Tag Archives: break

Escape Routes

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I am currently finished work on a rear extension at home. This does not share even 5% of the skills I have had to build and develop in education, and I love it! Not in the sense that I want to jump careers in any way whatsoever, but I do find the process of learning new skills and creating quite exciting.

I should add that I’m not particularly natural at DIY. I can sketch, plan and theorise, but find the literal nuts and bolts hard work. If I encounter a problem, I have learnt not to get stressed, but do something else, anything else, to give my brain and stress levels a little break.

In a large view, the extension work is a welcome break from teaching, a good chance to recharge batteries and think of something completely different. The micro breaks are also good for that kind of release.

In schoo, we offer our students the large break in terms of play time, but do e account for the micro-break? When we expect a child to work for thirty minutes ceaselessly, where is their escape route for them to destress and take the pressure off?

I’m considering a card system which the children can use to take five (minutes) and do something completely different. This could be reading, colouring, tidying; anything in fact which gives them that mental break which as an adult I take for granted. I’d appreciate any thoughts anyone has on this, positive or otherwise (and I know that brain Gym has been thoroughly debunked, so shan’t go down that road!).

Favourite Theories: Ski Break Theory

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skis by hintofplum (CC)This is one of my own personal theories, but I’m sure somewhere there is a much more scientifically proven, but less snow-based term for this.

Based on my (limited) experience, the biggesat jump in improvement with skiers is between their first and second skiing opportunities. The first week of skiing is daunting, painful and can put some people off for life, but the difference a break can make is enormous, and it is as if a confidence has grown subconciously in the period between the first ski holiday and the second.

I see this almost every day in my home and school life. A pause/rest/break between starting something daunting and completing it can make all the difference. I beleive this so strongly that I have structured my Maths lessons to operate over a break; the children have their first lesson, a half hour breaktime session, then return for the ‘task’ element of the lesson. The difference is a renewed sense of urgency and a freshness to the approach the children give to that lesson.