Implications and Exploring Links to Practice

My inquiry project is about the benefits of student and teacher brain breaks throughout the teaching day. I have observed that the common school day incorporates one short outdoor recess break in the morning and a short time outside after lunch, this conventional practice left me questioning why isn’t there a similar break in the afternoon. This is where my idea of incorporating short, focused brain breaks throughout the school day enters my teaching practice.

During my Thursday school visits and my two-week practicum, I have noticed that the need for class management increased in the afternoons and the students were increasingly having behavioral issues and were unfocused. There is no practice of brain breaks in my grade 3/4 combined class and I think that incorporating these activities would be beneficial and a welcomed activity for both my class and me as the teacher.

The types of brain break I plan on implementing into my classroom routine would depend on my students’ overall mood and would be at my discretion as I assess the classroom; in other words, it would be the students that set the mood for what kind of breaks to take. I plan on incorporating and encouraging three types of brain breaks:

·         Physical spurts of fun, positive energetic activities

·         Mindful and calming activities

·         Physical breaks that include learning content

The lengths of the first two breaks are intended to be short and get the students to prepped and refocused for learning. The third break can run a little longer because it incorporates content from the topic that we are about to cover.

Personally, I try to live a healthy, active, holistic life and being physically active helps me concentrate and focus on tasks that are presented to me; I took this self-reflection and thought that my students could also benefit from activities that can help them identify when they need a brain break in order to refocus and have fun while learning. I sincerely believe that these breaks not only benefits the students but the teacher as well and I believe that when you and your students have something fun or calming to redirect the energy or lack of energy, the need for classroom management can be decreased. I also bring my specific Indigenous knowledge into my teaching practice. The belief of the healthy balance of the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional aspects of an individual is a new motivating factor that I have not mentioned previously in my inquiry process.

During my own academic journey at UBC, I have documented the brain breaks that my instructors have used in their classes and I observed that these activities resets the atmosphere and allows us to keep engaged in our learning throughout the three hour classes. From January to March 2017, I completed a Music Methods course that I enjoyed very much and I have learned that teachers that bring the element of music into their classrooms can use this as a calming or uplifting brain break. In fact, I have observed during my Social Studies Methods class at a local elementary school, that classical music is played over the intercom after lunch every day to initiate a calming atmosphere. The teacher that I worked with at this school practiced a mindfulness activity with her students before they begin their school day. She used chimes to signal the transition into and the completion of the mindfulness activity and a calming voice to facilitate their breathing exercise.        

My next move in the inquiry process is to research and gather ideas of how to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into my inquiry and continue to compile resources to use in my classroom. I am in the process of purchasing books and other technology to help me become an active teacher in the classroom. Here are some of the books and resources that I anticipate would be extremely beneficial to incorporate this initiative:  

·         ‘Brain Break 1’ by Mike Smith. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7jWtL7XLAk&t=105s

·         ‘Brain Break 2’ by Mike Smith. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFkVjzKoqLA

·         ‘Energizing Brain Breaks’ by David Sladkey. https://us.corwin.com/en-us/nam/energizing-brain-breaks/book237344

·         ‘Brain Breaks Blogspot’ Website: http://brainbreaks.blogspot.ca/

·         ‘The Happy Teacher’ Website: http://www.thehappyteacher.co/2012/08/brain-breaks.html

·         ‘Take a Break! Teacher Toolbox: Physical Activity Breaks in the Secondary Classroom’ by The Colorado Education Initiative. Pdf: http://www.coloradoedinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/CEI-Take-a-Break-Teacher-Toolbox.pdf

·         ‘Candle of Concentration’ by Cosmic Kids. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx_8bnRYL08&list=PLwFeauXd-qBoXHstQNZ0ca_Ksuj-z-Njx

Questions:

• When implementing a mindfulness activity, is it recommended to discuss the intentions with parents/guardians to be respectful of diverse cultures and beliefs?
• Would the teacher have to get the mindfulness activity that includes chimes and other tools that carry a religious connotation approved by the school administration before being implemented into teaching practice?
• How will I incorporate Indigenous knowledge into the brain break activities that will meet the First Peoples Principles of Learning?

 

The Big Question

Big Question: What are the benefits of short Brain Breaks throughout the day?

Supplemental Questions

How can we make ‘Brain Breaks’ physical, creative, interesting and engaging?

