Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Exercise and Learning

(Now that summer is here, it is time for me to discuss different educational topics alphabetically. Please join in the conversation and tell me what you think!)

There is a growing body of research that suggests that exercise can have a number of benefits for learning. By incorporating physical activity into the learning process, educators can help students to improve their cognitive function, reduce stress, and create a more positive learning environment.

Here are a few examples of ways to incorporate exercise in the classroom. :
  • Incorporate physical activity into the learning process. It may involve taking breaks from sitting to move around, getting up and walking around the classroom, or even incorporating physical activity into the curriculum. For example, students could learn about the human body by doing exercises that target different muscle groups.
  • Use physical activity to improve cognitive function. Exercise has been shown to improve cognitive function, including memory, attention, and decision-making. This is because exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which helps to nourish and protect brain cells.
  • Create a positive learning environment. Exercise can help to create a positive learning environment by reducing stress and anxiety. When students are feeling stressed or anxious, it can be difficult for them to focus and learn. Exercise can help to reduce stress and anxiety, which can make it easier for students to focus on their studies.
Here are some additional benefits of combining exercise and learning:
  • Increased motivation. Students who are physically active are more likely to be motivated to learn. This is because exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects.
  • Improved self-esteem. Students who are physically active are more likely to have positive self-esteem. This is because exercise can help students to feel better about their bodies and their abilities.
  • Reduced absenteeism. Students who are physically active are less likely to miss school. This is because exercise can help to improve students' overall health and well-being.
If you are looking for ways to improve your students’ learning, consider incorporating physical activity into the classroom routine. Exercise can help students to learn better, faster, and more effectively. This will help them be more successful in the classroom and even in their personal lives.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Keeping a Good Attitude

I saw on the news that this health crisis is affecting people’s emotional health. People are tired of being cooped up inside and being in close quarters can make people cranky.

Here are some things you can share with students that may help them keep a good attitude:

Exercise
There are a lot of YouTube videos that have workout routines. I do a walking routine at home every morning to get my heart going. I feel pretty good after I exercise.

Sunlight
Go outside in the sun and get at least 20 minutes of sunlight. People who stay inside do not get enough Vitamin D. This can affect your moods.

Connect
Connect with others either through video chats (Skype, Zoom, Facetime), or call people you don’t normally call. I have a hard time with calling but now I would rather do that then feel isolated.

Letters
Mail a letter to someone and let them know that you are thinking of them. Before the internet, we used to mail a lot of letters. Maybe students can become penpals with another student and regularly communicate this way. This would help handwriting, spelling, sentence writing, and letter writing.

Cooking
Food is always comforting. Trying a new recipe can be exciting.

Reading
Reading can be a great way to escape the real world. Reading outside in the sun can be doubly beneficial.

Gratitude Journal
Keep a daily journal with what you are grateful for. This helps to focus on the positive instead of the negative.

What would you suggest would help others keep a good attitude? Please share.

Photo by Gian Cescon on Unsplash

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Create a Newsletter

While we are all safe at home with our children, now would be a good time to have the kids create a newsletter. It can be something that could be distributed by email to family and friends or posted online.

Articles could include:

Cooking:
Favorite main dish recipe with pictures of the finished dish.
Favorite vegetable recipe with pictures of the finished dish.
Favorite dessert recipe with pictures of the finished dish.
Favorite cookie recipe with pictures of the finished dish.
Favorite snack recipe with pictures of the finished dish.

Cleaning:
Cleaning tips for others.
Their favorite cleaning tool and why
Their favorite cleaning supply and why

Science:
Nature topics
Health topics
Animal/Insect topics

Exercise:
Favorite exercise. Describe the steps.
Create a workout program.
The benefits of exercise

Fiction:
Write an ongoing story with the next chapters in upcoming newsletters.
Write a short story.
Create a character and write a letter to the readers in each newsletter.

Games:
Create a puzzle with the answers given at the end.
Ask a riddle with the answer given at the end.

What else would you put in a newsletter? Please share.

Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash



Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Get Outside

Last week I had a young friend at the university who didn’t feel well and was a little homesick and lonely. I invited her over and we went for a 3-mile hike. It was nice weather and it felt so good to get outside. Then we went downtown and walked some more. Getting outside and moving around was a great antidote for the blues.

