How Students Avoid Brain Breaks

It is important for students with difficulty staying focused, and who have issues with inconsistent alertness, to be given opportunities to move around. Students who struggle with attention often do better if they are given opportunities for brief breaks, which help to enhance the learning process (Jensen, 2000). When students are engaged in a task that involves higher order of thinking for a long period of time, students can experience a “burnout,” which results in no new learning to occur (Jensen, 2000). Having scheduled breaks will assist students with attention disorders to better process information and learn new material in the classroom. Many students have experienced time-outs, however, it is important to decipher between time-outs and taking a break. Students are able to decide for themselves if they

Brain breaks give students opportunities to breathe, relax, recharge, and refocus their attention back to the lesson (Christian & Weslake, 2015). Taking a break is a strategy teachers can use to help children develop and achieve skills in the classroom, while ensuring everyone’s safety and helping to reduce distractions in the classroom. Brain breaks (Christian & Weslake, 2015) can be implemented in a variety of different ways. The teacher should set very clear expectations for students needing brain breaks (Christian & Weslake, 2015). Specific signals can be set for individual students needing breaks to let them know it is time for them to take a break, without disrupting the entire class. The teacher and student should already have an understanding of what is expected of them during their brain breaks and a location in which the brain break will occur (Christian & Weslake, 2015). Time limits need to be predetermined as well as the activity they can do during their break. Brain breaks can help create a positive atmosphere that enhances self-esteem among students who are very active and have trouble staying focused to understand the material (Jensen,