mathematics Teacher & Curriculum Leader ISS, DP Mathematics Moderator, International Baccalaureate, 25 years

“The ‘May I have your attention, please?’ section is great. I loved the line ‘Being present requires training the mind to turn off all the notifications!’ There are so many great ways to connect kids and refresh their minds in this book. My fourth graders loved the Three-Headed Expert and the Long-Lost Friends breaks. I can’t wait to get this book in the hands of my teaching peers.”

TAMI KOSKE, Granville Intermediate School, Granville, Ohio, Grade 4, 25 years

“The work that Deb is doing with brain breaks is changing how we teach at our school! She has brought in so many quick and easy brain breaks that even make staff meetings more interesting! She is empowering her students not just to have moments to energize and refocus but also to take control of their own learning. My students have started to monitor the learning environment and will ask to do a brain break when they are feeling low energy. With 90-minute class periods and middle school students, teaching with brain breaks is an absolute must!”

KRISTIN MONTGOMERY, International School Stuttgart, Stuttgart Germany, MYP Spanish teacher, 16 years

“As a retired teacher, I have been to many professional development meetings. I wish I’d had the opportunity to read this book for professional development. It is very applicable in all grade levels and subject matter. During my reading, I really wanted to try some of them. I know it would have definitely benefited my students and made me a better teacher. I especially like how Deb introduced topics, explained them, and then gave examples that you can visualize. She then gives you brain break activities to address the different learning parts of the brain, using both individual and group activities. I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. It is a very easy read. I must admit that I have implemented several of her brain breaks in my daily life. Thank you, Deb!”

DIANE LANCASHIRE, Mallard Creek High School, North Carolina, USA, HS PE/health teacher retired, 37 years

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For information, email [email protected]

Copyright ©2024 Deb Lancashire

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher/author, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. All images, logos, quotes, and trademarks included in this book are subject to use according to trademark and copyright laws of the United States of America.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024921648

ISBN: 979-8-9904878-3-3 (paperback)

ISBN: 979-8-9904878-0-2 (digital)

EDUCATION / Learning Styles

EDUCATION / Teaching / Methods & Strategies

Cover design and typesetting by Kaitlin Barwick

brain-breaks.ck.page/3e96567779

Brain Break Academy: facebook.com/Brainbreak.guru

This book is dedicated tostudents and teachers across the world.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1: The Magic Behind Brain Breaks

What Brain Breaks Are

What Brain Breaks Are Not

The Key to a Successful Brain Break

Brain Anatomy

How Do Brain Breaks Improve Brain Function?

Benefits of Brain Breaks

2: Implement a Brain Break

How to Choose a Brain Break

When to Use a Brain Break

How to Implement a Brain Break

3: Going, Going, Gone … Into Long-Term Memory

Retrieval

Spaced Learning

Elaboration

4: Making Brain Breaks a Part of the Lesson

Summarize

Apply New Learning

Provide Memory Cues

5: May I Have Your Attention, Please?

Sleep

Remove Distractions

Limit Social Media

Practice Mindfulness to Build Focus

6: Reset the Mind

Best Brain Breaks for Calming

Best Brain Breaks to Increase Energy

7: The Body Moves, The Brain Grooves

Release Brain Overload

Decrease Stress

Boost Brain Function

Develop Social Skills

Increase Productivity

8: Growing Growth Mindset

Use Self-Talk

Identify Your Mindset

Practice!

Reflect on Your Work

9: Cooperation Brings Connection

Physical

Content

Cooperation

10: Speed Up Brain Function

Content Brain Breaks That Connect

Physical Activities That Connect

11: Brain Breaks for BIG Kids

Shift in Cognitive Thinking

Breaks from Technology

Calming and Sensory Activities

Rest and Reflect

Physical Release of Muscles

12: Brain Breaks for LITTLE Kids

Motor Skills

Communication Skills

Social-Emotional Skills

13: Creating a Positive Classroom Culture

Our Motto: “We Are lifelong learners.”

Appendix: Brain Breaks

References

About the Author

Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge Azul Terronez of Authors Who Lead for his excellent guidance during the writing process. From developing a proper mindset to webs, bubbles, prompts, and questions, the writing process worked well for me. The discussions with the Trail Blazers group of Jenny and Gwen helped to tweak and shape my book development. Azul’s enthusiasm and encouragement helped me overcome all roadblocks to writing.