Then on Wednesday, we joined our hiking group on a 4.4-mile hike to see a waterfalls. There were 25 of us and it was great catching up with friends we haven’t seen in a while. Plus, the benefit of exercising was wonderful. It has been so cold, and the weather has been so miserable that it felt great to be outdoors.

I know in school we encourage students to study and work hard but I think we also need to encourage them to get outside. I think they need to connect with nature, not just in the summer but other seasons also.

It would be great for students to study the same area during different seasons. See the changes that take place each season. Draw pictures and compare them each season.

It would be interesting for students to watch an area and look for new growth and new beginnings. This could lead to great discussions how people have a chance for the same new growth and new beginnings.

Maybe there is a walking track or a trail at the school. Look for a walking path where different things can be observed. Have students talk about what they think they will see. Then later have them make a list of the things they saw and compare the two.

Now is the time to start planning a flower or vegetable garden. Sometimes the planning is almost as much fun as the growing! Looking up different plants, pricing, and thinking about where to plant them is fun. Maybe thinking about growing things from seeds and gathering supplies as well as deciding when the best time to plant them is very educational.

Whenever the weather is not bitter cold, we all need to get outside. We need to breathe fresh air and soak up some Vitamin D from the sun!

Do you get outside? What things do you do? Please share.

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Advice for First Year Teachers

scaredIn Meeting My “First Year Self” from A Relief Teacher's Journey,Michael Graffin shares some strategies and resources to survive the first year of teaching. He gives some advice that he wished someone had told him. I totally agree with everything he has mentioned and wanted to add a few more things of advice to what he mentions. Please check out his post and read the advice he gives too.

Keep a Journal: I really wish someone had told me to keep a journal of my years of teaching. I kept one the first year and then life got in the way. Now that I look back of my 30 years in the public school, I really wish I had kept a journal every year.

Prevent burn out in advance: I know that most teachers get burned out after five years. If you know this in advance, look for ways to avoid it. Get a life outside of school. Learn a new hobby. Have an outside interest.

Learn something from your students: Look for something new that you didn’t know before. This makes every day a brand new start. Learning from my students was invigorating and exciting. It might be a lesson in behavior or it might be a lesson in new technology. Knowing that every day is a new learning experience can keep you on your toes.

Exercise: Do some kind of regular exercise at least three times a week for at least 30 minutes even if it is only getting out and walking. This helps keep a positive attitude in your life. When you are feeling down, exercise. When you are feeling frustrated, exercise. When you are feeling exhausted, exercise. When you are feeling great, exercise.

Don’t Give Up: Sometimes it is easier to give up than to plug on. But don’t. I remember hearing someone tell me that when I reached the end of my rope, to tie another know in it. Remember all the hard work you put into training for this career and the reason you went into it. Eventually you will get into a rhythm and it will be easier and you will end up enjoying it. Too many people give up before they reach this stage.

Ask for Help: As a new teacher, you feel like you are already in a fishbowl and everyone is just watching you and waiting for you to fail. Actually the opposite is true. Everyone is just waiting for you to ask for help. They are waiting to catch you when you fall. They don’t want to offer help in case you see it as their lack of faith in what you can do. When you don’t know something or you need support, ask for it. There are people out there who want to be there for you.

What other advice would you give to new teachers? Please share.

Image: '154/365 They're Coming To Get+You.'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64636777@N03/6821633630
Found on flickrcc.net

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Get Up and Move

moveI realized that I have been sitting too much. I sit and complain about gaining weight and feeling yucky but I don’t do anything about it. Well now I have a plan. I hope I can stick to it. I might not lose any weight but surely I will be healthier.

I am starting to run on my treadmill instead of just walking. Right now I’m walking/running for 2 miles. I hope to keep increase my running time so that I can run the entire 2 miles and then move the distance up.

I will do some kind of gardening each day for at least an hour. If I’m gardening, I’m not sitting. I’m not stuffing my face in front of the TV. I’m burning calories.

I will drink more water. I hate drinking water. Everyone says I need to drink more.

I will eat a piece of fruit every day. This is usually an apple but now as the weather gets warmer, I see cantaloupe in my future. My hubby loves watermelon so I know that we will be eating more of that.

Every hour that I’m sitting in front of the TV, I will do some squats and toe touches.

I will also do stretches at least once a day.

What kinds of things will you do to be healthier this season? Please share.

Image: 'It takes a long time to grow+young.'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33345813@N00/1115248583