Whether it's first thing in the morning, right after lunch or anytime in between, gear up for learning with a quick warm up!
Something I incorporate into every lesson is a 5 or so minute warm up at the beginning of class. I consider this my time to prime my students for whatever learning goal we have that day.
In terms of Universal Design for Learning, these warm ups fall into the multiple means of engagement category as they help me provide explicit instruction on self-regulation and coping skills or explain why the learning objective is important, relevant and meaningful for my students.
Here are some of my favorite warm up activities and where you can go to find more!
Mini Meditations
As a former meditation skeptic, I totally get the rolled eyes, huffs and puffs and giggle-fits that come from students when meditation is introduced.
And as a converted skeptic, I understand deeply and truly why so much research backs this age-old practice. Meditation is magic and a short, guided practice is a great gateway to not just help students slow down in the moment, but to open them up to the possibilities and expose them to the boundless resources available to them.
Breathwork
Similar to introducing students to meditation, helping students connect to the power of the breath is also a great way to start class.
In fact, if warm ups are something you are starting mid-year, breathing exercises can be a great kick start because the effect is so immediate it is hard to dismiss.
Just a few minutes of intentional breathing can help everyone drop into the moment, and let go of distractions - just be sure they have their phones out of sight and out of reach!
Riddles
I love a good mind-bending riddle, what teacher doesn't? The ones by Ted-Ed are really well made, with great animations and they walk you through the process of solving them.
They are actually pretty complex and difficult, but I like providing opportunities for my students to struggle, be confused and even fail so these help prime them with an attitude of willingness on days when I want them to be ok with not having all the answers.
Paper Puzzles
Sometimes it's nice to be a kid again, ya know? I think high schoolers deal with a level of stress that isn't always recognized or validated by the adults in their lives and I want my students to get opportunities to play and not have to feel grown up just yet.
Towards the beginning of a new unit, crosswords are a fun, low-stakes way to expose students to new vocabulary. Its also something I can easily manipulate to offer multiple levels of accessibility making my UDL goals more attainable.
Once students are familiar with the vocab, a quick word search or word scramble helps them play with the vocab and get into a calm state at the start of class.
I've used WordMint, but there are many options out there to create these sorts of materials.
Coloring Maps
Similar to word puzzles, coloring pages can be a nice way to help students ease into the lesson. There are so many options out there, but I typically just create my own coloring pages in Canva, and offer maps, historical figures or artifacts relevant to our unit.
History Dance Moves
This one might be my favorite, mostly because I am a glutton for embarrassing myself in front of the class, but I think it actually helps my students in more ways than just a quick laugh at my expense.
Tying the movements with the historical timeline and the ideology that backs it is a great way to connect the content. Using it to refresh before jumping into a new unit or to lean back on throughout a unit as a memorization tool is super helpful. Plus, its fun to dance!
Quick Concepts
I love quick concept videos like these as a way to provide a review of previously covered information. This works as a little break mid-class as well. Sometimes getting a quick recap of something in this fast-paced video format can help solidify things for students and clarify things they were kind of confused about.
Short videos like these can also be great for introducing big concepts or predicating a whole class discussion.
Value Offers
Last, but most certainly not least, I look to find ways to help my students understand what is in it for them if they learn the stuff I'm giving them the opportunity to learn.
In social media marketing, this is called the value offer. I want to show them how this information is going to improve and enhance their experience of life!
It's not an easy feat, and it is certainly less straight forward than a quick breathing exercise, but when we can do it successfully I think it is the most productive warm up activity we can provide.
I hope you found something here that helps you warm up your class for learning!

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