Zooming In on Brain Breaks with Amy McMahon

Feb 6

Melissa Milner introduces herself as the host of the "Teacher as Podcast," a show aimed at educators.
Melissa mentions that this is the seventh season of the podcast, released every other week.
She thanks the Career Mentorship Program, major choice, for sponsoring the podcast.
Melissa encourages listeners to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts to help it reach more educators.

Amy McMahon introduces herself, sharing her 27 years of experience in education across various grades and roles.
Amy discusses her current year off due to back surgery, during which she supports teachers and parents via social media.
Melissa shares how she discovered Amy through Instagram, specifically her brain break videos.
Amy talks about her return to the classroom three months post-surgery and the fatigue she experienced.

Melissa asks Amy about the necessity of brain breaks for students.
Amy explains that brain breaks are essential due to the long hours students spend in class and the need for self-regulation.
She notes the increased difficulty students have in focusing post-COVID compared to pre-COVID times.
Amy describes various types of brain breaks, including quick one-minute breaks, instructional-based games, and video-based breaks.

Amy discusses different types of brain breaks, including physical body breaks and partner-based activities.
She emphasizes the importance of brain breaks for substitute teachers and new teachers.
Amy introduces the "timer game," a no-prep brain break where students guess the time elapsed.
She shares another no-prep game where students take turns saying numbers, creating a collaborative and engaging activity.

Amy continues with more no-prep brain breaks, including the "Mind Reader" game where students guess compound words.
She describes the "Silent Partner Draw" game, where students draw collaboratively without speaking.
Amy introduces the "Going on a Picnic" game, where students bring items based on a rule, making it educational and engaging.
She shares the "Zoo" game, a kinesthetic activity involving animal movements, which is great for younger students.

Amy talks about the "Boom, Clap, Snatch" game, a partner-based activity that can be made academic by using nameplates or math problems.
She introduces the "Math Game" where students add up to a specific number, practicing math fluency.
Amy describes the "Snake" game, where students create words starting with the last letter of a given word, reinforcing phonics skills.
She emphasizes the importance of teaching procedures and expectations for brain breaks to maintain order and engagement.

Melissa and Amy discuss online resources like Teach Flix and Teach Flex, which offer a variety of educational videos.
Amy mentions her preference for GoNoodle and other kinesthetic brain breaks for younger students.
They talk about the importance of having a collection of brain breaks ready for substitutes or new teachers.
Amy shares her experience with creating and organizing videos and the potential for a blog or website to share these resources.

Amy introduces her new online tutoring and coaching business, Early Smiles Education.
She offers phonics tutoring and teacher coaching, aiming to help teachers and parents with early education.
Amy shares her experience with free sessions and the positive feedback she received.
She expresses her passion for sharing educational resources and supporting teachers and parents.

Melissa and Amy discuss potential future topics for the podcast, including small group instruction and classroom management.
Melissa shares her background in teaching and her interest in vocabulary and figurative language.
Amy expresses her willingness to return for future discussions on various educational topics.
Melissa thanks Amy for the interview and shares her contact information for listeners to connect with her.

Melissa Milner

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