When addressing this issue it is important to clarify what exactly is your belief that the role of a teacher is. I personally believe that the role of the teacher is to educate his or her students to become lifelong learners and to give them the tools necessary to make decisions that enable them to become productive members of their society. Within that role it is important for teachers to educate students about lifestyle decisions that will enable them to become productive members of society, and with our youngest students that education, at times, must carry over to the education of the family. We, as educators, are not just providing factual knowledge to our students about math and English, but rather providing them with tools necessary to grow and develop into lifelong learners.
Because of my views of the role of teachers, I do believe that it is our job to educate our students, and at times our families, about the importance of proper nutrition and physical education, and provide our students and families with the information about the importance of health screenings such as hearing, vision, physicals, and immunizations. It is not the teacher’s job to make the decisions for their students or parents but I do feel it is our job to provide them with the information that will enable them to make educated decisions for themselves.
In the article Federal Bill Targets Junk Food in Schools it is stated that the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act would have the U.S. Department of Agriculture update the nutrition standards for foods sold alongside school meals in cafeterias, vending machines, school stores, and elsewhere. While I think this is a great start we must also educate our students about proper food choices and teach them how to determine what healthy snacks and meals are so they can carry on with the tools to lead a healthy life style once they leave the classrooms, just as we educate them on the dangers of drug and alcohol use. Gov. Rick Perry states that "We owe it to our children to take the appropriate steps to encourage fitness, I am confident we are on our way to making a difference that will improve and even save lives." (edweek article Study Links Fitness and Academics)
Teachers must be sure that with regards to proper health practice that we give students and families enough information to make informed decisions. We teach children why hygiene is important, we must also teach why it is important to go to regular check ups, have poor eye sight and hearing identified and corrected and provide proper information regarding immunizations. The number of students in Ohio not receiving proper vaccinations due to religious or other personal beliefs is rising and we must be sure that parents have proper information in order to make an educated decision. (www.scienceblogs.com). "Parents who decline to vaccinate their children aren't just putting their own kids at risk, which is bad enough, but they're also putting other children at risk, which is inexcusable."
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