Should we have to add one more thing to our to do list?

As a teacher you hold many responsibilities in taking care of your students and their education so should improving our students health care be added to the list? I think schools can help improve a students health but I don’t think they should be held responsible. Most eating habits are started at home, which then influence what they eat at schools. Just as teachers hold a role model position in learning I think they can hold the same position with health issues. They can mention in class different activities the students can do at home and then share stories about when they do something active and how much fun it was. When it is a nice day I always tell my students that part of their homework is to go outside and have fun! Then the next day I would ask who went outside and mention if I either took a walk or went bike riding in hopes it may give the ideas to try it themselves. I once told my students that I was going to take a day off one day because I was going to run a half marathon. We then talked about what a half marathon was and how long you have to run to complete one. The next day one of my students told me she was inspired to go jog a mile because if I was able to run 13 miles at my age then she should be able to jog a mile but she said she was surprised how difficult it was. So we can be an influence by role molding the behavior.
In the article from Edweekly “Oregon Teachers want a Bite from Forbidden Foods” it mentioned how teachers were petitioning to get junk food in the teachers lounge, even though the kids were restricted. I know how hard it is to get through the day without junk food but it’s important to follow through with what we tell the kids is good to do and do the same habits ourselves. In the article it even mentioned, "If we pass this law (allowing junk food in the teachers lounge), we are setting up teachers for accusations of hypocrisy”, which is true!
Part of being in a safe and welcoming environment is being in a healthy environment as well. One way is to eat healthier but there are other things you can do too. In the speech it mentioned how kids today have a lower life span then their parents and that obesity rate is three times higher then it was in the 1970’s. These facts just show that our kids not only need exercise but also education in how to be healthy. That is why health classes are important and even in science teaching them how their body works can start a lead to a healthier lifestyle. Just as it’s important in educating the students it’s also important to educate their parents when you can. During open house at the beginning of the year you can have a speaker come in and talk about the importance of vaccines and health insurance. In the article “Insurance Access Linked to Scores” in mentioned how students with health care improved reading scores on national assessment test. Yes, this could be a coincidence but think about it. Don’t you often feel like you function better when you are healthier than when you are sick. So just like us at work it’s just as important that the kids get the best opportunity to stay healthy. So I believe it’s not our sole responsibility in teaching kids to have a healthy lifestyle, but we can help it many little was throughout the day to lead them down the path of becoming healthier.