The Case Against Bell-to-Bell Instruction

In a recent episode of the Truth for Teachers podcast titled "Bell-to-Bell Instruction is Not Best Practice: Here's the Research," Angela Watson challenges the widely accepted notion that bell-to-bell instructional time is the most effective teaching practice.

Teachers are often under pressure to have students engaged in academic activities. This makes it challenging for them and their students. A school day becomes more enjoyable with the right amount of breaks along the way. I imagine that productivity might actually improve overall, along with the quality of work.

She emphasizes the need for educators to prioritize quality over quantity by providing students with meaningful learning experiences and fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. The research she shares makes the case for educators to make time for student reflection, allowing them to make connections, develop a deeper understanding, and become active participants in their learning. There seem to be benefits in offering students both structured and unstructured breaks.

Here is a Brain Break Resource with more information and resources to get you started.

5 Research-Based Reasons to Use Brain Breaks in the Classroom and Brain Break Resources

Incorporating Brain Breaks can add fun and movement to the school day and add enjoyment for teachers and students. Below you’ll find some Brain-Break research along with some resources to get you started.

WHY EDIFYJeremy Jorgensen

Here are some of the resources and research that she refers to during the episode.

• The case for more time spent “doing nothing” via Everyday Health
• Brief diversions vastly improve focus, researchers find via the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Brief and rare mental “breaks” keep you focused: Deactivation and reactivation of task goals preempt vigilance decrements via Science Direct
• Rest is not idleness: Implications of the brain’s default mode for human development and education via ResearchGate. Full paper here via ScottBarryKaufman.com
• Dr. Immordino-Yang: Emotions are integral to learning via Novak Djokovic Foundation
• Your ability to focus may be limited to 4 or 5 hours a day. Here’s how to make the most of them. via Washington Post
• Using brain breaks to restore students’ focus via Edutopia

STRONG Teacher Toolkit

Here are some of my favorite resources, ideas, tools, services, and miscellaneous gadgets and goodies that keep me STRONG in both my personal and professional life.

WHY EDIFYJeremy Jorgensen