Staff as Healthy Role Models
It’s important for all school staff, whether or not they are members of the school health team, to practice healthy role modeling to support and encourage healthy habits among students.
Read MoreHealthy Staff Meeting
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Healthy schools need healthy role models. Lead the way by hosting a healthy staff meeting. Adding physical activity breaks or nutritious snacks can help staff stay attentive during meetings, get excited about school wellness, and help reinforce efforts to become a healthy school. If students see staff practicing what they preach, they are more likely to want to practice those healthy behaviors.
Take Action
Here are some ways to make your next school staff meeting healthier:
- Ask your physical education teacher to lead a physical activity break during the meeting for 3-5 minutes of simple stretching, yoga, strength or cardio activities. Search online and work out to a physical activity video such as Dance Dance Revolution or Instant Recess.
- Provide healthy snacks such as veggies and low-fat dip, fruit, or infused water. Check out the Host a Taste Test activity for more ideas.
- Invite a student to demonstrate a physical activity break he/she learned in the classroom.
- Ask staff to pledge to accomplish one health-related classroom goal before the next meeting. Examples of goals include: Do at least one physical activity break per day, host a healthy taste test during a science lesson or create a classroom job of “Physical Activity Leader”.
- Incorporate movement into meeting icebreakers.
- Integrate “walk and talk” sessions where staff members go for short walks while they discuss agenda items.
- Add “School Health Team Updates” as a standing agenda item to carve out time to regularly discuss wellness.
Tips
For all-day professional development sessions, add physical activity to scheduled breaks. Include in the agenda to make sure it happens! Take a group walk before lunch or ask the Physical Education teacher to plan an activity.
Make activities simple and low-to-moderate intensity, and keep them going for 5-10 minutes.
Encourage staff to walk around during breaks while checking their phone or chatting with colleagues.
Decide whether or not food is necessary at your meeting. Instead of offering food, try establishing adding physical activity breaks.
Engage volunteers by recruiting a local chef to give a healthy cooking demonstration or a fitness expert to host a fitness presentation.
Work with local businesses to donate healthy items/giveaways (like a yoga class pass) to raffle off during staff meetings to motivate staff or congratulate them on meeting their health goals.