A growing national concern for adolescent health is the use of e-cigarettes, often referred to as vaping or JUULing (for a popular brand name). In just a few short years, there has been a dramatic increase in teen use of these devices, and my school is no exception. The latest data from our own YRBS …
Students continue to report high stress levels with academics, social and parental pressure, juggling extra-curricular activities and post high school plans all impacting their lives on a daily basis. While we hope that they manage their stressors in a healthy way, we know that some of their coping mechanisms are less healthy. I am delighted …
We all have our favorite lessons to teach and this might be mine. With students working in small groups, big groups, collaborative work, research, some kinesthetic instruction and an engaging use of technology, there's something here for everyone. Assigning Students an STI Sit students in groups of 9. Print and cut out multiple sets of …
Habits are formed by repeating a behavior enough times to become automatic, and for two reasons healthy habit formation has been on my mind a lot this week. The first reason is the recent release of Atomic Habits by James Clear, a book that is so impressive, and of such crossover potential for #HealthEd teachers we …
You don't have time to seek out new podcasts, I get it. Well, I do have time during my 70 minute commute. And that's on a good day! I've previously shared Podcast & Chill Part 1 and Part 2, two posts inspired by the good people at Podcast Brunch Club, (think book club but for podcasts). In …
Interactive experiences in the #HealthEd classroom are always a hit, and this Sexually Transmitted Infections Dice Game from Andy Horne is no exception. This post originally appeared four years ago on another blog that Andy and I ran and it continues to be extremely popular, and so it's time to dust off the dice and …
As we enter conference season - at least SEVENTEEN state conferences between now and the end of next month - I thought I would share a creative way to increase the visibility of your event and easily provide all presenters and attendees with the opportunity to share your brand. I've shared on Twitter in the …
Nancy Reagan's 1982 "Just Say No' campaign reached far and wide, even landing on my radar as a 12 year old (I'll let you do the math). However, despite its catchphrase and good intentions, the evidence suggests that telling students to 'just say no' is ineffective and, coupled with scare tactics about the dangers of …
We all know that active students are more engaged in school and that activity can help our students academically. October sees another event that encourages our school community to be more active. International Walk to School Day is held every October in most countries*. It is a global event that involves communities from more than 40 countries …
This weeks post shares an update of a food label game that I created and blogged about in 2014. It's a game that was very successful in my classroom at the time and I think many teachers will like it. I played a game as a child called Top Trumps, a card game that was …
One of the joys of teaching #HealthEd is that it is such a dynamic topic. I don't think any one year has been the same as another, in fact every semester has been different for me. As society ebbs and flows, health topics become du jour and the media jump on the latest headline grabbing …
With the return to school completed, some of us will be still be running on the adrenaline rush from the start of the school year - new faces, implementing new ideas, and the chance to grow as an educator. However, as the night get shorter, the temperature drops and we get more school weeks under our belts it's inevitable that stress will creep into our lives. For that reason I'm delighted to welcome Caroline Black back for another guest blog.
I'm not sure if kindness ever went away, but we are witnessing a resurgence in kindness-related initiatives that I think provide an antidote to the current behavior of politicians and certain world leaders. It's been around forever, it transcends religions, anyone can do it and it doesn't have to cost any money. Aristotle defines kindness …
Do you remember the year in which you entered the teaching profession (1994 for me)? This week #slowchathealth profiles five young professionals who start their teaching career this school year. We hope to re-visit with them over the winter break and again at the end of their first school year in what we hope will …
At the start of the school year it's important to identify shared classroom rules and expectations and I believe that these should be created with our students, and not before our students arrive on day one. It never ceases to amaze me the number of teachers who proudly display their laminated class rules posters on …
You know you are a great teacher when you see life through the lens of your subject. I see everything through the lens of a health teacher. I see food commercials and wonder why that food is being advertised to a specific audience at a specific time. I see promotional health resources in the community …
You should see the look on my students faces when I explain that 'breakfast' is literally 'breaking the fast'. I imagine that they'll forget most of what we learn in class, but they'll remember that one fact. I teach about nutrition in #healthed class with my message being that what we eat and drink can …
After you have recharged your batteries, spent quality time with friends and family and reflected on the past year your mind will inevitably wander towards thoughts of next school year. That's the nature of this career - you can't help but care about providing the best for your students. If you're looking for ways to …
As the #slowchathealth blog site celebrates its 3rd birthday I'm excited that Danielle Petrucci returns with another guest blog post. In addition to being MAHPERD's 2018 Health Teacher of the Year, Danielle is also a Dove Self-Esteem Project Cadre Trainer and here she shares her views on student self-esteem and the great work done by the …
Continue reading Increasing Student Self-Esteem in a Media Saturated Society
It's that time again when we look towards the end of the school year and seek inspiration for books to read during the summer break. Last year I shared my #summerreads list and here's this years update. These are the books that I will be reading and they are intentionally diverse. After all, a man …
