Break for Focus: Enhancing Concentration and Productivity

1. Give your brain a BREAK! Vonnie Colvin, Ed. D. colvinay@longwood.edu

2. How long can we concentrate? • Most healthy teenagers and adults are unable to sustain attention on one thing for more than about 20 minutes at a time, although they can choose repeatedly to re-focus on the same thing. • Young children lose concentration much quicker than adults.

3. To help concentration, control what can be controlled 1) Limit the buzzing from your electronics. 2) Close your door. 3) Take several short breaks.4) Forget multi-tasking. 5) Get rid of internal distractions.

4. Recognize you are losing focus It is easy to spot children who are losing focus. They get off task because they are either bored, tired, or frustrated.

5. What “off task behavior” do we exhibit? Zoning out Making mental lists of other things to do More:

6. Accept that no one can stay focused all of the time BREAK UP THE TASK Location: -move to another place -stand up rather than sit

7. More ways to help stay focused • Change tasks and return • However, do not multi-taskMulti-tasking is really divided attention and inefficient. (Let’s practice) • Change to a related task and return

8. How can you move at work? • Sitting stretches • Stand to work • Move at your desk • Deliberately PLAN to take a short walk every hour • Others?

9. Moving is essential • No one criticizes adults who stand up; walk around; take a brisk walk; or “wiggle in their seat.” But children are often trapped in their seats.

10. Physical education helps, but what about the other 5 ½ hours of school? • Improved fitness • Skill development • Regular healthful physical activity • Support of other subjects • Self-discipline • Improved judgement • Stress reduction • Strengthened peer relationships • Improved self-confidence and self-esteem • Experience setting goals

11. Some classroom teachers recognized the value of movement years ago • Students take movement breaks at least every hour. • Students change seats every 20 minutes. (Centers) • Many schools set the schedule so even young children change classrooms.

12. If your school has the funding, creative classrooms encourage moving while learning https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/03/health/children-movement-schools-classroom/index.html

13. What about children in the majority of schools? PROVIDE BRAIN BREAKS when needed. - We all know when a class has “zoned” out. So intervene: Try “Go Noodle” – it’s free • Disco • Pop See Ko Or create your own

14. Let’s list activities we can do standing at a desk • Walk in place • Turn in a circle • Pretend to swim • Arm circles

15. Now we add music • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UruXWui1EG8 • Needs to be “G” rated • About 3 minutes long Teachers can:- Have each class create their own brain break.- Use on “rainy days” when recess isn’t possible.

16. Nothing beats

17. Please support recess • The 2018 General Assembly ruled that recess can be recorded as instructional time. • And in 2017, the General Assembly mandated 150 minutes of physical activity a week.

18. Please support recess • Please, please, please discourage teachers from taking recess away from students. • Recess boosts social skills. • Recess relieves stress. • Recess aids learning. • Recess leads to creativity.

19. Thank you