Teach Secondary Issue 14.3

bolstered by adding clearly written and visual instructions to the installed equipment itself, and by ensuring teachers on outdoor duties keep a watchful eye. Peak concentration Whether or not your students have cycled to school, joined a group power walk or used outdoor gym equipment upon arrival, everyone can benefit from some guided breathing and stretching exercises during registration. Chair yoga can work those muscles, improve posture and focus the mind, without being hugely disruptive or requiring extra resources. Controlled breathing exercises will further soothe any agitated thoughts, and help to create a sense of unity and quiet. Follow the activity with a few hearty songs in assembly – perhaps while standing up and making proper, trained used of the diaphragm– and your students’ hearts, lungs, bodies and minds will have had a full workout before they even start thinking about Pythagoras’ Theorem, oxbow lakes and the Tudors in their lessons. That said, the jury’s still out on how long the human brain can function at peak concentration. According to the Harvard Business Review , (see tiny.cc/ ts143-POL), “ The brain operates optimally when it toggles between focus and unfocus, allowing you to develop resilience, enhance creativity, and make better decisions too. ” It therefore seems that sometimes, there can be wisdom in giving students a quick mental break or alternative activity for a moment, rather than forcing continued focus. Collaborations between PE/ sports teachers and their ‘other subjects’ colleagues can result in the sharing of good practice on how best to fill these spare moments with valuable PE pedagogy. Wisdomand knowledge Following a productive morning of exercise, discussion, socialisation, academic learning and cognitive breaks, your students will likely be more than ready for their lunch – the perfect time for some more subliminal, yet no less essential physical education. Posters that detail and explain today’s school canteenmenu, while also providing advice on nutritious sandwich preparation, or some fascinating facts on the qualities of popular soft drinks can be read whilst waiting for friends in the queue. This physical education focused on the impact of what we eat and drink may not be clocked by your students as a lesson, but it’s still filling their knowledge gaps with valuable learning. Informal physical education can also play an important part in prepping your students for a successful afternoon’s learning. I’m sure I’mnot alone in having experienced the effort it requires to motivate a class through that post-lunch slump. All it takes is a summer breeze blowing through your warm classroom, your students sat toasting gently on their chairs… zzzzzz … Again, you can seek some helpful advice from your PE and sports teachers when trying to counteract this postprandial somnolence. Participation in ‘Walk and Talk’ activities, basic yoga exercises, stretching during lunch break – these can all make all a huge difference. With all that inmind (and body), the sensible course of action would be for teachers to further investigate how the wisdom and knowledge of their PE and sports colleagues can be drawn upon, and used to improve all aspects of learning throughout the school day. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anderley Hampson is a former primary and secondary teacher, now at sports, fitness and play equipment specialist, Sportsafe; for more information, visit sportsafeuk.com ATAGLANCE Encourage walking or cycling to school Consider procuring an outdoor gym Set up an outdoor ‘daily mile’ track or course in the school grounds Organise outdoor yoga sessions in spring and summer Incorporate breathing and/or chair exercises into registration sessions Practice strong singing/ voice exercises during assemblies Hold assemblies on the topics of nutrition, different sports or wellness Plan ‘mind breaks’ into lessons 55 teachwire.net/secondary P H Y S I C A L E D U C AT I O N