On September 16, 2021, at 2:00p ET, Alliance for a Healthier Generation will host a free 30-minute webinar entitled Integrating Movement into the Learning Environment.
“Join us for this session on how physical activity can positively influence student health and educational outcomes. Learn how to improve mood, increase motivation, develop self-esteem and help build relationships through movement.”
PHIT America – “Improving children’s physical and mental health for lifelong happiness”: https://phitamerica.org
From TX AFHK: “Help get your students on the pathway to being active and healthy for life! PHIT America’s AMPED school-based running/walking program amplifies education and provides qualifying schools with a free toolkit including a 3-year subscription to EZ Scan, incentivized lap tracking technology, speakers, banners, awards, program guide and more! If you are implementing AMPED, you can also apply for grants for PHIT America’s Play Tennis and Play Golf programs.
Link to grant application: https://form.jotform.com/211095174805050
On September 23 at 11:30a CT, Texas Action for Healthy Kids will host an hour-long webinar entitled Re-Re-Opening Schools: What will this year look like?
“School year 2020-2021 brought remote learning, hybrid learning, free school meals, innovative approaches to teaching, and lots of stress! What will this year hold? How are districts approaching the upcoming school year? Join us as we visit with district administrators and staff about their ideas and plans to keep kids healthy, active and ready to learn. This webinar will be archived for those unable to attend the live session. You will receive information about future sessions from Action for Healthy Kids.”
Link to registration: https://www.actionforhealthykids.org/event/re-re-opening-schools-what-will-this-year-look-like
Over the past year and a half, the topic of social-emotional learning for students has emerged as a conversation front-runner. This is a much-needed discussion and essential to the overall health and well-being of our youth population. However, we must not overlook the psychological health of our teachers! I recently heard a great analogy – putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others on the airplane is like focusing on your own mental health so you can support mental health in others. It is critical to promote and enhance teachers’ social-emotional-mental health so that they have the capacity to foster a safe, supportive, inclusive, effective, healthy learning environment for students. As such, I applaud these materials put out by the Southern Education Foundation:
Teacher Stress and Burnout: The High Cost of Low Social and Emotional Development (July 2021)
“Teachers are the most important school-based factor in student success, impacting every aspect of students’ achievement and overall development.”
Helping Kids Be Kids: Leveraging Unstructured Play and Experiential Learning for SEL
Kids need more time to learn alongside peers, explore, and simply be kids! Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) developed innovative partnerships with fifteen schools to increase unstructured free time and experiential learning at school through policies, systems, and environmental changes to support the whole child. We learned that the power of play and experiential learning was key to unlocking our children’s greatest potential. Discover ways to make the most of what you’re doing and leverage physical activity, play, nutrition and health education as vehicles for social-emotional learning!
Jun 24, 2021 02:30 PM in Eastern Time
(From the American School Health Association)
On August 3 and 4, SHAPE America will host a Back to School Virtual Summit entitled “How to Navigate the New School Year”. The event is free to current SHAPE members, and the $139 non-members price includes a SHAPE membership.
“This two-evening event offers a variety of programming to help health and physical education professionals connect with each other and prepare for the new school year, especially considering the impact COVID has made – and will make – in our schools and districts.”
For more information: https://www.shapeamerica.org/events/Back_to_School_Summit/default.aspx
Burnout. A common and distressing problem, especially among teachers. And, over the past year, circumstances leading to stress, anxiety, and burnout have escalated. While self-care has always been an essential component for holistic health among teachers, it may be even more critical now.
Thankfully, the scope of resources for teachers that address psychological wellness, coping strategies, and self-care continues to expand. Taking advantage of these resources may help enable us to be at our best as teachers, a benefit which translates directly to the health of our students.
In a free webinar from SHAPE America, The How — How to Be Combative to Our Stress Levels, “participants will be introduced to several strategies for promoting self-care and creating a personal self-care plan.”
Access the webinar here (free account needed): https://www.shapeamerica.org/prodev/webinars/Free-webinars.aspx#the-how
From Action for Healthy Kids, the week of April 26, 2021 is designed to promote awareness and action to get “every kid healthy”. Resources are available for school and for home and cover a different theme each day.
Mindful Monday: Social emotional health
Tasty Tuesday: Nutrition and food access
Wellness Wednesday: Self-care strategies
Thoughtful Thursday: Connectedness, relationship skill, social awareness
Fitness Friday: Physical activity and active play
Check out the ideas and materials here! https://www.actionforhealthykids.org/every-kid-healthy-week-resources
This February, Active Schools is hosting an Active Classrooms Month! If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out the Active Schools website, it’s a great resource for promoting and supporting physical activity among children and youth: https://www.activeschoolsus.org
Active Classrooms Month is designed to increase awareness of how movement can be integrated into learning and will include a variety of activities, including a series of weekly webinars. These 30-minute sessions will occur on Wednesdays at 3:00pm ET / 12:00pm PT and will offer information about and strategies for classroom physical activity implementation. Click here for calendar and links to register!
In the expansive conversation surrounding COVID circumstances and educational challenges, many issues arise. I recently read an article entitled “How remote learning’s distractions put extra pressure on students with ADHD“, which offered yet another important perspective.
Within this article is the following story:
At first, [mother] asked her son to do his schoolwork before riding his bike. It was a big mistake.
“He was like, ‘Mom, I need the bike ride at the beginning of my day,’ ” she says. “And he was absolutely right.”
I applaud the child for recognizing this need, and the mother for understanding and accepting. I would further suggest that this – the benefit of riding a bike prior to an online class session – is beneficial for every learner. I would encourage parents and children to take advantage of the somewhat flexible scheduling surrounding remote learning to incorporate physical activity into the day. Not only can it improve focus during educational time, it can support physical and psychological wellness.
To take a phrase from a colleague, “Yes, we can!”
