Brain breaks are becoming more popular in classrooms, but students have different opinions about whether they are helpful or not.

Brain breaks can help students positively by giving them time to rest their brain for just a couple of minutes. Research shows that learning for seven hours straight can impact a student's brain negatively. Brain breaks do take up time and eventually that time will add up. Missing just five minutes of a class a week can put students back from learning.

“I think having brain breaks throughout school would be an excellent idea,” freshman Alaina S. said. “It would help students do better on tests and focus in the classroom. It would reduce the stress of having to work constantly.”

On the other hand, some students do not think brain breaks are necessary. “No, I don’t think we should have a brain break throughout school because we have lunch for that,” freshman Ryder J. stated. “We also don’t have much class time, so taking a 10-minute break would put us behind on our work.” Students with this opinion feel that breaks should be limited so teachers can have more time to teach.

Teachers say brain breaks can be helpful, but they need to be used carefully. If they are too long or too often, they can distract students. If they are short and calm, they may help students focus.

In the end, everyone has different opinions on how brain breaks affect learning. Some students believe lunch is enough of a break, while others feel they perform better after a quick mental pause during class. Finding a balance between learning time and short breaks may be the best way to support students’ focus and success in school.