Using 'Brain Breaks' during transitions: the benefits of a structured 'time-out' for students' minds 

-Why brain breaks are needed/ what research tells us  The concept is based upon brain research proving what teachers have always known:  young students have attention spans of only a few minutes and therefore need to have frequent physical stimulation and exercise as a break.  The research is often associated with Howard Gardener's Multiple Intelligence theory and brain-based research, which is have an increasingly profound impact on what we know about how kids learn best. 

- Exercises other schools use for brain breaks My internet research indicates that brain breaks seem to be used in schools primarily in the United Kingdom.  Here are two links below explain the concept in more detail and give photographs and examples of Brain Break exercises: Alite Programmes and Devon Curriculum Services (great photos of kids engaged in the activities).

- A more relaxed application of the brain breaks concept The version I gleamed from my colleague was different.  According to her, a brain break includes classical music (there is research to suggest that certain composers, especially Mozart, used mathematical sequences in their music that cause people to perform more highly in math); unlimited drinks of water (the brain is able to ‘absorb’ new information more easily when the neuro-pathways are hydrated), and time to walk around the classroom and talk quietly with friends (a break from concentration).   I used a brain break of this sort in the afternoon between math and social studies one year.  This five minute period was a down time for the students in which they could not read, draw, do work, or anything else that requires concentration.  They relaxed on the couch, chatted, examined things on the walls and shelf displays, talked with me, etc.  If anyone’s voice rose above a whisper, they went back to their seats.  Because they valued their Brain Breaks so highly, my students gave each other the silent signal and encouraged one another to stay quiet, so the noise volume stayed low most of the time.

- How I've seen my students and I benefit  I like Brain Breaks because they give me time to get my materials together for the next subject, and also because I can talk one-on-one with my students. It’s very hard to find time during the day to speak with kids as individuals, and the Brain Breaks have provided time for me to hear about lost teeth, upcoming vacations, fights with siblings, and sometimes very personal issues that the child needs to confide in an adult about. 

- Word of caution: justifying the break  If your administration is very strict about how you manage your time, make a sign to put on your door that says, “Please do not disturb- Brain Break in progress”.  The purpose of this is to convey the message that brain breaks are an important part of your daily schedule, and not a time of anarchy and unlimited free time that someone might mistakenly perceive if they were to wander in during a Brain Break.  When introducing Brain Breaks to your class, teach students in simple terms about the research behind what they are doing so that when they relate their experiences to their parents, they can justify what was done.  (“We have a Brain Break after math because scientists tell us our brains need us to move around and drink water so we can be ready to learn some more”). Not all students will be able to articulate that, but just using the term, “Brain Break” makes the time sound like the research-based activity that it is, and will help parents and administration support you in what you re doing.