5 Ways to use breaks effectively while teaching online
We know that online learning can be tough, especially for students who have trouble paying attention in the best of times! Our tutors have discovered a simple yet effective way to ensure that kids are engaged and motivated while online learning. The secret? Breaks! That’s right, simply getting creative with how breaks are structured during the course of an online learning session can totally change the game for most students. Keep on reading to hear 5 of our best break strategies, straight from our math and science tutors here at The Math Guru!
1. Start your session by involving your student in a discussion around what type of breaks might be useful.
The key to an effective break strategy is student involvement. Begin your class or tutoring session by asking students what THEY want to see! Would they like to work for 25 minutes, take a 2-minute break, and work again for another 25 minutes? Or would they prefer to take a 60-second break every 15 minutes? Or something else entirely? Involving them in the decision-making process helps them feel like they have ownership over their session and is more likely to result in buy-in from your students!
2. Make a no-phone deal with your students!
Try to start your sessions by having your students agree to NO phone and NO other browser tabs UNTIL BREAK TIME! That goes for you too:) Let’s fact is. Technology is distracting and there needs to be an incentive for staying OFF of distracting tech. That incentive could very well involve designated breaks in which students are allowed to check their phones. Letting students know that there are opportunities for them to scroll Instagram JUST around the corner, will go a long way in ensuring they stay off social media while you’re in the middle of teaching!
3. Come up with creative ideas for break time!
Some of our tutors use their mini-breaks to play online games with their students, others use that time to share a fun fact or share the latest celeb gossip, and others simply allow students to check their phones during that time. Ask your students what they would like best so that they can feel excited and motivated about earning their break time!
4. Use a timer!
A timer can keep things on track so that breaks don't run on too long, and so that neither tutor nor student is constantly checking the time. Set the timer, get to work, and let the timer go off to notify you when it's break time!
5. Be flexible and intuitive with breaks!
At the end of the day, students can learn if they’re tired, distracted, or overwhelmed, so keep that in mind when deciding when it’s time to take a break. Even the best-laid plans need to be adjusted on the fly sometimes, so trust your intuition to tell you when it’s just time to take a break, whether you planned for one or not! A little break can go a long way in helping students re-focus and re-calibrate for the rest of the lesson ahead!
We hope this was helpful and would love to hear any other tips YOU might have for setting effective break times OR any other tips you have about how to keep students engaged online! It takes a village, so ALL of us educators could use a little help in these tough times!
Vanessa Vakharia is the author of 𝑀𝒶𝓉𝒽 𝐻𝒶𝒸𝓀𝓈 + 𝑀𝒶𝓉𝒽 𝐻𝒶𝒸𝓀𝓈 𝟚 , the host of the Math Therapy podcast, and the founder of The Math Guru tutoring studio.