I say that everyone who is engaged in learning needs a ‘brain break’.
A few weeks ago, I was initially distressed to learn that my Grade 1 child needs to walk around and talk during lessons, in ways that are apparently deemed a ‘disturbance’ to the rest of the class. Initially I worried what the lack of focus was all about. However, once I sat down and thought hard about it, I was able to quickly realise that I was worrying needlessly. There are many different reasons for little kids being unable to focus. Just being a kid makes it hard to focus, with lots of distractions in the classroom setting. Some kids are simply more prone to sensory overload than others are. Hunger or tiredness (early mornings are not easy for little kids) can also affect the ability to focus. Also, it is now an unfortunate reality that our current generation of school learners are increasingly over-stimulated from large (and often unregulated) amounts of screen time.
When one delves into the issue of focus a little deeper, it is possible to see that all of us, adults and children alike, have different capacities for concentration. As most of us involved in the field of education know, concentration levels last only so long. Most of us who are scholars need a short break from intense mental labour, such as writing a paper or analysing data. Those who teach know that it can be tough to engage university students for long amounts of time, and this is the case, whether teaching is taking place in person, online or in hybrid classrooms. Hence, the so-called ‘brain break’.
What is a ‘brain break’, anyway? It can be referred to as a short mental break from whatever tasks in which learners are engaged, through different activities. It is an interlude in which the brain takes a rest, with the aim of breaking up longer lessons and ultimately boosting longer-term academic productivity. Apparently, brain breaks work best when they involve some movement in ways that bring blood and oxygen back to the brain. Educators cite activities such as yoga poses, meditation, stretching, marching up and down, etc. There is no reason for teachers to resist the brain break for the time invested or the assumed break in the learning processes of others. The brain break can be either 2 to 5 minutes long. They can also be conducted individually or as an exercise involving the whole class.
It goes without saying that students are individuals, and brain breaks should be done according to what a student needs at a given time. Experienced and knowledgeable teachers will be able to diagnose what kind of brain break is appropriate for the learners whom they are teaching. Those who struggle with learning, focus and hyperactivity will possibly need more energising breaks. There will be times when ongoing problems with focus may signal issues that require specialised strategies, such as in the case of specific learning disorders or other special challenges. Some learners may simply need to quiet their minds.
As a higher education professional, this started me thinking about the nature of learning, and what we know about the brain and learning. Neuroscience supports the need to recharge learners’ cognitive energies before fatigue sets in. Judy Willis, a leading neurologist with a distinguished record of applying neuroscience research to classroom teaching strategies (2008), is a proponent of the brain break for learners. She emphasises the need to understand the nature of learning and the capacities the human brain holds for focus and concentration.
There are many theories about how learning takes place, and importantly how students learn best. It is worth turning to Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1983; Armstrong, 1999) as a way of understanding that learners must be appreciated for their individualised approaches to learning. Gardner argued that there are eight different types of intelligences, not simply one general form of intelligence focusing on cognitive abilities, and that schools should be teaching in ways that support those different intelligences. Gardner challenged the assumption of traditional education systems “that everyone can learn the same materials in the same way and that a uniform, universal measure suffices to test student learning.”
The fact is, learning takes place in different ways. Maybe learners need to stand up and take that all-important brain break. Or perhaps teaching should be happening differently, so that kids can maintain their motivation and don’t lose their focus too quickly.
Now it’s time for my brain break!
***
References
Armstrong, T. (1999) 7 Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing your Multiple Intelligences. Plume.
Gardner, H. (1983) Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Basic Books.
Willis, J. (2008) How Your Child Learns Best: Brain-Friendly Strategies You Can Use to Ignite Your Child's Learning and Increase School Success. Sourcebooks.