Breaking Up the Block Days

Students sitting for long periods, especially during block days, causes students to become drained and unfocused. The hour-and-a-half block period is too long for students to go without a break. The Huskie Academic Success Center says, “Even breaks as short as a minute, if they fulfill all the criteria of an effective break, can improve your performance and productivity when you return to work.” 

A break can be within a classroom setting and doesn’t require any specific activity, although anything to distract the mind can also be beneficial. As long as there is a break in between, it will keep students focused and able to take in more information. Going an hour and a half straight with all new information the whole period leaves students completely drained and unable to process any information in that amount of time. According to Edutopia, which specializes in the research benefits of breaks: “Breaks keep our brains healthy and play a key role in cognitive abilities such as reading comprehension and divergent thinking.”

Small breaks are the only kind of break needed, however, the more physically active students are during those breaks, the more their brain functioning will increase. This leads to improved processing of information and all in all better student performance. “Engaging in physical activity increases blood flow and oxygenation in the brain, boosting neural connectivity and stimulating nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, the center of learning and memory,” based on Edutopia research. 

Going along with the same idea of energy depletion: “As energy decreases, student creativity and problem-solving abilities suffer, too. Getting outside and moving around can stimulate the mind and help students escape the academic rut.”

Some may say that these breaks would be a waste of time and that students would only use these breaks for social media usage. Although their claim about social media being detrimental is true, these class breaks can be without social media and screens. This break can be when students unplug and leave their phones behind. This will in turn reduce the stress of students while still reaping the benefits of a mental break from the school day.

Breaks during the block periods on the block day are necessary for improved cognitive functioning, increased energy, and more divergent thinking from students. With all of the benefits laid out, we should ask, “Why don't we have these breaks built in?”  

Chloe Lors