Saturday 21 April 2012
An update
Alright, so I know it has been quite a while, but I have been BUSY!! Aside from completing my second teaching placement, I have been working hard on developing my Healthy Students Program. After a few hiccups, I have some HUGR news that I am eager to share!! Back to the beginning, a few weeks ago...
After randomly eyeing the head of the Phys Ed department at my placement school in the staff room one day, I summoned up enough courage to approach him and set up a meeting to chat. I'm sure he was caught off guard, but he was super friendly about it! Our meeting was a bit of a blur; I was nervous as I heard he has quite a bit of clout within the Thames Valley District School Board. I definitely did not want this to go badly! After giving him an outline of my program, I contacted him after a couple of weeks to see what he thought, and if there was any possibility of giving it a go at his school. His answer: there definitely is!! So, I will be working with a grade 10 girls gym class, giving this program a test run, and gaining invaluable experience within the fitness-school realm. Well, this experience gave me the courage to approach another teacher, from another school...things were on the move!
After sending a couple of e-mails to Phys Ed teachers from my first placement school, I now also have a grade 11 girls gym class to work with!! I could not be more excited and ecstatic! On top of these two schools, I will also be doing an after-school program with a First Nations elementary school...I am in a bit of shock at what this little idea a few months ago has spiraled into. My dream of creating a health and wellness program for students that treats them as whole people and not just academic minds is coming to fruition!
I am so excited to see how this all plays out, and I will definitely provide the play-by-play!
With all the ups and downs I've had these past few weeks, my own emotional and mental health has been put to the test, but keeping calm, staying hopeful, and persevering has ended in a result that could not be better! It is not always easy, but I try my best to "practice what I preach".
It is an amazing feeling to have things work out for you, and I could not wait to share it. Write again soon!
Take care of you!
Kristine
Sunday 1 April 2012
Saturday 10 March 2012
Money, Money, Money
Despite my lack of recent blogging, my mind has never been far away
from this topic. With the past few weeks of school being busy-busy, I
found it particularly important to take my own advice and take care of
myself. And, while many people around me were running around stressed
and overwhelmed, I was cool, calm, and collected! I am not saying this
to gloat; not at all. As I have mentioned before, it has taken me a long
time to find my balance and discover how to truly take care of myself. I
understand that some people thrive off stress or work better when under
pressure, but your body does not. You may like those all-nighters,
surviving on caffeine and candy, and swapping those gym dates for bar
dates, but I can guarantee you that your body, your mechanism for
getting through this life, does not.
Our bodies are not overly complex; feed them right, water them, move them around regularly, put them to bed at a reasonable hour, don't sweat the small stuff, and find a healthy way to deal with the big stuff. That's about it. So why do we keep self-sabotaging, knowing the rewards for such simple behaviours could be life-changing? If we, as university soon-to-be grads, have not perfected the act of self-care, how can we expect our students to have it down?
Now, this is a topic I will discuss with anyone who will listen, and this group of people spans from friends and family to people who I feel could help make this change. The more I discuss this with people, the more people I come across who agree with my plan for change and who also acknowledge the current void. When I tell people about my upcoming two-week program, I get nothing but enthusiasm and intrigue as a response. Aside from giving the students the facts on how to lead a healthier life, I have also created a very practical program. This means students will get daily healthy snacks, will be engaged in activities, and will have a great deal of information to take home and share with their family. The issue: who is going to pay for it? As everyone who tries to eat healthy has discovered, healthy food is most definitely not cheap. This is a fact that has frustrated me for years. Many people cannot afford (financially) to be healthy, but none of us can afford (physically) to be unhealthy! This is one of those shake-my-head-with-confusion-and-upset moments. This fact is only perpetuating the unhealthy lifestyle so many people find themselves trapped in, but I am also now left wondering how I am going to provide healthy food for 30 students everyday for two weeks!? I will not be defeated, though - I have a plan! Fingers crossed for me people!
