Gold star for South Carolina schools!

This article, published last month, looks at some of the ways South Carolina schools are bringing movement and activity to students during the school day.  The instigator of the new programming says, “This is unbelievably hard to sell,” and yet there has been initial success in increasing opportunities.  We need to continue to educate teachers and educational policy makers on the benefits of activity, both for health and for academic performance.  And we must celebrate those who are promoting activity in classroom, like David Spurlock, the coordinator of health, wellness and physical education for the Charleston County School District.

Read the full article here and view our “In the News” page for more relevant stories.

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The Teacher Desk…a Thing of the Past?

This blog, from August 2015, was recently shared with me. Written by high school English teacher Nicholas Provenzano, it offers specific benefits for teachers who remove their desk from the classroom. The idea of “ditching” the teacher desk, which Provenzano proposes will improve the learning environment of the classroom, is further supported by the evidence that sitting is associated with increased health risks. So if your classroom needs a makeover, consider ditching your desk!

Link to “Ditching the Desk”

For information on students using standing desks, see our “In the News” page and the video from October 2015.

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Promising University of Michigan Research on Classroom Physical Activity

Dr. Rebecca Hasson of University of Michigan is conducting a study called Active Classroom where she simulates a classroom environment but offers students various short-duration light, moderate, and vigorous intensity activities incorporated into sedentary periods.  Dr. Hasson hopes to provide information on the health and cognitive benefits of engaging students in quick activity breaks throughout the school day.  An exciting feature of this project is the collaboration with the architecture department in the design of active classrooms.  View a short video and read more about this exciting study here.

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Classroom Management Tips – a Foundation for Classroom Physical Activity

Classroom management is critical to the productive, positive learning environment and classroom climate.  It is a necessary skill for the implementation of any classroom activity or procedure, but is particularly important when engaging students in movement in the classroom setting.  Edutopia, a website that shares  “evidence- and practitioner-based learning strategies that empower you to improve K-12 education,” offers a Five-Minute Film Festival on classroom management techniques.  There are nine videos, each with a different focus, but all targeting classroom management methodology.  Check it out…and then get kids moving!

See videos here.

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Discipline…and Keep Recess!

Recess is a critical opportunity for students to gain physical activity during the school day.  We’ve all known teachers, or been the teacher!, who threatens a student with missing this break if behavior does not improve.  This is the “you take my time; I’ll take yours” theory.  Yet eliminating recess may actually increase behavior problems.  The Inspired Treehouse recently published a post called “Positive Discipline: 10 Ways to Stop Taking Recess Away” that offers alternatives to withholding recess.  Some of the suggestions use physical activity as a punishment, which is not appropriate, but there are several beneficial ideas as well as links to other resources.

Physical activity is neither a punishment nor a reward! 

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Positive Information about School Lunches

As teachers, we must consider a “whole child” view of health and be aware of the implications of both physical activity and nutrition on our students.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published a report sharing positive news about the availability of healthy options in our school cafeterias.  The report, “School-Level Practices to Increase Availability of Fruits, Vegetables, and Whole Grains, and Reduce Sodium in School Meals”, notes that there has been an increase in the number of schools offering two or more fruits and two or more vegetables per day since 2000.  Let’s continue this positive trend!

Read the report here.

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Webinars to Increase Knowledge

Action for Healthy Kids is offering several upcoming webinars of interest. See their site for these virtual learning opportunities, including one next Wednesday, Sept. 9 about classroom physical activity!

Link to AHK Webinar page

Update (Jan. 2017): The Action for Health Kids webinar series is on-going, so continue to check the site for upcoming topics. Past webinars are available via archive.

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More Fit = Better Brains!

New research published this week demonstrates that children who are more fit have better math performance that lower fit peers.  The study by Chaddock-Heyman et. al. adds to the growing body of evidence that fitness and academic achievement are linked, and can be used as support for the inclusion of classroom physical activity.

See the Research tab for the more information!

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Students’ Health Habits During Summer

An interesting article was published this month entitled “Students’ eating and exercise habits over the summer break: The role of family income“. As a teacher, I’ve always been aware of the “summer backslide” academically. At the beginning of a new school year, academic standards are often higher than at the end of the previous grade, yet children have spent the summer away from the educational tutelage of school. This article offers the common-sense point of view that summer is also a time when health habits are different. Indeed, I was speaking with a teacher in line at Target recently who confessed that she, herself, ate more ice cream and worked out less during the summer because it was “vacation”. Adults and children, alike, may engage in less healthy behaviors during the summer months.  And, according to this article, this disconnect is more prevalent in children of lower socioeconomic status.

The take-away? For teachers, we must be aware that the beginning of the school year is a time to reinforce, not only academic standards, but also healthy behaviors. Remember, active students are engaged learners!

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