Eastern Washington University
Brain breaks are a very useful and help tool to use managing a classroom. Student of all ages are not made to sit in a classroom all day without a break. Allowing and offering brain breaks to students will benefit their education positively.
The kindness chain is an activity where all students are writing down kind, positive, and encouraging messages for their peers on a piece of paper. At the end of the activity all the students have a list of these notes to keep! This helps build classroom community as well as self-confidence for students.
Quiet Critters can be used in your classroom to signal to students when they are working quietly and following expectations. Quiet Critters are a fun way to encourage students to work quietly and independently. They are a great way to recognize students for their hard work.
This tool is helpful because it allows for students to communicate with the instructor when they are working, and when they are ready to move on. This tool can be used individually per student or with groups. The cup will be flipped upside down when working, and right side up when the student(s) are ready for the next step.
The classroom set-up is an important tool to have knowledge of because we rely so much on our room. We start thinking about room set-up before the school year begins, and it is where we spent so much of our time. The room should be reflective of a safe place that promotes critical thinking, as well as proving students with everything they need to be successful in school. The classroom is the heart of our learning.
Mystery Motivator is a reinforcement strategy that uses anticipation and surprise to motivate students to engage in the desired behavior. This strategy can be implemented with and individual student or the entire class.
Chair rubber bands are thick rubber bands that go around the front two legs of a chair. The rubber band allows students to fidget with their feet by kicking or bouncing the band on their chairs.
Would you rather is a brain break strategy used for the whole class. This tool will help students take a break from their learning and get help to activate, energize and stimulate their brains. Would you rather will also improve students’ concentration and relieve stress.
The tool is used for students to give a compliment/uplift their classmates. The teacher could read a book that has to do with bucket filling and then students will create their bucket for classmates to fill. It is helpful for classroom environment and confidence.
This tool is used to support students and their personal achievements. Students write good news, it can be anything related to school or their lives outside of school, it is their choice what to share. This tool is helpful for students to feel a state of belonging and helps foster relationships within the classroom from feeling cared about.
Register to Vote
© 2023 INSIDE.EWU.EDU