We hear it all the time in emails and at conventions…
“The Corny Brain Breaks are our favorite part of each lesson!”
Don’t worry, I’m not taking it personally. I love them too!
I love them so much that we’re always looking for new jokes to add. So today I have everything you need to know about becoming a part of the Corny Brain Break Crew:
The Purpose of Corny Brain Breaks
NTML is all about bringing joy to math. We want to take kids from a place of anxiety and dread to a place where they are relaxed and able to learn the skills they need to be successful at math.
But with a rigorous curriculum like Saxon Math, where you want to make the most of all its benefits, it can be very easy to fall into the trap of feeling like it’s all work and no play. That’s where Corny Brain Breaks come in.
Also, did you know that taking breaks can vastly improve your student’s learning? That’s why I never want to neglect them!
Humor just has a way of diffusing stress and equipping us to handle difficult situations. The Corny Brain Breaks are placed strategically after students have learned the day’s lesson and before they have to apply what they learned with the practice problems. What better time to break up some stress?
Also, who doesn’t love to laugh? Corny Brain Breaks are the type of humor that even the youngest kids grasp while also evoking reactions and smiles from the oldest students. They are just a simple way to get your student’s mind off math for a minute and giving them something to giggle – or maybe groan – (but, in a good way) about.
How to Make a GREAT Submission
The more jokes, the more fun kids get to have while working on their math!
We would love any and all Nicole the Math Lady students to be a part of the Corny Brain Break Crew! Read on for tips on how to help your student prepare a great submission so they can be part of the funniest crew on any math site ever (probably not a high bar, I know.)
Preparing to Record Your Video
- Help your student select and print out a bunch of clean, age-appropriate jokes.
- Please avoid politics, religion, hunting or any other potentially-divisive topics.
- Usually anything along the line of a “dad jokes” works well!
- Educational jokes, especially math-related, are always a great choice.
- We try not to share repeats so if your student heard it on CBB, please don’t submit it again.
- Encourage your student to practice reading the jokes to themselves.
- Find a sibling, friend, or group of friends to be the audience. Your student can even try using a pet!
- Do not–I repeat–DO NOT share the jokes ahead of time with the audience. The best Corny Brain Breaks come from capturing the audience’s natural reaction to a joke…whether the actual joke is funny or not. 🙂
- Check the audio and video before you start recording. Make sure both the sound and video are crisp and clear.
- Doing a practice video of the student just talking can help work out any bugs/issues.
Recording Your Video
- Do not–I repeat–DO NOT share the jokes ahead of time with the audience. The best Corny Brain Breaks come from capturing the audience’s natural reaction to a joke…whether the actual joke is funny or not!
- Click record.
- Have your student read (or recite) their joke to their audience.
- Be sure to record the real reaction. No fake laughter! Authenticity always works best. Even when (maybe especially when) they don’t think the joke is funny, the reaction can be priceless!
- Click stop.
- Check to make sure the sound and video worked.
- If not, try again.
- If so, carry on!
Submitting Your Video
- Go to your Parent Account and access the Corny Brain Break Drive tab.
- Submit the video by 11:59 pm EST on Friday, June 6, 2025.
- The NTML Team will review all submissions and make their selections.
- You’ll be notified during the summer months if your video or meme* has been selected.
- New Corny Brain Breaks will be live on the site in August.
- Please note: submissions must be made via the link in your Parent Account and must be submitted by the deadline.
- *We take memes too!
We can’t wait to see your submissions. Happy Joking and, as always, Happy Learning!
Nicole the Math Lady
