Teaching Health Today: How To Help A Teen Who Can't Sleep
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Teaching Health Today: How To Help A Teen Who Can't Sleep
Exploring the connections between sleep, food, and mental health. How schools are trying to address cell phone overuse. PLUS: Sign up for one of the best free conferences I've ever seen.
Curriculum and Resources
How to Help a Teen Who Can’t Sleep
Nearly a quarter of adolescents grapple with insomnia. In this story for the New York Times, reporter Catherine Pearson talked to experts who say small habit changes can make a big difference.
Sleep also comes up as a major topic in “A Closer Look At The Declining Mental Health Of Kids,” an excellent 16-minute discussion with psychologist Lisa Damour on NPR’s All Things Considered.
Health Teachers Speak Out
It’s “Micro Blog Month” at SlowChatHealth.com, and health teachers from around the globe are sharing short, sharp perspectives. Here are a few recent posts you might want to check out:
It’s Time to Speak Out by Drew Miller
Dear Health Educators, Please Do Not Debate Abortion in Your Classroom by Emily Zien
Using Dice in the Health Classroom by Jessica Matheson
Positive Phone Calls Home by Mike Chamberlain
Sex and Swimming by Marcia Berke
Strategies to Improve Your Teacher of the Year Awards by Andrew Milne
Wellness
The Impact Isolation Can Have On Health
On Good Morning America, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy discusses his new advisory on loneliness and the impact isolation can have on physical health.
The Link Between Highly Processed Foods and Brain Health
Eating packaged foods like cereal and frozen meals has been associated with anxiety, depression and cognitive decline. Scientists are still piecing together why. In this New York Times article, Sally Wadyka explores the latest findings.
W. Kamau Bell on "1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed"
The new HBO documentary "1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed" explores what it means to grow up mixed-race in America. In this clip from CBS Mornings, filmmaker and comedian W. Kamau Bell the documentary and how it tackles the conversation of growing up mixed-race.
I was able to catch Bell and
Keep On Learning
Cultivating Bodily Autonomy for Children
The Sexual Assault Center in Nashville has an amazing - and free! - online conference called “Casting a Wider Net” coming up this month. Register now, and check out some of the scheduled presentations:
Justine Ang Fonte — “Cultivating Bodily Autonomy for Children”
Staci Haines — “Embodiment, Trauma Healing, and Transformative Justice”
LeKara Simmons - “More than Just a Lesson Plan: Rethinking How We Discuss Sexual Violence Prevention With Young People”
How to Teach Sex Ed For Students of Varying Abilities
California’s Department of Public Health is hosting a free, live virtual Sexual Health Educator Training on Best Practices and Resources for Providing Sexual Health Education to Students with Varying Abilities. Tuesday, May 16th 3:00pm - 5:00pm. PST. Register now to reserve your spot
News
Troubled teenage relationships can have lasting health consequences (NBC News)
Teenagers engaged in toxic, controlling dating relationships may be at risk for a variety of problems as they enter adulthood, including drug use, as well as mental and physical health struggles, new research finds. READ MORE
Eating disorders among teens more severe than ever (NBC News)
“The kids are not OK,” said Melissa Freizinger, the associate director of the eating disorder program at Boston Children’s Hospital. “As the pandemic started and then progressed, we kept thinking, ‘Oh, it’s going to get better in 2022. Oh, it’s going to get better in 2023. But it hasn’t.”. READ MORE
Students can’t get off their phones. Schools have had enough. (Washington Post)
When students returned to school during the pandemic, educators quickly saw a change in their cellphone habits. More than ever, they were glued to the devices during class — posting on social media, searching YouTube, texting friends. READ MORE