My dear friend and master teacher Tami Koske graciously read the early chapter sections and gave valuable feedback. Her input and encouragement pushed me to continue writing this message.

A shout-out to Mrs. Koske’s fourth-grade students, who experimented with different brain breaks that are outlined in the book. The enthusiasm of both the students and their teacher encouraged my writing path.

A special thank you to Diane Lancashire, a retired award-winning high school physical and health education teacher, who read the entire book and shared valuable feedback from a different perspective. Her insight helped me to realize that this message is for all teachers.

I also need to thank the sixth- through eighth-grade students at International School Stuttgart. Their journey of using brain breaks and brain-based lessons is documented throughout the pages of this book. It has been a joy to watch their transformation in thinking and learning over the past three years.

Finally, I thank God. As I leave the classroom, His path for my life is awesome. He has placed in my heart a fire to share a message about the power of our brains to learn and how best to access and use our immense library of knowledge.

Introduction

As a teacher, I hope to create an environment that encourages happy, caring learners. My journey in teacher training in the ’80s included educational theory focusing on cooperative learning and behavioral methodology. William Glasser’s book Choice Theory in the Classroom taught me to use a “learning team” approach. It moved my students from rows to table groups. Students were grouped with varying abilities of high, middle, and low achievement. Glasser’s theories in practice allowed students to work together discussing ideas, editing work, and sharing learning strategies with each other.

The second core teaching in my education was behavior management. Our university taught BF Skinner’s theory of stimulus and response. It is program using negative and positive reward systems to control behavior. Marble jars on the desk were carrots for the students to earn a party. If the class performed desired behaviors each day, they would earn a particular number of marbles. When the jar was full, it was party time. Writing a disobedient student’s name on the board or using positive behavior sticker charts on students’ desks targeted and documented both positive and negative behaviors. I found that this practice did more to reinforce the bad behavior than to change it.

The ’90s brought learning styles—auditory, visual, and kinesthetic—and Howard Gardner’s theory of eight multiple intelligences. His breakthrough findings identified eight frames of mind:

Visual-spatial

Linguistic verbal

Logical-mathematical

Body-kinesthetic

Musical

Interpersonal

Intrapersonal

Naturalistic

These frames identify multiple types of learning tendencies possible within our brains. I enthusiastically created different paths to learning in my lessons to fit these types of thinkers and learners. I included project choices to provide opportunities for different learning tendencies.

I discovered that these practices were limiting my students, not enhancing their learning. The ideas address the facts of neurodiversity in the classroom, but they also boxed students into a fixed mindset. The faulty nature of this work was that it depended on me as the educator to provide multiple paths to learning—and it was exhausting. Unfortunately, even despite my hard work, these practices did not provide the ultimate goal for my students: ownership of their learning, which leads to happy, caring learners.

My teaching certification includes K–12 severe behavior handicaps and learning disabilities and K–8 regular classroom teacher. Because my first two teaching appointments included K–3 a Severe Behavior Handicap Unit and a 6–8 Learning Support pullout class, I was always assigned the at-risk and learning-support students in my regular fourth-grade and middle school classes. This required a structured and disciplined classroom. I worked at creating a safe and quiet environment for learning through assertive discipline practices. My classes’ test scores in reading and writing consistently met and exceeded state standards. The administration would ask, “How are you doing this, with these kids?” I explained that it had been done through structure, repetition, and feedback. I felt accomplished in my work with students.

But after fifteen years of teaching, I felt no joy. My work in the classroom was based on controlling behaviors and promoting a varied environment for learning. Sadly, the sole responsibility for growth of my students’ learning did not include the students! They were being painted with curricula. I knew that if I was not feeling the joy of learning in the classroom, then neither were they. I wanted kids to experience explosive growth in thinking, increasing levels of mastery in their reading and writing skills, and extreme joy in learning. I thought, There has to be something more.

This evaluation and reflection of my work in teaching led me on a journey into the study of how the brain learns. David Sousa’s book How the Brain Learns taught me the processes of learning within the brain and strategies to elevate thinking in my classroom. Brain Matters by Patricia Wolfe and Brain-Based Learning by Eric Jensen furthered my use of brain-based instruction.

