In Gaston County Schools, we have a program called Pinnacle that provides the latest technology tools and best instructional practices as we outfit 21st century classrooms. We meet for several straight intense days during the summer for the professional development. To model best practices, we incorporate brain breaks throughout the day every day.
Sitting is the new smoking, so we want to spend a few minutes up and moving in some way every day and pull those teachers away from their screens for a while. According to medical expert Dr. James Levine, from one of our nation's leading research hospital (the Mayo Clinic), "Sitting all day long is literally killing us." His best advice to all people is to "break up the sitting time."
Eric Jensen defines the valuable role and connection between movement and learning. "Brain research confirms that physical activity -- moving, stretching, walking -- can actually enhance the learning process." In a nutshell, sit less, live longer, learn more.
Brain breaks only take 1 -2 minutes. They should consist of crossing the midline, movement, and brain challenges that are designed to refocus us. We found a great playlist on YouTube for brain breaks. I hope you can use some of these in your classroom! An example is included below.
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