Wellness is the FOUNDATION that supports student growth. Recently, I asked my 3rd and 4th grade students what they believed WELLNESS meant. What did they think of when they heard I was their "WELLNESS" teacher? Not surprisingly, they answered "physical education", "gym", "p.e.", "healthy", "feeling well"...Next, I showed them similar slides to the pictures above with the headings: SOCIAL, PHYSICAL, INTELLECTUAL, NUTRITIONAL, and EMOTIONAL. I then asked them what they believed each slide meant and how it related to wellness. The responses were insightful. Kids get it! "We need to be social with friends and be happy", "Social is being with others", "Physical is exercise", "Physical is in the gym and playground", "Intellectual sounds like intelligence", "The lightbulb is our thoughts", "Nutrition is what we eat", "I think of plants", "Emotional is how we feel", "If we are grumpy we don't want to do anything", "We can accomplish more when we have a positive mindset"... I don't think they had made the connections prior to our discussion, but I do believe bringing it to the forefront and engaging in the conversation, was a "lightbulb" moment that brightened their understanding of why we are discussing such topics as "being self-aware, demonstrating teamwork/sportsmanship, taking responsibility, possessing an optimistic attitude, making nutritious choices, and setting goals..." We are on a mission to be STRONG and through Wellness, we have a SPINE that binds us all together for the strength we need to live physically active, healthy lifestyles !
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