7 Ways to Refocus and Recharge

A packed schedule + rigorous standards + assessment outcomes + the expectation to maintain a quality learning environment that supports and motivates every student = STRESS!  Sadly our schools are filled with stressed educators and students.  Stress was a survival skill for our ancestors, but today we are faced with stressors that fill us with anxiety and the desire to disconnect.  So how do we fight the stress and reconnect with an environment that engages students and sparks the quality learning we all desire?

Here are a few tips for fighting stress and regaining energy and focus:

1. Breathe!  Do not underestimate the healing power of a good deep breath.  When you feel the stress welling up inside – stop and take a slow deep cleansing breath.  This one simple act can slow down your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, calm your mind, and help you relax and be more productive.
2. Move!  Stop for a minute or two and get up and dance, exercise, or stretch.  This is a great way to rid your body of stress and motivate clearer thinking.
3. Play a game that extends the learning.  Play Twenty Questions, Charades, Guess My Number, Hang Man or some type of memory game.  Anything that promotes thinking in a creative and different way will help students refocus, boost positive attitudes, and become more engaged.
4. Sing a song.  Music can reduce stress and can be a meaningful way to reach your students in the process.  Check out http://www.youtube.com or http://www.teachertube.com  for some fun learning songs that will reinforce concepts and provide fun focus activities.
5. Practice building academic stamina.  The best athletes practice their skills and work to build their stamina every day.  We need to practice building academic stamina too.  Issue a challenge to your students to work for two minutes – truly focused on a specific task.  Model how this looks.  Set a timer or watch the clock.  If students master this time limit – add one more minute to the challenge.  Students love to rise to the challenge and the practice helps them learn what it really means to focus and think.  Check out what the Two Sisters have to say about building stamina.  https://www.thedailycafe.com/daily-5/foundations/building-stamina
6. Guided Imagery – Take one minute to relax and focus on a positive place or experience.  These relaxing images can be effective tools for relieving stress and refocusing the mind.
7. Create!  Getting the creative juices flowing opens the door to learning and allows students to show what they know in new ways.  Einstein said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”  Fun helps us to relieve stress and refocus.

Positive, productive classrooms do not just happen by luck.  They are thoughtfully created and evolve as needs change.  Educator Reed Markham advises, “When in doubt, pause, refocus, and reconnect.”  When you feel stressed or see lethargic disinterested students, take a minute to refocus and recharge.

Here’s one example:  https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/refocusing-students