2015 Spring Conference

We recently presented our Action Research at the SMU 2015 Spring Conference.  We could not resist a quick picture before lunch as we each presented in the morning!  Such a wonderful learning experience!

This week we have been asked to implement something that we learned at the conference.  I learned some very valuable information from the sessions I attended, and I will be incorporating many of these ideas into my classroom.  I am looking forward to working in many of these things over the summer months!

One of the sessions that I attended was focused on Brain-Based Learning, specifically how the use of brain breaks can be beneficial for our students.  The session presenter provided a lot of useful information about brain breaks, including multiple resources where we can find brain break ideas.  One of the main resources she shared with us is from a math teacher in Illinois.  David Sladkey has graciously shared many of his brain break ideas on his website and blog.  Hes has created a book as well that contains his brain break ideas as well as links to videos that he has created of his students showing what each brain break activity looks like.  Our session presenter also gave us some good team building ideas to use to get students to know one another better.  Some of the brain breaks are done individually, some with a partner and some with groups.  It is really important that students feel comfortable with each other to complete the tasks during the brain breaks.

My plan is to implement more brain breaks into my classroom.  This week I will be introducing new lessons in my fifth and sixth grade classes, and this usually involves more listening on the students behalf.  I plan to use some of Sladkey's videos to introduce a brain break activity with each of these four classes.  My initial concern with brain breaks, prior to attending this session at the conference, was that they would take too long.  Our session presenter had us practicing some brain breaks by following some of the videos that Sladkey has made.  Many were two minutes or less, and we followed right along with the video.  It was a great way to introduce the activity and get everyone moving, and when the video was over, we were ready to move on.  I know middle school students may not be ready to move on as quickly, so setting very clear expectations with my classes will be key.  I am excited to see how my students respond to these brain break activities, as well as have some fun with them trying to complete the activities myself!