Every text I read about the brain included the use of brain breaks to restore attention and improve brain function through increased oxygen. Each text repeated the fact that our brains have a limited amount of time for focus and must rest. My experiences with using their ideas and concepts revolutionized my classroom. It changed my mindset from managing students to facilitating learning for them. I was no longer the “drill sergeant” and “sage on the stage.”

How did I begin this transition to brain-based learning as a teacher? I started with brain breaks. Taking time every twenty-five to thirty minutes to refresh and refocus. These always included breathing, movement, and water. Breathing should involve deep breaths completely filling the lungs with an extended inhale and a slow release. Movement means physical exercise. The body moves, the brain grooves! I used GoNoodle and Just Dance on YouTube, and regular exercises. Water is crucial to brain function. Drinking a sip or two must be a part of every brain break.

I admit it was awkward at first. My first brain break was with a class of twenty-five sixth graders. We were dancing to the song “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. All the kids started at the back of the room. Some were shy and did not want to do it. Others were laughing and singing along. When the zombie monster-claw part of the dance began, the energy in the room became electric! The bold dancers encouraged the shy dancers to try it. Soon the whole class was marching in time to the “Thriller” dance. They were connecting with each other, laughing, and being very loud! I wondered if this was an appropriate use of class time.

But then the magic happened. When they returned to their work, every single student was smiling. With spirits lifted and brains refreshed, they enthusiastically completed the writing assignment.

The change had a significant impact on my students. Using brain breaks allowed them to release energy and connect with each other. They used their brains differently for two to five minutes between work sessions. It increased their focused attention during learning sessions and decreased distracted minds and off-task behavior. Brain breaks improved their concentration and productivity. Students began to tell me when they needed to rest their brains. I could see them becoming linked into their own learning process.

My final year teaching in the States, 2015, our sixth grade students scored the highest passage rate in reading we had achieved since our school opened in 2002. That year, 98 percent of our 220 students passed or exceeded the state standards. We were ranked in the top ten of all sixth grade classrooms across the state for reading scores. We accomplished this with an extremely challenging cohort of students who had a multitude of learning difficulties and social-emotional issues. In one of my classes, all twenty-five students were identified as at-risk or on an IEP (individualized education program) plan.

I believe a big part of their success was due to using brain breaks.

But there is more …

As I continued on the path of brain learning and student ownership, I found that teaching students about their brain was essential to their awareness and success. The concepts and lessons listed below are taught during the first week of school.

Understanding growth mindset

Learning how our brains function and process information

Learning how to build neuroplasticity

Using brain breaks to enhance student focus and restore energy

I teach sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade social studies.

The sixth graders do a deep dive into the meaning and descriptions of growth and fixed mindsets. Growth mindset tells us that we can learn new things if we try. We now speak the language of growth mindset: first attempts are messy, fail, and fail better. This means failure provides information toward understanding and mastery of skills and concepts.

The seventh graders review growth mindset and learn about the function of different parts of their brain with a focus on the learning center, temporal lobe, and hippocampus. They learn how new knowledge begins when the brain interprets messages from their senses. Then the hippocampus, also called the brain’s librarian, sorts and files their new knowledge.

The eighth graders focus on building neuroplasticity, a superhighway of information that helps them retrieve facts. The repeated retrieval of facts creates a highway in the brain, which leads to developing lasting long-term memory or durable memory.

The majority of my students are developing a growth mindset through understanding how their brain learns. They now know that repeated effort is necessary, and our brains need short rests. This way of teaching, using brain breaks, has changed everything! My students now have superior focus during learning sessions, which helps them feel empowered to learn. It has even improved active participation during group and partner projects. Students are asking to lead brain breaks in the class and becoming aware of the importance of resting the brain. After a student-led brain break in class, a seventh-grade girl commented, “Brain breaks are a breath of fresh air for my brain!”

The use of brain breaks has revolutionized my teaching practice in several ways.

First, they make students aware that everybody has a brain, and we use the brain to learn. This is helping students believe they can learn. Second, I am fully aware of student focus and time. I still teach content, give directions, and use formative and summative assessments of student work. But now I listen intently for signs of group distractions and fading attention. These provide clues that students have reached their limit and need a break. Finally, brain breaks have enhanced the relationship between the students and me. They feel I am on their side and that we are a learning team. Even when I must correct or discipline them, they ultimately know I care about them and their growth as learners.

