Breaks

Breaks

Breaks allow students time away from a stressful or potentially stressful situation to provide students with an opportunity to “reset” and return to a task/activity. Breaks:

• provide students with a cool down time

• help avoid a power struggle between you and the student

• take student’s mind off what may be hindering them

• help break up tasks, assignments or activities

• improve motivation and effort

When?

Students who benefit from scheduled and unscheduled breaks may display the following behaviours:

• is off task and beginning to disrupt the class

• is off task, distracted, not focused or not completing work

• is starting to disrupt the classroom

• is slowing down on the task at hand and losing interest/motivation

• is beginning to be argumentative or confrontational

• is refusing to follow a directive/instruction

• seems fidgety, moves a lot, or cannot sit still

• is becoming frustrated or agitated with the task at hand

• seems to be getting bored, sleepy, or their eyes are glazing over

• emotions and/or negative behaviours appear to be escalating

How?

• Reduce talking to the student

• Use a classroom or independent visual schedule (depending upon the student's strengths and challenges). Schedule frequent breaks/rewards within this schedule

• Use lanyard cards (visual direction cards)

• Provide fidgets and develop a fidget box (identify if hand, seat, feet, or oral fidgets are needed)

• If a student is distracted by something by the door or window, then move them to a seat away from these distractions

• Have regular physical and mindfulness activities breaks throughout the school day

• Breaks may be less formal and simply involve getting a snack or getting a drink of water

• Breaks may be as simple as a student moving to another spot in the classroom, such as an independent work station

• Breaks may include sending a student on an errand, taking a note or paper to another teacher or the office, rinsing out milk cartons, or some other task that gets the student up and moving for a short breaks

• Some students benefit from calm breaks such reading in the calm area, listening to music or completing mindfulness activities

Visual Supports

Note: You need the BoardMaker disc in the CD/DVD Rom Drive to use the BoardMaker files below or BoardMaker Online.

Apps/Websites

• Breathe, Think, & Do with Sesame - free

• Teaches deep breathing with Mamaphant and Friends - free

• Mindfulness for older students (meditation)

Books, Articles, and Additional Resources