As a father to two young sons (8 and 6 year olds) I'm starting to get those 'B Questions', inquiries about about boobs, balls, butts and babies. I am thankful that my sons feel comfortable approaching me with their questions, and I hope that they always see me as an askable adult. My boys are …
During these times of stress, the intentional act of protecting one's well-being and happiness is a must-do for educators, and something that I am prioritizing more so than ever before. The additional workload of teaching remotely, while supervising a young family with their virtual learning, has led to a realization that if am not at …
Families can support kids' mental health whether they're learning remotely or at school – here's how Kids learn who they are and how to cope within their families. Thomas Barwick/Stone via Getty Images Erika Bocknek, Wayne State University The choice between in-person learning, where available, and remote learning is a fraught one for parents. Children …
With social-emotional learning very much at the fore during this remote/hybrid/pandemic period of education, I find myself focusing on the emotional wellness of my students more so than ever before. My lessons are chunked effectively, are delivered at a slower pace, and my curriculum has been well and truly "Marie Kondo'd." While mindfulness and meditation …
If you know me, you know that I like to do good for our community. This blog site started out as an opportunity for health teachers to amplify their voices among a global audience of like-minded educators, and it has done just that. We have had almost 100 blog posts contributed from teachers across America …
There's something very powerful about being observed when teaching. It puts you in a vulnerable position that Brené Brown would say opens you up to uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. And yet, stepping out of our comfort zone and loosening control opens us up to growth and reward, and in terms of teaching that can …
Setting professional and personal goals during the pandemic might require a different focus and frame of mind. As I try and wrap my head around a remote return to school and a switch to a block schedule, it will be necessary to formulate goals that require me to grow in order to best serve my …
As a teacher of 25 years, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that relationships with each and every student were crucial. I'd been taught HOW to teach, but I come from the era when teaching was something that we did TO students, not WITH. I come from the era that was taught …
I have a confession. I'm a hoarder, but thankfully not one of those hoarders that you see on reality TV that need an intervention and a team to come in and clean out everything I've saved over the years. I'm talking about digital hoarding, the collating of digital materials that I refer back to regularly. …
Bringing our standards-based health curriculum to life is important if we want students to make connections between the classroom and the world in which they live. We need to find ways in which students can promote healthy norms and healthy behaviors and we have to provide students with the opportunity to amplify their health-enhancing messages …
Continue reading Breathing Life into Health Skill 8: A Twist on the Traditional Field Day
Summertime is my time to read, and over the past few years I have shared my #summerreads list of books that I attempt to complete before the return of school. With this past semester proving to be the most challenging in my 24 year career, I desperately need to get lost in some books for …
Following on from the successful book club read of Kelly McGonigal's The Joy of Movement it's time to announce our summer book club selection for 2020. This summers book club read is Permission to Feel, a previous #slowchathealth Book of the Month selection from Marc Brackett, Ph.D. Marc is the Founder and Director of the Yale …
If you need to educate yourself on topics related to social justice, if you need to hear inspirational stories from activists doing the work and if you need to find ways in which you too can become involved in making a change for the better, then there is a podcast out there for you. My …
Do not confuse or conflate—my mantra since this seismic global shift, as I’ve been in lockdown for nearly eleven weeks with my family. Last summer, we moved from my birthplace to a new state on the other side of the country. The move (both the literal and emotional processes) was an absolute nightmare, which made …
Fads and fashions come and go..and sometimes return again, and I'm not talking about scrunchies. Hackey sacks from the 80's returned again in the 90's and are now popular again at my school. You know what else has made a huge comeback? The simple act of embedding a link into a document, and if you …
I am delighted that this week's blog post comes from a passionate health educator who has spent many years advocating for, and understanding the role of, health education within a wider context. Although written from a New Zealand perspective Rachael Dixon's writing will speak to a global audience of health educators. Tena koutou, tena koutou, …
Continue reading The Curious Case of Senior Secondary Health Education in Aotearoa New Zealand.
This week's blog post comes from Coach Jim Davis, a co-worker of mine who is not only an elite coach, elite advocate, elite thinker and elite presenter, he also an outstanding mentor to young student athletes, encouraging them to make change not only in their own lives, but that of others. Our Powerlifting team once …
Continue reading The Power of Good Nutrition: Does Your Behavior Match Your Goal?
There exists a fine line between well-roundedness and attempting the jack-of-all-trades distinction, only to realize stretching oneself too thin oftentimes results in dropping the ball on something important. Part of self-management means stepping back periodically and evaluating, “what are the most important things in my life right now?” An alarming trend consumes too many of …
Comparing lessons learned during the pandemic with lessons learned from running,this outstanding blog post is also available as a podcast. In the month since I was asked to write this article, the world has pretty much been turned upside down. Originally, the premise of this piece was going to be based around 13.1 ways that …
Continue reading 13.1 Ways Quarantine Life is Like Running a Half-Marathon
The coronavirus 'stay at home' situation in which we find ourselves is the perfect recipe to ruin a good nights sleep. Currently forced upon us is increased anxiety and worry, increased isolation, a change in regular routine, and an increase in screen time as we navigate 'remote learning' and utilize Face Time, Zoom, House Party …
