Lead the Revolution: Become a Better Role Model

Lead the Revolution

How to be a Better Role Model to your Students

This year, HealthTeacher wants to help you be a better teacher, role model and overall health ambassador for every child you interact with! We’re focusing on topics that are timely and relevant, but also realistic, for you to work into your lesson plans, your classroom culture and your everyday interactions with students.

Kids acquire their health-related attitudes and behaviors by observing those around them. Trusted adults serve as significant role models in the lives of young people through their own attitudes and behaviors. Children get cues from these adults on how to make—or not make—healthy choices.

According to Emily Coe, HealthTeacher’s resident expert in Health Behavior, teachers serve as important role models for children. “Elementary school kids especially look up to their teachers. Kids generally look to adults for role modeling until the age of 11 or 12, and then it switches and peers become the most influential.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR STUDENTS?

Children need healthy, positive examples to show them how to make positive choices in their own lives. By engaging in healthy behaviors with role models, kids acquire the confidence and skills they need to make healthy choices when at school and when hanging out with friends. 

Although a significant part of role modeling involves setting behavioral expectations through lessons that teach about nutrition, hygiene and physical activity, it isn’t limited to these healthy activities. The way in which adults handle stress, anger, and anxiety influences how children react in emotional situations, as well. And social health, which revolves around positive relationships with others, takes center stage in the classroom.

As a teacher, in addition to teaching actual lessons on nutrition, substance abuse and hygiene, the most important component of role modeling is open communication. “Teachers don’t have to be a perfect vision of health, but they should value social and emotional health enough to acknowledge stress in the classroom and talk to kids about effective time management, relationships and stress release,” Coe said. By fostering a supportive, communicative environment, kids will learn to value social and emotional respect without having to study the subject.

ARE YOU A GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR STUDENTS?

Being a positive role model involves setting life expectations and creating lessons for many different well-being and health components. Use the following checklist to see what you may need to work on and for tips to be a better role model.

• Do you encourage your students to wash their hands frequently? Do you teach them to sneeze into a tissue or sleeve?
  Hygiene: Kids don’t always learn good hygiene at home. You can at least influence public hygiene by setting rules and norms for the classroom that encourage healthy behaviors.
• Do you make time for water breaks throughout the day? Do you teach the importance of vitamins, minerals and varied food groups?
  Nutrition: Your students’ food preferences are directly influenced by the way their parents eat. They may not drink water at home, but you can make sure they get enough during school hours. And you can arm them with the knowledge to make healthy choices on meals that are in their control.
• Do you pause your lessons every 60 or 90 minutes to have a physical activity break?
  Physical Activity: Even if it’s just 10 jumping jacks, working physical activity into your students’ daily routine can be beneficial, easy and inexpensive.
• Do you teach lessons on the dangers of tobacco, alcohol and drugs?
  Drugs and Alcohol: You have no idea what substances may be a normal part of kids’ home lives. You can help counteract a parent’s daily smoking by teaching them about the dangers of addictive substances.
• Do you discuss the importance of stress and time management? Do you talk about healthy ways to release stress from school and homework?
  Emotional Health: Many kids don’t know how to emotionally handle the stress of school and home lives. If they don’t have healthy hobbies or other outlets for release, they may need to learn them.
• If a child is being bullied, are you open to listening and helping the situation?
  Social Health: You’re not expected to be a counselor, but you have the authority to confront bullying in your classroom and set a positive social health example.

DITCH THE RESOLUTION, JOIN THE REVOLUTION

This year, we are asking you to join us in turning New Year’s resolutions into a New Year’s revolution – a youth health revolution. The problems with youth obesity, bullying, lack-of-sleep, and stress flood our media, and for good reason, but you can make a difference.

As a teacher, you are the leader in the youth health revolution, and it takes as little as 15 minutes a day to steer your students toward healthier lives. Use one of the lesson plans at the top of the page to start your students on the right track in 2012, and keep them there.