Most educators experience students’ glazed eyes, heads down, whispering, texting under the table and disruptive classroom behavior. While frustrating to teachers, these behaviors indicate that students are overdue for a brain break. Dr. Judy Willis, author of “Research-based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from Neuroscience and the Classroom” informs educators that the requests for water, bathroom, and behavior flare-ups may not be excuses to skip out on work. Granted, let’s be honest, sometimes they are! However, teachers who understand brain science know why these student behaviors happen. It’s natural for students to get fidgety, off-task, and drive us to our last nth of sanity by the end of the week!

Don’t flee the education field demoralized like a wounded soldier. Arm yourself every morning with brain science-backed strategies for effective teaching and energized students. Brain science explains how to fight off student disengagement before it occurs (Willis, 2020).

Learning begins at the Reticular Activating System (RAS) inside the brain. Our students’ RAS filters an enormous amount of sensory information created by the environment. Imagine the RAS as the sifter you use when sifting flour to bake a cake. Visualize one tiny grain of flour falling into the bowl from a five-pound bag. That is the power of the RAS. Luckily, students can manipulate the RAS intake as they get older (Willis, 2020).

The RAS alerts the brain to stimuli for protection from danger. Hence, any external stimuli more exciting than the teacher wins! While great for directing focus to emergencies, the RAS does not always serve our student population. If a student finds the curriculum or the teacher’s delivery mundane, the RAS blocks the information from entering the prefrontal cortex or “higher brain.” The results: Students are not learning. Likely, students did not even process the teacher’s words. Can you hear the echoes of, “What page is it on again?” Students can listen and retain a page number. Unfortunately, their RAS was busy letting in other sensory information instead of the teacher’s instruction (Willis, 2020).

Competing to make it through the RAS filter is the first step in better teaching practices and improving student achievement. Our voices must be the sensory information launched into the prefrontal cortex where memory and critical thinking occur. Then, students connect previously learned information to the current lesson for the chance of the information going from short to long term memory (Willis, 2020). As educators, we must stare ourselves down to find the facets of content delivery which lose the RAS fight.

We reminisce over decades of “sit and get” teaching, but that methodology does not meet the 21st century students’ needs. Willis’s 2020 brain science and education research tells us that students learn through appealing entertainment. Essentially, today’s effective teacher is a “teachertainer.”

The Benefits of Brain Breaks for Classroom Management and Academic Achievement

Teachertainers teach higher-order thinking strategically in brain breaks and lock freshly learned skills into the prefrontal cortex on the sly! Think with me for a second. A brain break, in its essence, is a time used to relieve cognitive stress, boredom, and frustration. Teachertainers purposefully use brain breaks to reset attention, focus, motivation, and the joy of learning with activities students perceive as a “break.” Don’t waste time letting your students sit and gossip! Willis (2020) details a myriad of strategies to tap into strengthening neural connections in the brain and boosting intrinsic motivation in, “Research-based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from Neuroscience and the Classroom.”

Teachertainers frame the brain break as a “break” from complex thinking, but secretly, it’s where learning, memory storage, and classroom management overhauls can occur!

Here’s the kicker: Short brain breaks need to happen before boredom sets in. This allows the information to move to working memory (Willis, 2020). Especially for middle and high school students, hearing the word “break” increases dopamine levels refreshing the brain’s curiosity and receptiveness to learning.

Teachertainer Strategies

Choosing activities that build a collaborative team spirit is a classroom climate booster. A simple student-led Simon Says game increases oxygen flow to the brain as students unwittingly practice focus and attention skills. Teachertain with encouragement and laughter, transforming any student awkwardness into positive energy.

Try handing students mini-whiteboards and markers. Ask them to draw a symbol representing happiness but restrict drawing the typical emoji or smiley face. Watch small grins circle the room as students’ imaginations spin the details of their personalized happy symbol. Have students close their eyes. No peeking! Quickly swap the whiteboards. Ask students to play a guessing game matching each student to the right symbol. Teachertain by celebrating students’ individualities. Act as if you hit the MegaMillions Jackpot with awe and enthusiasm for students’ creative connections. Don’t forget to lead snapping or clapping for each correct guess!

