Social Work // Take-A-Break

Creating high quality work, remembering to practice the habits of character, managing peer relationships, transitioning from topic to topic and all the other day to day stressors can be a lot for a young mind to handle. It helps to just take a break.

Breaks have been proven to boost energy, increase focus and increase our ability to retain information.

At Detroit Achievement Academy, there are a few different ways students can appropriately take a break in order to ensure they are bringing their best selves to their learning.

Reset Space
Each classroom has a space where students are encouraged to “reset” if they are feeling overstimulated or overwhelmed. Using the reset space in a room is taking a short break while still in the classroom. It allows the student to take a few deep breaths or utilize another coping strategy and rejoin the crew in a short (3-4 minutes) amount of time.

Whole Class Breaks
Mindfulness
Each day after lunch our crews practice mindfulness. This can vary from relaxing to the sounds of the jungle to a guided meditation to silent coloring to watching an aquarium live stream . The goal of mindfulness is to get everyone’s mind in a calm, relaxed, focused place where their best learning will be taking place.

Go Noodle Breaks
While mindfulness is a calm and restful way to take a break, Go Noodle is usually an active and energetic way to take a break. Often times during transitions the whole crew will follow the prompts of different Go Noodle videos. This allows the crew to dance and get all their wiggles out before heading to the next part of the day. 

Recess
Each grade is given two recess periods throughout the day. This is a time for active, imaginative play. It is a time to brush up on their soccer skills or participate in a game of freeze tag. It is an exploratory time to allow students a break from structured activities.

Sensory Breaks
Use of a sensory tool can be a powerful way to refocus a student. Sensory tools can be thought of much like a pair of glasses. They are a tool that help a student overcome a barrier in the way of their learning.

There are many different sensory tools that students have found effective. Bubbling timers (as seen above) are students favorites. Weighted blankets or vests help with feeling overstimulated or overactive. Handheld fidgets are also helpful with feeling overstimulated, anxious and overactive. Even bouncing on a balance can give the student time to recenter and focus.  

If you’d like to help our school replenish our supply of sensory tools please follow this link!

Physical Activity Breaks
While calm, quiet, restful breaks are useful for some students, other students need active, physical, exercise driven breaks. This can be as simple as doing some jumping jacks to taking a few laps around the gym. Twice a day recess allows us to be active and physical multiple times a day. Students love to be able to walk and play outside, observe nature and just be KIDS!

Scheduled Breaks
When our team identifies that breaks are an effective intervention for students, we will incorporate the breaks into their behavior plan. Students will have a set time during the day they know they will be able to recenter and reset to bring their best selves to class.

Taking a break has been proven to increase students ability to focus, increase energy and retain information. Allowing students the time and space to be able to take breaks is all about them being able to be the best learners possible.