When presented with new material, standards, and
complicated topics, we need to be focused and calm
as we approach our assignments. We can use brain
breaks and focused-attention practices to positively
impact our emotional states and learning.
They refocus our neural circuitry with either stimulating or
quieting practices that generate increased activity in
the prefrontal cortex, where problem solving and
emotional regulation occur.
Brain Breaks
A brain break is a short period of time when we
change up the dull routine of incoming information
that arrives via predictable, tedious, well-worn
roadways.
Our brains are wired for novelty because
we pay attention to any and every stimulus in our
environment that feels threatening or out of the
ordinary. This has always been a wonderful advantage
because our survival as a species depended on this
aspect of brain development.
When we take a brain break, it refreshes our thinking
and helps us discover another solution to a problem
or see a situation through a different lens. Consider
trying these with your class:
1. The Junk Bag
I always carry a bag of household objects containing
markers, scrap paper, and anything that one would
find in a junk drawer -- for example, a can opener or
a pair of shoelaces. Pick any object out of the junk
bag and ask students to come up with two ways this
object could be reinvented for other uses. They can
write or draw their responses. Once students have
drawn or written about an invention, they can walk
the room for one minute sharing and comparing.
2. Squiggle Story
On a blank sheet of paper, whiteboard, or
Promethean Board, draw one squiggly line. Give
students one minute to stand and draw with their
opposite hand, turning the line into a picture or
design of their choice.
3. Opposite Sides
Movement is critical to learning. Have students stand
and blink with the right eye while snapping the fingers
of their left hand. Repeat this with the left eye and
right hand. Students could also face one another and
tap the right foot once, left foot twice, and right foot
three times, building speed they alternate toe tapping
with their partner.
4. Symbolic Alphabet
Sing the alphabet with names of objects rather than
the letters.
5. Other Languages
Teach sign language or make up a spoken language.
In pairs, students take turns speaking or interpreting
this new language for 30 seconds each.
6. Mental Math
Give a set of three instructions, counting the sequence
to a partner for 30 seconds. Example: Count by two
until 20, then count by three until 50, finishing with
seven until 80. Switch and give the other partner
another set of numbers to count.
7. Invisible Pictures
Have a student draw a picture in the air while their
partner guesses what it is. You could give them
categories such as foods, places, or other ways to
narrow the guessing.
8. Story Starters
A student or teacher begins a story for one minute,
either individually or with a partner. The students then
complete or continue it with a silly ending.
9. Rock Scissors Paper Math
With the traditional game, the last call-out is "math."
With that call, students lay out one, two, three, or four
fingers in the palm of their hand. The best of three
wins.
Focused-Attention Practices
A focused-attention practice is a brain exercise for
quieting the thousands of thoughts that distract and
frustrate us each day. When the mind is quiet and
focused, we are able to be present with a specific
sound, sight, or taste.
Research repeatedly shows
that quieting our minds ignites our parasympathetic
nervous system, reducing heart rate and blood
pressure while enhancing our coping strategies to
effectively handle the day-to-day challenges that keep
coming. Our thinking improves and our emotions
begin to regulate so that we can approach an
experience with variable options.
For the following practices, the goal is to start with
60 to 90 seconds and build to five minutes:
1. Breathing
Use the breath as a focus point. Have students place
one hand close to their nose (not touching) and one
hand on their belly. As they breathe in, have them feel
their bellies expand. As they exhale, they can feel the
warm air hit their hand. Students will focus on this
breath for only one minute. Let them know that it's
OK when thoughts sometimes come into the mind
uninvited. Tell them to exhale that thought away.
2. Colors
Visualize colors while focusing on the breath. Inhale a
deep green, and exhale a smoky gray. Have the
students imagine the colors as swirling and alive with
each inhale. If a student is de-escalating from an
angry moment, the color red is a great color to
exhale.
3. Movement
For younger children, direct students to stand and, as
they inhale, lift an arm or leg and wiggle it, exhaling it
back to its original position. For younger grades
beginning these focused-attention practices, it's good
to include an inhale and exhale with any type of
movement.
4. The Deep-Dive Breath
We inhale for four counts, hold for four, and exhale
slowly for four counts. You can increase the holding of
breath by a few seconds once the students find the
rhythm of the exercise.
5. Energizing Breath
We pant like a dog with our mouths open and our
tongues out for 30 seconds, continuing for another 30
seconds with our mouths closed as we take short
belly breaths with one hand on the belly. We typically
take three energizing pant breaths per second. After a
full minute, the students return to four regular deep
inhales and exhales.
6. Sound
The use of sound is very powerful for engaging a calm
response. In the three classrooms where I teach, we
use rain sticks, bells, chimes, and music. There are
many websites that provide music for focus, relaxation
and visualization. Here is one of my favorites .
7. Rise and Fall
As we breathe in and out through our noses, we can
lie on the floor and place an object on our stomachs,
enhancing our focus by watching the rising and falling
of our bellies.
When we are focused and paying attention to our
thoughts, feelings and choices, we have a much
greater opportunity to change those thoughts and
feelings that are not serving us well in life and in
school. When we grasp this awareness, we see and
feel the difference!
How do you stimulate or quiet your students?
Courtesy: http://www.edutopia.org/blog
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