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 …
Health & PE are often separated into two different entities in the classroom, regardless of how deeply they intertwine. Physical wellness is improved by physical activity, but can also be improved by hormone/chemical release that comes from positive thoughts, emotions & social interactions. Positive feelings are also cycled through physical movement and enjoyment of movement. …
Continue reading Haiku in Health & PE: Mindfulness in Motion
Over the past couple of weeks during E-learning at the International School of Düsseldorf I have asked my students to share with me what they are grateful for. In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal …
I lean towards being an extrovert, both socially and professionally. I really feel it’s an attribute that helps me connect with my classes. So, it would stand to reason that blogging would come naturally, right, that the words would jump out of my hands onto the keyboard?? Well, in the words of the famous Lee …
Well, students, here we are: our new normal. Health class right now certainly looks different than it would be in our pre-pandemic world. I assure you that you are ready to handle this pandemic and whatever else life decides to throw at you over the next few weeks. Why? Because you’ve been focusing on building …
One summer, not so long ago, I seriously considered a career change. Well, seriously is too strong a word, but I did actively interview outside of public education. No follow through on a job transition, obviously, but it did provide valuable insight. You could call it a moment of clarity, or, more candidly, the perfect …
As today's health class shakes off its dated past its more important than ever that all students see themselves catered for, and represented in our curriculum. One way to ensure inclusivity is to ensure that we recognize the importance of personal pronouns. For too long our transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender non-binary students have been …
How do you feel about that, Ilse? Does that remind you of anything from your past? How would you like to approach this? Those initially awkward yet eventually empowering conversations with your therapist...the ones that help you work through your feelings - respecting and recognising them, then moving through to a slightly new approach - …
As we are amid this current COVID-19 pandemic, the nation is asking people to change their behavior. It sounds simple, but behavior change is difficult. I recently read an article in the American Journal of Health Education by Robert Bensley who talks about this concept. Changing behavior shouldn’t be difficult because we now know the …
If you’re like me, you are always on the lookout for ways to mix up your workout routine. Considering the current #stayhome circumstances, things can get old and boring real quick. Here are 3 different formats for workouts that can be done in your home. These workouts are meant to serve as a template – …
On my return flight from Tampa for the 2019 SHAPE America National Convention in April 2019, I was suddenly awakened from a nap and my first thought was “redefine our community”. This statement etched in my mind as I projected on the upcoming year ahead and the opportunity for transformation for our health and physical …
Continue reading COVID19: A Promising Future for Health Ed and Equity?
Environment is something that I strongly value. I am absolutely focused on creating a physical environment that matches the mood and vibe I want in my house, my bedroom, and maybe most importantly my classroom. I have spent the last 3 years putting together the classroom of my dreams. What started as an active seating …
Humans come in all shapes and sizes and in the interest of keeping our self-esteem high we sometimes accept or embrace our physical state even if it is decidedly unhealthy. How as educators do we address this conflict of accepting who you are physically vs. being mindful of the negative health effects that acceptance can …
Continue reading Does Body Acceptance Promote Health Indifference?
I just came back from a walk and was inspired to sit down and participate in this micro-blog activity. I am going to share a tradition that my father, Thomas L. Brophy, Jr. started in 2004. It was to start writing letters to the important people in his life and tell them what they meant …
Right now we are all navigating a period in our careers that may be a little scary, slightly uncertain and very different. No one is an expert, which is, in my opinion, the variable that has brought our community of health and physical education teachers even closer together. I can not put into words how …