Could Brain Breaks help with learning challenges such as ADHD or dyslexia?

Would there be a noted difference between a physical and meditative Brain Break?

How can Brain Breaks help with motivation?

How could physical creativity be implemented into a ‘Brain Break’? (improve, drama, quick-poses, charades…)

How could technology be used and incorporated into a Brain Break?

What are the potential benefits? (benefits for both student and teacher)

Would a recess in the afternoons be beneficial?

The Question Genesis

I found that creativity seemed to flow easily when I’m active and moving and it also seemed to stall and required more effort when I’m not actively engaged and participating in a task; this self-observation along with observing my placement class on my practicum led me to wonder if the students would benefit from short directed “Brain Breaks” too. I know that some teachers swear by them but others find they take too much time to conduct. I wanted to inquire if they would work for me and my students.

In addition to creativity I lead a very active lifestyle and I get my best ideas when I am moving and engaged with the outdoors; I honestly feel that my academic successes are contributed to my frequent daily ‘Brain Breaks’. Perhaps finding ways to relate the ‘Brain Break’ to the subject that I am about to teach can also actively engage the students? I have so many questions that I am excited to find out more about.

I feel that I can compliment my teaching style with my sense of creativity and active lifestyle and bring that into the classroom were the goal is keeping my students engaged. I interpret Brain Breaks as a demonstration of active teaching and learning and keeps both the teacher and students actively engaged—more importantly it can benefits both. Inquiry into the social, emotional, mental and physical benefits of short integrated breaks throughout the day can have many positive outcomes.

The Significance

A short daily ‘Brain Break’ in between subjects can be used as a self-assessment tool to see if there is a noticeable improvement in the way a teacher engages the class; Brain Breaks should not only benefit the students but can also be used to benefit the teacher. The physical, mental and emotional benefits to both the teacher and students are yet to be proven and I think it will be ongoing.

During my practicum I noticed a student that seemed to struggle with having to sit still for most of the afternoon and in fact I overheard him state, “I learn better when I’m moving”. My immediate thought was, “Me too!”;  I found this statement profound and it sparked my inquiry into how this can benefit, not only him, but all of the other students in the class. I wondered why there was only one recess period throughout the day of learning and I also wondered if the noticeable behavioural problems that seemed to get worse in the afternoons was contributed to this.

Academic Resources

Alhassan, S. Nwaokelemeh, O., Mendoza, A., Shitole, S., Pueleo, E., Pfeiffer, K.A., & Whitt-Glover, M.C. (2016). Feasibility and effects of Short Activity Breaks for Increasing Preschool-Age Children’s  Physical Activity Levels. Journal of School Health, 86 (7), 526-533.

Hinton, M. (2016). Does More Playground Time Equal Classroom Success?. Education Week  35(27), 8.

Perera, T., Frei, S., Frei, B., & Bobe, G. (2015). Promoting Physical Activity in Elementary Schools: Needs Assessment and a Pilot Study of Brain Breaks. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(15), 55-64.

Why Some Schools are Adding Recess Time. (2016). Curriculum Review, 56 (3), 7-8.

Other Resources

Ms. Gillian Wilson-Haffenden, Grade 3/4 teacher Lord Kitchener Elementary School

Mrs. Charmaine Louie, Principal, Hazelton Elementary School

Mrs. Sheena Seymour, MEd. Curricular Planning, Hazelton Sr. Secondary

Ms. Natasha Seymour, Resource Teacher, Williams Lake Elementary School

Mr. Ryan Wilman, Grade 6/7 teacher, Klappan Independent School

Expectations

As I continue to self-assess as a future teacher I keep note on my classroom management skills and my ability to engage my students with out the constant need to manage the class; I noted that there will always be room for self-improvement in these areas. I started wondering if I can get the students on task quickly and efficiently without the constant need to correct undesired behavior. I want to see if the students had short, consistent, fun, creative and physical movement or activity before each subject if there would be any noted improvement in their behaviours throughout the day. I wondered if these directed breaks would be beneficial to the students as well as the teacher; in addition, I wondered if the breaks could also be in the form of quiet meditation to calm the students if they were overstimulated.

Integrating the Arts

Brain Breaks can be physically integrated into the arts in the form of drama, skits, improve, sharades, etc.

Notes

For now I want to concentrate on reading the three resources that I have noted but I will add more to my academic resources as I inquire further.

