Brain Breaks Teachers (and 10 FREEBIES)
3:00 AM
We’ve all used “brain breaks” to help students get through
tough school days. But what about us?
Teachers become stressed out and fatigued from those long testing days too,
especially during the end of the school year. Here are a few tips to help you survive
through to the last day of school.
What’s a Brain Break?
A brain break is a quick refreshing activity to decrease
built-up tension from testing, long days, or stressful times. Brain breaks are
a fun technique to energize, activate, and refocus the mind. They’re kind of
like brain candy to decrease frustration levels or reinvigorate students that
may have become drained or unmotivated after long periods of work.
Teachers all over the world use brain break activities to
help refocus and re-energize their students. They work tirelessly to ensure
that their class does not become overwhelmed or disengaged. The ironic part is
that they do all of this while draining themselves.
The truth is that teachers sometimes need a mental break too,
especially toward the end of the school year. We know about GoNoodle for kids.
We should invent GoDoodle for adults. Or how about GoStrudal! Many educators experience teacher burnout and struggle to keep their head up each day in the classroom. They need teacher survival tips. Teachers need
brain breaks, but what can they do?
When You’re Spread Too Thin… Stretch.
Teaching can be both emotionally and physically difficult. If
you’re like me, you’ll have days when you come home and just want to cry. There
are days you’ll feel like you’ve run a marathon. There will be days that you
wonder if you can keep it up.
Those days will come but they will also pass. You’ll have
tough days along with the great times, and it’s all a part of teaching. No one
ever told me that teaching would be such a roller coaster!
To help with the more challenging times, try a yoga class or
even a video at home to stretch out those tired muscles and redirect your mind.
Yoga can help relieve stress while providing low impact exercise. It can help
tone and strengthen your muscles, leading to a healthier body and a more relaxed
and confident self. Yoga can inspire balance, calmness, and self- awareness,
all of which can benefit any teacher.
Self-
Reflect Inside the Classroom… and Outside of the Classroom.
If relaxation sounds good, but exercise isn’t your thing, try
meditation. As teachers, we’re used to bustling around all day; planning,
teaching, and taking responsibility for all sorts of occasions that arise
throughout the day. Teachers are always on the go, always on- task. Teachers get tired and overwhelmed. Sometimes
we don’t know how to just pause.
Great teachers know that self- reflection is an important
part of effective teaching. But how many actually reflect on their personal
lives and their own mental state of mind? Meditation encourages peace and self-
awareness while working on mindfulness, positivity, clarity, and concentration.
There are many blog posts, podcasts, and YouTube videos about
meditation. Some of them are even dedicated specifically to teachers.
Meditation could be a great way to connect with yourself by disconnecting from
everything else. If nothing else, it can help you chill out after a crazy day.
Phone a Friend.
Know someone that always makes you laugh? When’s the last
time you spoke to them? Is there someone you’ve lost touch with that you’d like
to reconnect with? Give them a call. Just five minutes on the phone with a
loved one can lift your mood while brightening their day. Try talking about fun
times and good memories to get your mind off your problems and catch up with an
old friend. It could be just what you need to refresh your mind and you’ll
probably cheer them up too!
Step
Outside.
Even if it means grading papers on the playground or bringing
your laptop to the school courtyard, try to get out of the building if
possible. A little fresh air can make a world of a difference, and it helps to
physically remove yourself from the environment in which you’ve been feeling
stressed and drained.
Walk It Off.
While you’re outside, why not take a walk to really clear
your mind. Run if you’re feeling ambitious. Take notice of shape of the clouds,
the swaying leaves in the trees, and the chirping of the birds. Focusing on
nature helps us to remember that our problems are small in the grand scheme of
things.
Dance, Dance.
Confession time. Sometimes I close the blinds and have a
dance party with my kids. Let’s just keep this between us, okay? But the truth
is that they love it and it gets my blood pumping. I could give you a long list
of why I don’t exercise enough, but the real reason is that I just don’t want to.
But I love dancing! While I may look totally foolish, I have
fun doing it. It’s such a great way to get moving and laughing. I’m not brave
enough to join a dance class at the gym, so it’s just something we do at home
for now. I’ve had spontaneous dance parties in my classroom too. I highly
recommend it! Just make sure to close those blinds first.
Brain Candy in Moderation.
Social media can serve as brain candy, as long as you don’t
get sucked in for too long or take it too seriously. Know that behind those
perfect Instagram photos is probably someone who is stressed out and wearing
sweatpants behind the camera. Social media can be fun but set some limits for
yourself. Set a timer for ten minutes to browse on social media, then log off.
And if social media causes you stress of any kind, stay away.
Freebies for Fun.
And just for fun, here are 10 freebies from my shop!
Hopefully they’ll spark some fun in your classroom or save you a little time.
Enjoy!
So whether you’re reading this toward the end of the school
year, or you’ve only just begun, chances are that you’ll need a brain break
soon. Remember these tips and if you have any more, comment at the bottom, or
let me know on my Facebook or Instagram pages. I’d love to connect with you!
I wrote another blog post about teacher survival tips on my blog, https://teachingexceptionalthinkers.com/.
Visit my Exceptional Thinkers Blog for more fun teaching ideas!
Follow Exceptional Thinkers on TPT for freebies, discounts, and new products! Here's where you can find me:
~Christy D. from Exceptional Thinkers
by Christy from Exceptional Thinkers
2 comments
There are lots of research that clearly shows that brain breaks grow academic achievement, boost on-task behavior, help with concentration, improve students and teachers attitudes for learning theory in the classroom. Besides above mentioned facts will really add to your collection of brain breaks.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely! Everyone can benefit from a little brain break!
ReplyDelete