STORY PREVIEW

2020

Brain Breaks Box

Sekolah Kebangsaan Desa Cempaka

Negeri Sembilan

MENTOR

Myzatul Sarah Yusof

Step 1 FEEL

List the challenges or problems in your surroundings (school,neighbourhood etc.) that bothered you.

1. Pupils unhealthy lifestyle 2. Cleanliness of toilet 3. No place to sit while waiting for parents after school 4. Pupils' restricted movement during school in new norm

State the problem chosen to work and why.

4. Pupils' restricted movement during school in new norm: After a three-month movement control order, schools have finally re-opened. To curb the spread of the coronavirus, schools must follow Standard Operating Procedure set by the government. The SOP requires pupils to be seated for most of the school hours. Pupils become restless as they sit for too long, cannot play and converse with their friends as well as having little to no recreational activities.

Who were the people affected by the problem? What were their primary concerns?

The pupils in schools were mainly affected. They felt bored and frustrated that they had to sit throughout the day, they could not play with friends and have Physical Education. They also had a hard time focusing as they feel tired from sitting for too long.

Step 2 IMAGINE

List ALL the different solutions you came up with.

1. Introducing after-school activities 2. Doing an exercise routine before lessons 3. Making seats more comfortable with cushions 4. Having brain breaks

Which solution from those listed above did you choose to implement and why?

4. Having brain breaks: Brain Breaks are mental breaks pupils can take in between learning tasks. We read up on how to carry out brain breaks and what the benefits are. Having brain breaks can reduce pupils' stress and even keep them motivated to learn. Because there are so many types of activities, we decided to choose a few and put them in a box for teachers and pupils to use in the classroom. We chose brain breaks because they are easy and fun to implement. Not only does having brain breaks solve the problem of sitting for too long, it can also benefit the pupils.

Step 3DO

Describe very briefly the process of implementing your solution(s).

We looked up different brain breaks activities and chose the ones that suited the new norms (maintain social distancing, no touching, no sharing items). We printed out the instructions, bought materials like dice and put them in a box: the BRAIN BREAKS BOX! We took it to the headmistress and explained why we want to introduce it to the teachers and pupils of our schools. We then explained to the teachers how to use the box filled with brain breaks and why they should use it in class. We then went from class to class with our Brain Breaks Box to conduct brain breaks with the pupils themselves.

What was the result or impact of your project?

The pupils are not as bored when they come to school as they will have brain breaks between learning tasks. The pupils are also happy that they can physically move when carrying out these activities. Teachers can see that the pupils are energised and motivated to learn after brain breaks.

How many people were impacted by your solution(s)?

400

What did the impacted people have to say about your project? Provide 2 quotes or testimonials:

"It's really fun. I like it." (Siti Qistina, student) "I like it because I can get up and move so I don't feel so tired." (Irfan, student) "I will use the Brain Breaks Box because sometimes my pupils feel tired and these breaks help them release their stress and it makes me release my stress as well." (Miss Syieda, teacher) "I would promote the Brain Breaks Box to other headmasters in the district." (Madam Haizy, headmistress)

What challenges did you encounter while implementing your project, and how did you overcome them?

There were pupils who did not cooperate as they did not like the brain break chosen by their friends. We gave them the chance to choose the activity if they cooperated. Some teachers were also not confident to conduct the activity because they were unfamiliar with the brain breaks. We showed the teachers that, with the Brain Breaks Box, even the pupils could conduct the games for them. We also didn't have enough money to make more boxes. It would cost us hundreds to make a Brain Breaks Box for every class. However, we have called a company to listen to our ideas and we will ask for funding to make more Brain Breaks Boxes.

How long did it take to implement your solution?

7-15 Days

Which global goals does your story align with?

Good health and well being

Please explain briefly why do you think so?

The Brain Breaks Box can resolve the pupils' problems of sitting for too long and having restricted movement during school. As the implementation of brain breaks can reduce stress, promote physical movement, boost attention and motivation and even build creative thinking skills, it will definitely benefit pupils' overall health and wellness.

Step 4 SHARE

How did you share your project with your school and community? Who did you share your project with? What was their response?

We first presented our Brain Breaks Box to our headmistress. We then explained to our teachers how to use the Brain Breaks Box in class and why it is important to carry our brain breaks. We then went from class to class to actually carry out brain breaks. This was all done face-to-face. We shared about the Brain Breaks Box through our personal Instagram and Twitter accounts as well as our school's Facebook page. Finally, we sent an invitation letter to a company's executive director to come to our school and listen about what the Brain Breaks Box is, how it is used and why we should use it.

Approximately how many people did you share your story of change with?

More than 100

Briefly share your plan to sustain the impact of your project?

We have invited a company to come to our school to hear about our solution. If they agree to fund this idea, we plan to make more Brain Breaks Boxes so that every class in the school can benefit. We also plan to share the Brain Breaks Box to other schools as they too can implement brain breaks for the betterment of their pupils.

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