Annotated Bibliography 2

Jewell, Mary. (2015). LTELs: Lesson Chunking and Brain Breaks on the Road to a Growth Mindset. Web log. Retrieved from http://edge.ascd.org/blogpost/ltels-lesson-chunking-and-brain-breaks-on-the-road-to-a-growth-mindset

This teacher’s blog post shares strategies in initiating brain breaks paired with “lesson chunking”, she suggests that together they demonstrate the goal of working toward a growth mindset. I find this blog post useful to my inquiry in that she has ideas that comes from her lived experiences in the classroom using brain breaks and lesson chunking, which I am not familiar with. The one thing that is not clear to me is her reference to “LTELs”; I don’t know what this acronym represents. However, her ideas are inspirational because it incorporates the two main parts of my inquiry, brain breaks and mindset.

Schwartz, Katrina. (2015). How To Weave Growth Mindset Into School Culture. In MindShift. KQED News. Retrieved February 23, 2017, from https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/10/02/how-to-weave-growth-mindset-into-school-culture/

I have learned that growth mindset is a rapidly growing approach to teaching and learning. Throughout my research I have come across many teachers that have incorporated this way of thinking and being into their own pedagogy in one way or another. According to this article, growth mindset is a chance for students to challenge themselves and to grow from that challenge and from being uncomfortable; my inquiry is about the benefit of brain breaks, many students have never participated in brain breaks and they may be left feeling uncomfortable in participating. I want to explore the pairing of the growth mindset and various types of brain breaks that can help students grow in their learning.

Smith, Mike. (2013). Brain Break 1. YouTube. YouTube.com. Retrieved on February 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7jWtL7XLAk

In this video the teacher incorporates a physical activity with subject content; this brain break covers math and skip counting as well as spelling. I think that the marriage of these two activities is a brilliant strategy in that it allows students extra practice on challenging content but in a fun way. In the video the teacher, Mike Smith, gets his students to do squats and count the number of squats by threes with a goal to count to eighteen; in addition, the teacher also uses the physical exercise of elbow to opposite knee to spell words from the spelling list, I think that this process of incorporating physical movement with cognitive development helps with retention. I can see myself using this strategy to reinforce concepts that I want my students to remember. The teacher also demonstrates brain breaks that would help calm students after engaging in the physical breaks; I like how the diverseness of these activities are practical and teacher led rather than just showing a video for students to follow along to. I think this will engage the students more to see their teacher participating too.

 

Smith, Mike. 2013. Brain Break 2. YouTube. YouTube.com. Retrieved on February 23, 2017, from .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFkVjzKoqLA

This video demonstrated to me that a brain break could consist of activities that can be fun and engaging without having to be physically strenuous or meditative. In this brain break, the teacher demonstrates the activity first, then gets the students to pair up and try the activity. This give the teacher time to walk around and assess student engagement. I plan on using this activity in my classroom because it gets the students a chance to do a small brain twister using the physical body and he brain simultaneously.

WisconsinDPI. (2011). Classroom Yoga. YouTube. YouTube.com. Retrieved on February 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeXuf7sOpzA

The students in this video are a bit younger so the teacher uses words that are catered to that age group; I find that yoga in the classroom is a hook in itself. In order to incorporate any form of activity like yoga I think it would have to be established early in the year and that it should be a part of the daily classroom routine. Yoga has the ability to relax or energize so knowing your individual students is critical for the success of this type of brain break.

Carlene Quock

EDUC 451

January 25, 2017

Annotated Bibliography

Alhassan, S. Nwaokelemeh, O., Mendoza, A., Shitole, S., Pueleo, E., Pfeiffer, K.A., & Whitt-

Glover, M.C. (2016). Feasibility and effects of Short Activity Breaks for Increasing Preschool-Age Children’s Physical Activity Levels. Journal of School Health, 86 (7), 526-533.

The authors in this study analyze the benefits of short daily physical activity of preschoolers in the United States. The portion of the journal that I will use in my inquiry is a qualitative research into short physical breaks throughout the day to enhance children’s learning. The strengths that I see in this resource is that the topic of focus is on the feasibility of the incorporation of such activities; in addition, the study emphasizes the importance of implementing daily short physical activities at the early preschool age for lasting benefits. The study highlighted that few studies before this one has focused specifically on changing children’s or teacher’s views and behavior toward short bursts of physical activity throughout the day.  Although my inquiry into brain breaks is focused on elementary school aged children I find this information relevant as preschool is the introduction to a school environment. Furthermore, I can use the findings of this study as a point of ongoing reference for the perpetuating benefits of short daily physical activity in what I refer to as brain breaks throughout my inquiry research. I did not find any weaknesses in this study; however, I feel that a challenge for me would be the many acronyms that I have to constantly refer to make sense of the study.