After a few days of brain “break” strategies like these, classroom management begins to take care of itself. Watch student leaders defend a classmate against an unkind jest. Students advocate for what they value. Now, they value each other’s contribution to the team.

With harmonious classroom management, the Teachertainer can seamlessly weave in and out of brain breaks, continually elevating students’ love for learning and each other.

Research-Based Strategies to IGNITE Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist and Classroom Teacher

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What are Brain Breaks?

Brain breaks are an important part of learning. They are small mental breaks designed to help students focus and attend. They typically get students moving and allow blood and oxygen to flow to the brain. These breaks allow students a small reset in the day and enhance energy and relaxation. Research states that doubling students’ chronological age is comparable to their attention span. Too much, too fast, won’t last. Teachers’ goals are for students to retain information, and it is best to allow them time to think and process. Brain breaks are good for students at any age from Pre-K through college.

Brain breaks positively impact our emotional states. The hippocampus can only process so much information at once, and brain breaks allow students and teachers to reset for a few minutes. These breaks allow and develop creativity and social skills. A great example of this is allowing students to participate in a small dance break to music. This is such an effective way to allow students to break outside of their box and show their creativity. Sometimes the shy students in class may be afraid to speak up while answering questions, but will dance their heart out to music. It’s so fun and brings laughter to the classroom! Brain breaks should be considered an investment into the students’ and teachers’ day.

Benefits of Brain Breaks for Kids

Countless research supports incorporating brain breaks into teaching. The benefits include better behavior, increased productivity, enhanced comprehension, creative thinking, and increased time on task. They help students pay attention and are as important as the skills being taught. Teachers should structure their classes to where students are not focusing on one task too long and possibly becoming counterproductive. Brain breaks including music and movement positively stimulate their brains.

Brain breaks increase efficiency and performance in the classroom. They are valuable for students and teachers. Movement, music, and humor are all great ideas to incorporate into brain breaks. They reduce stress and frustration, and increase attention and productivity. Physical activity has so many benefits, and incorporating small bursts of these kinds of activities during lessons possess real advantages.

Brain Break Ideas and Activities to Try

Let the students know they are building up their brain power during these breaks, and plan brain breaks according to the age of the children you are working with. Schedule them into lessons, and set a timer to ensure they are implemented. Students need to engage in these breaks before they become distracted or tired. It is best to include a variety so all students can enjoy and look forward to them. Periodically allow students to decide what the brain break will be. An example would be to allow a student that has a birthday to choose the brain breaks for the day.

Teachers can also reinforce skills that are taught in class. This allows them to utilize different parts of their brains during the lesson. It is best to model the brain break and sometimes participate with students. The kids love to see the teacher in a different role. It is best to be flexible, and include opportunities to socialize and move. Incorporate games into learning, and brain breaks will be blended into the lesson.

Go Noodle is one of the most popular brain break websites, and students love it! There is a plethora of songs including reinforcing academic skills, stretches, and movement. These are free, short videos that help students engage in movement in the classroom.

Flocabulary is an online resource library full of songs and raps for classrooms K-12. The videos and activities present a myriad of skills in a rap song, and students can dance along. The songs are enjoyable and amusing. The Learning Station is another online resource that includes brain break videos for kids. The videos incorporate movement and dancing and are designed for young children.

Brain breaks can also include focusing attention practices to quiet the mind and many distractions in our day. They allow students to practice time outs and engage in think-time to process. Our thinking improves during this time and allows our emotions to regulate. This is when stretching poses such as those found in yoga are a perfect brain break. Examples of quieting the mind are turning the lights down and allowing students to sit or relocate to a quiet place in the room for just a few minutes. Another example would be to allow students to draw or work on a puzzle quietly for just a few minutes.

Brain breaks in teaching boost cognitive functioning and foster the joy of learning. Brain breaks should always be structured and planned according to what is going on in class. They are imperative in today’s classrooms, and allow teachers and students the opportunity for movement, quiet, and overall enjoyment.

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