Health teachers play an important role in the lives of students. They start from an early age inspiring young people to eat better and be more active to live a healthier lifestyle and hopefully to live a long and happy life. They incorporate healthy habits and ideas the students can carry with them for a lifetime.
Many children would live off soda, chips and candy if they could. In addition to the parents, it is up to the health teacher to help instill the thoughts that this is not proper eating and that other choices, such as vegetables and fruits, are much better options. They can also help students realize that healthy food is not necessarily boring, that there are healthy ways to make it taste much better than they expect.
In addition to healthy eating, drug and alcohol use is a big discussion that a health teacher needs to have with the students. The earlier kids hear about how bad it is and how giving into peer pressure is not the way to go, the more of an impact the words may have on their decisions in the future. Explaining the dangers of drugs and alcohol could help kids make smart decisions when they are in certain situations.
Safe sex is another topic a health teacher must discuss with students. Abstinence is definitely discussed, while other topics, such as using condoms and birth control, may come up as well. Part of the discussion includes the benefits of waiting to have sex.
Exercising and staying active is a part of a healthy lifestyle, so a health teacher may also have a degree in physical education. It helps expand job options as well being an asset to the current position. A health teacher can also speak to the students about various exercise techniques and weight management.
In order to be a health teacher, it is important that you not shy away from even the most surprising questions. Students should feel that they could go to you about anything health-related and get an honest and caring answer. In some cases, the answer you give could have a tremendous impact on the student’s life.
A health teacher serves as a guide to healthy living for every student who walks into the classroom. The discussions had can provide a huge push for students to live a healthier lifestyle starting from a young age. The guidance can be beneficial for the students not only physically, but mentally as well.
