Why should I do it:
- Works well with younger students
- Kids are highly motivated by food items (even healthy ones!)
- To provide students with a cool down time
- To allow students time away from a stressful or potentially stressful situation
- It can help avoid a power struggle between you and the student
- Can help students to “reset” and return to a task fresh
- Takes student’s mind off what may be hindering them
- Helps break up monotonous tasks, assignments, activities, etc
- Can improve motivation and effort
- Helps students to refocus on the task at hand
- Helps rejuvenate student energy and enthusiasm
- Helps get students blood moving and metabolism active
When should I do it:
- When a student gets off task and is beginning to be disruptive but not problematic
- When a student is distracted
- When a student is slowing down on the task at hand and losing interest/motivation
- When a student’s energy level seems low and they appear sluggish
- When you are aware of an ADD/ADHD diagnosis
- When student seems fidgety, moves a lot, cannot sit still
- When student is becoming frustrated or agitated with the task at hand
- When a student seems to be getting bored, sleepy, or their eyes are glazing over
- When a student’s emotions and/or behaviors need to be deescalated
- When a task is long and drawn out
- When the class needs to be reenergized and freshened up
- When the class needs a moment to be social
How do I do it:
- Identify the student(s) in need of the break or have the whole class participate
- Ask the students to stop why they are doing, get out or retrieve a snack, and sit and eat for a moment
- Students may or may not socialize during snack breaks
- Students may continue working while snacking, a “working snack break”
- Students may provide their own snacks or the teacher may provide them
- Snacks should preferably be something healthy, like carrots, fruit, crackers, etc
- You may set a timer during the snack break
- Snack breaks may be drawn out by using small food items like cereal where after each problem, item, or section the class goes over, they stop and eat 5 Cheerios or Corn Flakes then continue to the next item or section
Alternative Methods:
- Breaks may be less formal and simply involve getting a snack
- Breaks may be as simple as a student moving to another spot in the classroom
- Breaks may include sending a student on an errand, taking a note or paper to another teacher or the office, or some other task that gets the student up and out for a short break