Many of us in the teaching profession are burdened with overloaded curriculum demands and large class sizes that require significant behavior management systems. Some district policies and platforms for teaching content do not serve the needs of all students. High-stakes testing creates anxiety and pressure for teachers, students, and their families. The practices outlined and described in Brain Breaks provide a stepping stone for students and teachers. With refocused attention and restored energy through brain breaks, students begin to feel uplifted and supported in their learning journey. I have found that using brain breaks and brain-based strategies has led to the classroom I always dreamed of—one with happy, caring learners.

This book is a blend of stories sharing the benefits of brain breaks and explaining how to use them most effectively in the classroom. As most of my teaching has been in upper elementary and middle school, this book reflects the impact of brain breaks within this band of students. The ideas and practices can easily be applied to preschool, kindergarten, and high school students. The final two chapters offer suggestions for big and little kids. This is not a book that needs to be read sequentially. However, the first chapters share my breakthrough realization in using brain breaks and how to implement them, so I suggest you read these first before trying out specific ones with your students.

At the end of each chapter is a Brain Break Toolbox. It provides lists of brain breaks that can be used specifically for the chapter topic. Below is an example of the Brain Break Toolbox.

BRAIN BREAK TOOLBOX: ENERGIZE

Circle Name GameLong-Lost FriendsWheel of ExerciseYee-Haw

The appendix is organized into categories of brain breaks with clear descriptions and labels that link to the big ideas in this book: Build, Refocus, Energize, Activate, and Connect.

My hope is that this book will become a reference to elevate thinking and learning in classrooms everywhere.

Now that you have an overview of what this book will cover, read on for an introduction to the concept of brain breaks and the trick to restoring focused attention.

1

The Magic Behind Brain Breaks

Our brains have amazing capacity for growth and change. Brain breaks help to facilitate this magical process.

WHAT BRAIN BREAKS ARE

Brain breaks are short mental breaks taken at regular intervals during classroom instruction. Their purpose is to give the child a release from thinking and reset their brain. A brain break does for your brain what switching hands when carrying a heavy bag does for your hand. It gives them a rest.

The break can be energizing or calming, but it should always stimulate a different part of the brain or brain function. If your students are doing math problem-solving, they are using the frontal lobe to process this information. So the brain break you choose should use language, creativity, or movement. Short games like Zip, Zap, Zog (which you will learn about soon) build energy and refocus the mind by prompting the children to pronounce words correctly and quickly.

Brain breaks literally change the brain structure. They affect cell size and create greater connectivity between neurons. The chemical reactions between neurons increase and become better balanced. This is evident in the mood change experienced during and after the activity. Brain breaks increase the survival of new neuron cells. As information is consolidated, the hippocampus actively works to create new cells. The increase of neural growth factors for new cells is due to the rest that the brain receives during the break. Blood flow and breathing bring in necessary oxygen to improve function. All of these changes—increased chemical reactions, new growth of neural cells, and oxygen flooding the brain—occur with the execution of a brain break. (Terada, 2018)

WHAT BRAIN BREAKS ARE NOT

Many people think that brain breaks are a time to release the students into the hallway and let them chat. The problem with this is it does not necessarily activate a different part of the brain. Students may continue talking about the classwork. They may get on social media and talk about the posts. This is a huge deterrent for learning. Once they direct their thoughts toward social media topics, it is very hard to return focus to the lesson. Their minds have task-switched, so it will take time and effort to refocus. This is just a break from the lesson. Students do not come back from this type of break refreshed or relaxed.

Brain breaks are not a replacement for recess! Recess is the time for free choice and free play with no technology use allowed. It is crucial for students to have this downtime during their school day.

THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL BRAIN BREAK

During one class, I had an “a-ha moment” while using brain breaks. I realized that you must give the part of the brain used in learning a break. To do this, you must activate a different part of the brain.

My sixth-grade class was completing research and writing about the greenhouse effect. It required deep thought and analysis. After twenty minutes of work, the students looked tired. I set up a mini obstacle course in the room and drew the path on the board. They worked with a partner to accomplish what I called “Mission Impossible.” The partner groups had their wrists bound together with a rubber band. There were four events.

Event 1: Crawling through a cave (crawling under a desk)

Event 2: Walking across a lava lake on a single board (a piece of tape on the floor)

Event 3: Vaulting over a canyon (a space between two chairs with a meter or yardstick across the seats)

Event 4: Shimmying along a mountain ledge (the marker dish of the whiteboard)

It was fun watching them talk about how to manage each mission with their wrists connected. Partner groups copied others or came up with unique and creative ways to go under the desk and over the stick. There was a good bit of laughter and a lot of cooperation.