Our bodies are not overly complex; feed them right, water them, move them around regularly, put them to bed at a reasonable hour, don't sweat the small stuff, and find a healthy way to deal with the big stuff. That's about it. So why do we keep self-sabotaging, knowing the rewards for such simple behaviours could be life-changing? If we, as university soon-to-be grads, have not perfected the act of self-care, how can we expect our students to have it down?
Now, this is a topic I will discuss with anyone who will listen, and this group of people spans from friends and family to people who I feel could help make this change. The more I discuss this with people, the more people I come across who agree with my plan for change and who also acknowledge the current void. When I tell people about my upcoming two-week program, I get nothing but enthusiasm and intrigue as a response. Aside from giving the students the facts on how to lead a healthier life, I have also created a very practical program. This means students will get daily healthy snacks, will be engaged in activities, and will have a great deal of information to take home and share with their family. The issue: who is going to pay for it? As everyone who tries to eat healthy has discovered, healthy food is most definitely not cheap. This is a fact that has frustrated me for years. Many people cannot afford (financially) to be healthy, but none of us can afford (physically) to be unhealthy! This is one of those shake-my-head-with-confusion-and-upset moments. This fact is only perpetuating the unhealthy lifestyle so many people find themselves trapped in, but I am also now left wondering how I am going to provide healthy food for 30 students everyday for two weeks!? I will not be defeated, though - I have a plan! Fingers crossed for me people!
Saturday 25 February 2012
Site Shout-Out: "Mission Nutrition"
As mentioned in my first post, I am currently putting a health and wellness program together for a group of grade 7 and 8 students. In searching for resources, I stumbled across this nifty website: "Mission Nutrition". Unlike many other health companies, websites, or brands that have sponsors, this site (affiliated with Kellogg Canada Inc), does not try to slip in any sort of advertising in their information, suggestions, tips, or resources.
This site is FILLED with ways to incorporate healthy living ideals into the classroom - that's right, as lesson plans! The "Educators" section allows you to select the grade level for appropriate curriculum content, while also providing ways to make the home environment more health conscious in the "Families" portion of the site. The "Lead By Example" area is useful for parents and teachers alike - and really, it is not only our students who could use a little boost in this department! Finally, the "Resources" section is full of other sites, etc, directing you on where to go to find more information. This site is the total package! LOVE IT!
This site is FILLED with ways to incorporate healthy living ideals into the classroom - that's right, as lesson plans! The "Educators" section allows you to select the grade level for appropriate curriculum content, while also providing ways to make the home environment more health conscious in the "Families" portion of the site. The "Lead By Example" area is useful for parents and teachers alike - and really, it is not only our students who could use a little boost in this department! Finally, the "Resources" section is full of other sites, etc, directing you on where to go to find more information. This site is the total package! LOVE IT!
Thursday 23 February 2012
The Education Connection
Now that the intro is out of the way, it's time to delve into the topic at hand: just how does all of this play into education? To start, I'll recall my experience again. Aside from the obvious connection regarding lack of attendance because of the physical reactions to anxiety and depression, when I did attend, I was exhausted, distracted, emotional, distant, and generally uncomfortable. So even when I was there, physically there, I wasn't really there mentally. Meaning not learning. I quickly fell behind, which added to my anxiety and depression, which sped up the spiralling relationship.
It is only now, at the age of 25 that I genuinely feel like I have a handle on my own health, regardless of what is thrown at me! This was definitely a process of trial and error though, and it definitely has not always been pretty. But once I learned the tools that allow me to hop back on that metaphorical wagon, and the results become clearer and clearer, my confidence in myself and in my body have increased greatly.
These tools, tips, and strategies were sought out by me. No one handed them to me. Because of this, it has been a struggle. And now that I am completing teachers college, I am realizing the importance of everyone having this knowledge, and making these connections.
A healthy student is an active, attentive, and achieving student; Someone we all want filling up the seats of our classroom.
Again, this is just the tip of the iceberg, but I hope you can all see where my passion is coming from and why this topic is of such great importance and relevance.
Kristine
Wednesday 22 February 2012
Starting from the beginning...
