Look After Your Students’ and Your Own Physical and Mental Health and Wellbeing this New School Year
Make your lessons more active, indoors and out, and see the benefits in yourself and the children, says Bryn Llewellyn…
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STI lesson – Help young people make better relationship choices
Hey, we’re getting ready to go back to school! We always look upon this time of the year as a chance to start afresh – a sort of New Year’s Resolution.
And between issues of mental health and wellbeing, stress, workload, childhood obesity and more, this September is an opportunity to look ahead and consider the health of yourself and your children.
With this in mind, here are our top tips for promoting physical and emotional wellbeing through #moveandlearn approaches.
Give yourself time to think
- Consider your core values
- What are they?
- Why did you become a teacher?
- Who are your role models?
- How can you emulate them and build upon their ideas?
- Reflect
Schools are incredibly busy places, more so than ever before. It is all too easy to get bogged down in the nitty-gritty of the role, but give yourself time to think and reflect. Celebrate your successes!
Likewise, ask yourself what went well and why or indeed what could have been better. Consider different places and situations in which to reflect, whether they be on your own or with others. Personally speaking, our own ‘Think Times’ incorporate running, biking, swimming and yoga. - Be resilient There will always be challenges and you will need to look at ways to overcome barriers to learning. Surround yourself with good people – people within your own school setting and beyond who support and provoke in equal measures. We believe that Twitter is a great way to connect and share ideas with like-minded souls.
Be playful
- Try new things
Look at research and take time to see what’s out there – but remember, there’s no silver bullet. For example, we love the ethos behind the Daily Mile, but can we just run with it? Can we improve upon it and adapt it to the needs of our own learners. To find out more, click here. - Ask yourself: “Do we need to sit to learn?”
Check out this recent TEDx Talk, ‘Physically Active Learning (PAL) – Improving Learning’. - Try a standing desk for your PPA sessions
Or maybe take a walk with your colleagues to discuss new ideas, rather than sitting down all the time.
Get your learners to move more
