6 Strategies to Help Calm and Refocus the Brain
Picture this: It is a stunning day with wall to wall sunshine and I’m at a resort on the coast of Australia. To escape the heat, I decide to go for a bush walk. I briskly follow the undulating and winding path as I take in the scenery and listen to the bird calls. As I round a corner, I
suddenly freeze. Five metres ahead of me was something long, brown and squiggly. My first and frightening thought is a snake! I come from a country, New Zealand, with zero poisonous creatures (well, that can actually harm you!). My pulse increases, my breathing rate quickens and I am frozen to the spot. I know nothing about snakes. I question myself, “Is it harmless? Poisonous? Does it move fast?” My mind races and my impulse to run in the direction I have come is incredibly strong. I take a deep breath and look closer. It turns out…it was a stick!
Impulsivity is one of the brain’s protection mechanisms. When facing danger, whether real or perceived, biological changes happen in the neocortex, where rational thinking and problem solving occurs. This results in an instant response of the brain to freeze, fight or flee. It is also the same place in our brain where we control our impulses. During a time of threat or perceived danger, the neocortex becomes less efficient. In the event above, my amazing brain was simply trying to protect me.
Stress, threat and danger can come in many forms – hunger, sugar overload, fear of failure, success, the lights are too bright, the environment is too noisy, a fight with a peer – the list is endless. Impulsive behaviour may indicate a need for protection or safety, and may cause a slowing of the ability to think logically and rationally.
There are many times when students also need to manage their impulsivity. These times may include when they need to think before they act, consider alternatives, and reflect on their goals, processes and outcomes. Professor Art Costa and Dr Bena Kallick included the ability to manage impulsivity as one of their Habits of Mind. They describe it as, “Taking your time, being able to think before acting, remaining calm,
thoughtful and deliberative.”
People who manage their impulsivity have an intentionality about their goals, actions and plan where they want to end up. They are effective problem solvers who are able to think before they act. Patience is a key, and they decrease the need for trial and error by taking the time to reflect and consider possibilities and consequences. Both Angela Duckworth and Martin Seligman suggest that the less impulsive a student is, the more successful they are.
Managing Impulsivity can be explicitly taught, and as most good things, it takes time. Below are some ideas to test out, adapt and implement in your classroom.
Strategies & Structures: If you want students to wait, it is essential to teach students what they could be doing while waiting and being patient. Just expecting them to be patient isn’t enough. Brainstorm ideas of what they can do while waiting. Milena, a teacher in Brazil, teaches her 3-year-old students three strategies while they wait. These are to count to ten in their head, breathe deeply and slowly and to drum their fingers on a desk while waiting. With older students, consider giving them step-by-step structures for thinking and problem solving. Students may require practice with the teacher modelling or on paper before they can do it internally.
Role Playing: Brainstorm and practice using the strategies you want students to use. For example, if students find it challenging to line up and wait, discuss the behaviours they might implement when lining up and waiting. Now practice these behaviours, give feedback and
practice again. You might practice this five to ten times on the first day. Repeat on day two, three and four until they can do it successfully. Similarly, if students need to learn how to manage themselves when they are working independently, ask two students to bring their desks
to the front of the classroom. Have one act out working independently and the other student interrupt, bump and annoy. Again, have the class brainstorm strategies. Now pair all the students up and roleplay the scene several times. Muscle memory and new behaviours take time to embed.
Traffic Light Strategy:
STAR Strategy:
• Stop – Count to 10. Take a deep breath. Take a walk or a break.
• Think – What is it about this situation that’s causing my feelings?
• Act – What actions can I take to relieve these feelings?
• Reflect – Was this a good solution? What insights have I gained?
Wait Time: When asking a question or calling upon a student to give an answer, wait between seven to ten seconds to give them time to think, consider ideas and alternatives. When I’m modelling this in the classroom, I often hear myself saying, “What I really value is that you
have taken the time to think about an answer, rather than you being the first to answer.” Model this wait time and thoughtfulness when students ask you a question also. Pause and ponder before you respond.
Following Instructions: Do you give students a list of instructions or tasks and they rush off and do the first step and not know what to do next? One technique to adopt that helps students to think through their tasks, steps and outcomes is to invite them to visualise successfully completing all the steps of the tasks and what the outcome will look like. Having students pause and ponder this will allow them to see such favourable outcomes in their work.