Bobe, Gerd. (2014). Brain Breaks: Physical Activity in the Classroom for Elementary School

Children. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour. 46 (4), S141.

The article is a review of the “Brain Breaks” exercise DVD in promoting physical activity in the classroom of elementary school students. This review found that certain parts of the DVD was played more than others which were the relaxation and stretching segments and this was done at least 2-3 times per week on average. Teachers reported that the students looked forward to the brain breaks and were engaged throughout. I found only one weakness of this resource which is the short length of the article; however, the content of the short review contains very useful information that will be beneficial to my inquiry into the benefits of brain breaks for the student and teacher. I found that the information on the teachers’ preference for the relaxation segment a great transition from physical brain breaks to a more meditative or relaxation form of brain breaks that I plan to address in my inquiry research.

Hibbs, N. (2016). Incorporating daily physical activity in kindergarten children with disabilities:

Effect on classroom behavior and activity engagement (Order No. 10171360). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1826829672). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/1826829672?accountid=14656

The paper gives emphasis on the positive impacts on the overall classroom behaviors by implementing 4 short 5 minute breaks to help improve students’ classroom engagement. I completely agree with the author when she states that educators play an important role in implementing these short structured daily physical activities. The resource is beneficial to my inquiry in that it focuses on the inclusion of children with disabilities in daily physical activities within the classroom and the school setting. One of the major strengths of this article is the suggestions and practical tips on how to set an environment of inclusion for the physical engagement of students with specific disabilities who can often feel left out or have less options when it comes to daily physical activities. Another strength of the paper is the many quality resources that was used by the author to write this dissertation; moreover, I concluded that her choice in resources can lead me in the right direction for additional resources for my own inquiry. The research concluded that there is definitely a positive link between the short daily physical activities throughout the day and the classroom engagement of students with disabilities; however, the author suggests that further research One challenge that I see in using this resource is the total length of 200 pages but the quality of the thoroughness of this research seems promising as a valid resource for my inquiry.

 

Hinton, M. (2016). Does More Playground Time Equal Classroom Success?. Education Week

35(27), 8.

This resource takes an informal approach to the inquiry into the benefits of short daily physical activities on school aged children in the way of a blog. The strength I see for this resource and its relevance to my inquiry is that it is delivered via a great online platform called Education Weekly that allows for the sharing of current events and issues in education. Platforms like the one mentioned allows student teachers, such as myself, access to recent information on education to help us with keeping up-to-date on the innovations of education. However, this platform is not considered an academic source but I feel that it is still relevant to my inquiry because the research into the topic of my inquiry is delivered to the audience through various lenses of inquiry. In this way it benefits my inquiry research in that it gives me a variety of perspectives to work with, to compare and contrast, etc. However, I have observed a common factor among my sources in that they all come from the United States.

Perera, T., Frei, S., Frei, B., & Bobe, G. (2015). Promoting Physical Activity in Elementary

Schools: Needs Assessment and a Pilot Study of Brain Breaks. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(15), 55-64.

This resource is a study that focuses on the idea of brain breaks and how it has proven to be beneficial to students’ overall health, academic performance and classroom engagement. The study had three objectives: the first one was the assessment of the current physical activity of public schools in Oregon which found that 92% did not meet the recommendation of daily physical activity; second objective found that the teachers in the specific schools in the study were evaluated based on their preferences for increasing the physical activity amongst their students; and the third objective was a follow up survey that included an exercise DVD to help promote daily brain breaks. The study concluded that the teachers perceived that the Brain Breaks provided their students with and increased beneficial amount of daily physical activity, their concentration, and teachers intended to continue the use of Brain Breaks. I found this source completely relevant more than all the other resources in that it used the same language that I use in my inquiry in describing the short physical activities. The only weakness of the study I found was the small number of teachers that responded via the follow-up survey. Overall, I think this would provide me with accurate and useful information for my inquiry research.

 

 

 

Well, I am in the process of setting up my blog and tinkering around with the set up! Stay tuned!