Breathing breaks in the classroom - A teacher's report

This is a report from Lynn Schuster, a dedicated, open-minded and innovative class teacher for grades 2/3 at Robert C. Parker School, Wynantskill, New York State. On my request she shared with me how she developed the basic technique of ‘focusing on breathing’ to suit the needs of her students and herself in the classroom. It is a wonderful model that has brought out the immense potential of this simple technique!

“I was introduced to ‘Counting Breaths’ along with my 2nd-3rd grade students four years ago. I watched my students, and felt myself, relax tremendously within a matter of moments as C.S (Suryanarayana Chennapragada) taught us the technique. The practice is now an essential part of the daily life in my classroom. We begin our ‘Morning Meeting’ each day, by “going into our silence.” Students are asked to “unplug” from their friends and to give themselves the opportunity to breathe quietly. We sustain this silence for at least three minutes. This year, I conclude this silence with what I’m now calling our five magical breaths. I count and students follow as we breathe deeply, a minimum of five times, together.

Even children who find quieting down extremely challenging can achieve silence through the peer influence that comes with group practice. I sometimes have to be patient and wait until we’ve all quieted down. In the afternoon when focus can be difficult, I usually have to add in soothing words of encouragement and very deliberately lead them through our counting out a minimum of five deep breaths. I will roam the room, praise individuals and the class. Everyone comes around.

This year, I’ve consciously incorporated breathing breaks throughout our day—at every transition and before starting anything new. This translates into a minimum of 5-6 breathing breaks a day. This year, I also committed to pausing what we are doing when I see even one student getting antsy or moody. In the past, I would have plowed through my agenda and put up with interruptions or a less-than-focused atmosphere. It has been proven to me through my commitment to taking breathing breaks that these breaks do only take a couple minutes. BUT their impact is profound and can carry through big chunks of time. Breathing together brings almost every child immediately into a relaxed mindset. I feel impatience and stress wash away too. We become a community again, working together.

I must thank YOU for teaching me to pause, breathe, and help my students relax. I used to think the fun and laughs we had and the connection/trust I strived to create with each student would ensure focus when the time required it. But from your guidance and teaching, I saw that I needed to do something more. You’ve changed the way I live in the class and made me pay closer attention to what’s really happening in front of me.”

2012

Lynn's email comment 12 years later when she was in a leadership role at the same school "I have the absolutely best memories of my classroom days. And am eternally grateful for your work on breathing—it changed my practice."  

2024

Note

I am grateful to Lynn Schuster for developing this wonderful classroom model of 'Focusing on breathing'. She helped me realize the dream I have been nurturing since the year 2002, ever since I realized the great potential of this technique in helping children calm themselves and focus.  I am also grateful to Meg Taylor, Head of the school, who let an uncertified and unlicensed person like me, experiment with this technique for creating an environment that lets such innovations flourish. I am happy they both of them let me publish their names.

I dream of more teachers drawing inspiration from this model and developing their own versions. They will be helping their students develop self-awareness, the ability to calm themselves whenever they become aware of their anxiety or stress and act with self control. I think these skills are more fundamental than reading, writing and counting and will be of immense help to them throughout their life.  Parents can also use this model at home to reinforce the class room experience. I think when these children grow up they will become better moms and dads with this additional technique in their parenting tool kit.

When I was working in a paper mill in India, I used this technique when I conducted small group meetings as part of a Japanese '5S' program for workplace improvements. Before we talked about the agenda items, all of us practiced the 'counting mode' for a couple of minutes. It helped us focus better and be good listeners.  I remember that the unpleasant behavior of one young person famous for his impatience and interruptions dramatically improved after a couple of meetings. 

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