Category Archives: Problems Facing Students
Should all students be taught like English Language Learners?
English Language Learners (ELL) are a fast growing subset in many elementary schools across the nation. They are students whose first language is not English. Many times the parents speak no or very little English, so English language growth at home is slow at best.
Often these students participate in ELL programs during the school day. In my experience the programs are frequently underfunded resulting in too few teachers which in turn means students who could most benefit from this extra support only meet with an ELL teacher once or twice a week for about 30 minutes. Not nearly enough in my opinion.
Turning Kids In To Healthy Eaters
With childhood obesity and anorexia/bulimia on the rise among kids lots of parents are stressing over what to feed their kids. It’s a balancing act…making meals that your kids like and will eat…not being judgemental…always being supportive…it’s tough. I bet Betty Crocker and Chef Boyardee never had this problem with their kids.
Dr. Ovidio Bermudez recently told Parents magazine that while parents don’t cause eating disorders, moms and dads can push a vulnerable kid into the danger zone or out of it. Many of the strategies for discouraging anorexia and bulimia are actually the same as those that curb overeating, he added.
Do These Jeans Make Me Look Fat?
I have to admit I’m guilty of asking my husband, “does this outfit make me look fat?” just about every time we walk out the door. I think on some level it’s normal to want to make sure that we look “nice” when we’re going out, but not eating or purging after you do eat so that you can achieve the perfect body image isn’t normal…it’s an illness.
I don’t think that, in our body conscious society, we are surprised by the number of teenage girls and even boys who suffer from anorexia and bulimia. The statistics that are surprising…frightening…and sad…are the number of young kids who are now dealing with these mental illnesses.
Playground Gossip Is Not Fun And Games
Do you remember playground gossip? I do and it usually went something like this…the meanest girl in class (you know the one…nicest clothes…prettiest hair) would take it upon herself to decide that “Debbie” had cooties and before recess was over she had most of the kids convinced not to talk to Debbie or they’d get cooties, too. Of course, you could protect yourself from the cooties if you wrote a C.P. (cootie protection) on your hand. It seems so harmless now, but I can’t imagine how hurtful it was for “Debbie” to have most of the kids in her class running away from her for no other reason than to be mean.
Little Girl Finds Out That The “Force” Is With Her
Wouldn’t life be better if there were more Wookiee’s and less Darth Vader’s in the world? When you are a 7 year old girl who is being teased because you love Star Wars, you probably wish that the Rebel Fleet could come save you and in a way that is what happened for Katie Goldman, of Evanston, Illinois.
The Star Wars Fan
Katie, according to Yahoo! News, is a huge Star Wars fan who has earned the nickname “Little Jedi.” She proudly took her Star Wars water bottle to school with her and it was at school that some boys began teasing her because they thought that a Star Wars water bottle could only be for boys.
How Healthy Is That Snack You’re Giving Your Kids?
Why are kids so picky? It seems that some parents spend a lot of time trying to figure out what their kids will eat. Once they find that little Chloe loves PB&J and will eat it for every meal they breath a sigh of relief because they’ve finally found something healthy she’ll eat…but just how healthy is that snack?
Watch Out for Sneaky Treats
How can yogurt, applesauce, whole grain cereal and fruit juice be unhealthy? Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that these wholesome sounding snacks can be packed with fat, sugar, sodium and additives.
It’s Easy To Turn Your Kids School Green With A Recycling Program
I’m always amazed at how much recyclable material we generate at home…plastic, paper, cardboard, aluminum cans…the list goes on and on. Just imagine how much is generated in your kids school and taken to the local landfill.
Recycling can be the easiest “green” project to start and kids think that it’s fun, so check out these tips from MyHealthySchool.com and start recycling:
- Bolster Support – Start by meeting with the principal, administrators, teacher and parents. Explain the proper recycling techniques and show them how easy it can be. You’ll find that the easier the program the more people will participate.
You Can Lead A Kid To A Healthy Lunch, But How Do You Get Them To Eat?
O
ne of the most thankless jobs in the world has to be the school “lunch lady.” No matter what she does she just can’t win…she makes healthy lunches and kids won’t eat them…she offers a la carte items that kids will eat and we turn into a nation of obese kids. What is a “lunch lady” supposed to do?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is here to help her with a $2 million initiative that will allow food behavior scientists to find ways to use psychology to improve kids’ use of the federal school lunch program and fight childhood obesity, according to the Associated Press.
Is Your Kid A Bully?
Nobody wants to think that their kid could be a bully. It’s easy to make up excuses for his bad behavior…he’s just bigger than the other kids…he doesn’t know his own strength…they started it…they’re making a big deal out of nothing…the list can go on and on.
If your kid is the one slapping another kid on the playground or teasing someone on the bus then you need to stop making excuses and take action.
If you’re just not sure if your kids behavior is normal or that of a bully Parents magazine thinks you should watch for these warning signs:
Make Your Kid Bully Proof
Bullying in our schools has reached epidemic proportions. Bullying can be name calling, hitting or isolating a kid from a group. In the past it was something that most parents didn’t think about or worry about until their kids were in junior or senior high, but now bully’s can be found in every age group from pre-school to high school.
A study published in the Journal of School Health found that 19 percent of elementary students are bullied. And each day, more than 160,000 kids stay home from school because they fear being bullied, according to a survey by the National Education Association.
