Give Me a Break
Harness the power of Brain Breaks to supercharge learning.
We are lucky enough to have 20 minutes of independent reading built into our schedule. Students come in after lunch and we all sit down and read together. I love it. They won't admit it, but I think they like it too.
Today I read an article from Edutopia titled, "We Drastically Underestimate the Importance of Brain Breaks". The research indicates that our brains consolidate memories during breaks.
It was recommended that for every 20 to 30 minutes of study middle school students take a three to five-minute break.
So today we took a five-minute break in each of the afternoon classes. The students seemed to appreciate it and so did I. It felt like some of the stress and tension left the room.
When teachers are observed administrators look for student engagement, which is important. We feel pressure to always have the students "on task". The research makes a great case for making sure the breaks are scheduled as well. Recess also seems to be just as important as teachers have always known it was.
Test scores should improve, and both the students and teachers will be a little happier. Brain breaks are a win-win.
