Local teachers look toward fitness

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard (McMinnville, Tenn.)

Hickory Creek Elementary kindergarten teacher Phyllis Snider leads her class in physical activity Tuesday afternoon. Snider’s emphasis on physical activity was the inspiration for a new teacher wellness program. (Will Stewart photo)

By implementing the No Child Left Behind Act, the sweeping education reform law passed in 2001, accountability isn’t the only thing increasing for teachers. So is stress.

To combat these increasing stress levels, as well as to improve overall health, a staff wellness program for teachers has been implemented by Warren County Schools Health Services and the Coordinated School Health Program.

“After attending a conference where we learned of these stress levels Dr. Hale asked us to see what we could do to help the staff,” said CSHP director Cheryl Kelley referring to Director of Schools Dr. Jerry Hale. “Our teachers are already doing a wonderful job, but we know that if you feel better, you’ll do an even better job.”

Working with Health Services director Sonja Walker, Kelley developed a wellness calendar that, beginning this month, will be sent to every teacher in the system every month. Each month the calendar will take on a different focus. January, for example, focuses on weight loss and encourages teachers to walk and drink plenty of water every day. The calendar also suggests occasional daily activities like dancing to the radio.

“It’s completely voluntary and very easy,” said Walker. “We certainly don’t want to give anyone more work, we just want to promote healthy activity. As we just started the program this month we can’t judge the participation, but we’ve gotten good feedback.”

Hickory Creek third-grade teacher Jackie Smith said she is appreciative of the program.

“Anything that helps,” she said. “We know this stuff is good for us, sometimes we just need an extra push and this gives us that push.”

Realizing all teachers might not be as motivated as Smith, Kelley and Walker were able to use grant money to purchase prizes which participating teachers are eligible to win. The biggest of these prizes is a “mental health day,” or a paid day off for one teacher at every school.

It is also the hope of organizers that in promoting healthy activities to teachers that their students will also become involved.