When they finished, each partner group received a star sticker. It took only four minutes for all groups to finish the Mission Impossible tasks. Then they went back to writing a summary of their learning as if their brains were on fire. Pens flew across the page.

This activity showed me that motor movement and cooperative work released their brains from thinking and allowed their language brain to rest. The switch in brain function gave room in the students’ minds to simmer and sort ideas. They were able to successfully explain the greenhouse effect.

Here are some of the responses my students gave when I asked them to complete the following sentence: Brain breaks make me feel …

… excited.

… relaxed and happy.

… energized for the next part of class.

BRAIN ANATOMY

Cerebellum: balance and coordination, motor movement; coordinates with middle ear

Occipital Lobe: vision, color perception, acuity, visual processing

Parietal Lobe: language and touch, voluntary simple movement and complex movement, auditory processing, long-term memory

Temporal Lobe: learning center, hearing, feelings, language comprehension

Frontal Lobe: attention, motivation, emotions, judgment, thinking, speaking, memory, problem-solving, decision-making, language, speech, working memory, logic, reason, and planning

(Treays, 2004)

There is power in knowing how your brain works and processes information. For many of my students, knowledge about their brain has developed a growth mindset. The word “yet” is now a part of their vocabulary. A failure is simply “I have not mastered this concept … yet.” They know that with practice and consistent retrieval of information, they can build learning that lasts.

HOW DO BRAIN BREAKS IMPROVE BRAIN FUNCTION?

Our brains have a limited amount of time for concentrated focus. The chart below lists the approximate focusing time at each age level.

FOCUS TIME BY AGE

Age (In Years)

Focus Time Limits

2

4 to 6 minutes

4

8 to 12 minutes

6

12 to 18 minutes

8

16 to 24 minutes

10

20 to 30 minutes

12

24 to 36 minutes

14

28 to 42 minutes

16

32 to 48 minutes

This knowledge should dictate the amount of class time students are able to intensely focus on tasks, whether it is instruction, class discussion, group work, or individual work. After the recommended time for focusing, students should be given a specific brain break to refresh and refocus their minds.

A brain at rest is not idle. A study from University of Southern California and MIT found that during fMRI brain scans, the brain is active while at rest.

Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang stated, “Rest is indeed not idleness, nor is it a wasted opportunity for productivity.”

A brain at rest is performing tasks crucial to learning. It consolidates memories. This consolidation of memories helps us make sense of our experiences by finding novel connections between prior learning and new ideas. During rest, the brain connects memory traces from working memories to long-term memories.

★KEY TAKEAWAY: The benefit of brain breaks makes them a vital part of classroom practice for students of all ages.

BENEFITS OF BRAIN BREAKS

★ Improve attention and productivity

★ Increase blood flow, which brings oxygen to the brain

★ Increase speed of brain function and processing

★ Strengthen both peer-to-peer and teacher-to-student relationships

★ Enhance mood due to the release of the happy brain chemical dopamine

★ Reduce stress, anxiety, and frustration

★ Build and improve growth mindset

Here is your first opportunity to try a brain break for yourself!

Stand up.

Place your hands gently over both ears.

This is where the magic of learning begins, in the temporal lobe.

The thalamus is the initial receptor of information from our senses. The neurons in the thalamus carry the information to the amygdala, the emotional center. The amygdala decides if the information is dangerous. If it believes it to be so, your brain goes into flight or fight mode. If a student has elevated levels of stress, anxiety, or distress, the amygdala reacts to most information in varying degrees of fight or flight. It is why some people become extremely angry at simple requests. (Sing a song that makes you happy.)

If the amygdala gives the green light of safety, the information travels to the hippocampus. The hippocampus is like the librarian for the brain. It stores and sorts the information, sending it for processing in the different lobes depending on the sensory input. (Say, “Love the librarian!”)

Slide your hand to the base of your skull.

This is the cerebellum. Balance and movement are the job of the neurons here. (Stand on one foot.)

Place your hand on the back of your head, right on top of the bony ridge.

This is the occipital lobe. It is the center for color recognition, visual perception, and sight. (Blink three times.)

Now, place your hands on the top of your head.