While following several friends' blogs over the past year, I have come to learn just how powerful this electronic-public-journal can be. As such, as I embark on what could be a great adventure, I thought it best to chronicle the process. But first - a bit of back story...
I am someone who has had a plethora of health issues for as long as I can remember. Never anything too bad (thankfully), but a lot of minor things adds up, and wears on you. For several years now I have been a huge believer in the mind-body connection, meaning that whatever mental state you are in, be it happy, sad, mad, stressed, etc, you have physical reactions. By reactions, I am referring to experiences greater than a smile, a tear, a red face, a headache...Emotions can have lasting effects on our physical selves, and vice versa.
In high school, I began having severe heart palpitations, insomnia, and almost constant nausea. After many tests and much concern, it became evident that I was not suffering from a physical ailment, but rather Clinical Anxiety. My mind-body connection would rear its head once again during my undergraduate career, as I began having mysterious pain all throughout my body. The more doctors I saw, the fewer answers I received, the more depressed I became, the pain would get worse. I felt trapped. Thankfully, I have been able to control these severe aches through a specific diet, regular exercise, rest, and de-stressing (whenever possible!).
I feel very strongly about the cyclical relationship between lifestyle, mental, emotional, and physical well being. Perhaps this interconnected relationship seems obvious to some. If so, great! Spread the word! But as important as acknowledging mental and emotional health is, it is only part of the puzzle. And seeing as how my efforts are directed at the health of the whole student, much more attention needs to be placed on their physical well being than is currently the focus. More on this to come!
Almost a year ago now, I decided to put all my practical experience to good use with the hopes of helping others like me: I became a Certified Wellness Coach, and a Lifestyle and Weight Management Specialist. This information and knowledge coupled with my personal history is the driving force behind my desire to ensure the best future possible for students.
Currently, I am creating a nutrition and physical activity program for grade 7 and 8 students which I will be using for a final project with Althouse College. As I share this experience via blog and track my (hopeful) success, I will also be working towards creating more opportunities like this one. I will also be posting interesting and useful articles, tips, and websites on the matter for anyone who would like to learn more.
But for now, g'night!
Kristine
I am someone who has had a plethora of health issues for as long as I can remember. Never anything too bad (thankfully), but a lot of minor things adds up, and wears on you. For several years now I have been a huge believer in the mind-body connection, meaning that whatever mental state you are in, be it happy, sad, mad, stressed, etc, you have physical reactions. By reactions, I am referring to experiences greater than a smile, a tear, a red face, a headache...Emotions can have lasting effects on our physical selves, and vice versa.
In high school, I began having severe heart palpitations, insomnia, and almost constant nausea. After many tests and much concern, it became evident that I was not suffering from a physical ailment, but rather Clinical Anxiety. My mind-body connection would rear its head once again during my undergraduate career, as I began having mysterious pain all throughout my body. The more doctors I saw, the fewer answers I received, the more depressed I became, the pain would get worse. I felt trapped. Thankfully, I have been able to control these severe aches through a specific diet, regular exercise, rest, and de-stressing (whenever possible!).
I feel very strongly about the cyclical relationship between lifestyle, mental, emotional, and physical well being. Perhaps this interconnected relationship seems obvious to some. If so, great! Spread the word! But as important as acknowledging mental and emotional health is, it is only part of the puzzle. And seeing as how my efforts are directed at the health of the whole student, much more attention needs to be placed on their physical well being than is currently the focus. More on this to come!
Almost a year ago now, I decided to put all my practical experience to good use with the hopes of helping others like me: I became a Certified Wellness Coach, and a Lifestyle and Weight Management Specialist. This information and knowledge coupled with my personal history is the driving force behind my desire to ensure the best future possible for students.
Currently, I am creating a nutrition and physical activity program for grade 7 and 8 students which I will be using for a final project with Althouse College. As I share this experience via blog and track my (hopeful) success, I will also be working towards creating more opportunities like this one. I will also be posting interesting and useful articles, tips, and websites on the matter for anyone who would like to learn more.
But for now, g'night!
Kristine
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