School Health Educators

Want some inspiration for planning your future teaching? Listen to this mini-episode which provides a quick overview of the past four episodes of the School Health Educators’ podcast. Episodes focused on the “habits of mind,” using analogies in health lessons, ideas and reminders about teaching puberty/growing up topics, as well as the reminder of how we what we teach supports our own wellness. To...

In this episode of the School Health Educators podcast, nationally recognized health educator Scott Todnem joins us to share how he uses clever analogies and engaging activities to help students stay focused—no matter the unit being taught. Scott offers a variety of creative examples, demonstrating his passion for encouraging students to be mindful about what they’re learning. To learn more about...

Being an effective health educator includes modeling what we teach. This episode invites the wonderful Kathleen Vogt, a 20-year 8 th grade health teacher, to share how teaching our subject area supports her own wellness habits. From practicing self-management skills of sleep and technology habits, to being aware of influences, Kathleen notes how she has become healthier. And, upon sharing our own...

Contrary to some people’s thoughts, there are school health educators who teach full-time at the elementary school level. In this episode, Janice Mix shares her experiences teaching at this level, including teaching Habits of Mind. Listen in to hear how Janice explains the strong ability of young students to learn and implement what she teaches into their everyday lives. Janice Mix is a passionate...

It’s springtime, which means teaching upper-elementary/younger-middle school students about puberty and other growing-up changes. To help you out, this episode provides simple tips and advice from Megan Adams, a high school Health and Physical Education teacher with 10 years of experience in Central NY. She is also the creator of the HealthTeacherHodgePodge  social media account and a Girls’ Varsi...

Lori, the host of the School Health Educators Podcast, shares three activities that focus on helping students manage the challenges of growing up. The activities include the Puberty Grab Bag, “Dr. I.B. Healthy” Letters, and the Puberty Chit Chat Cards. All have been student-tested and approved! Click here to obtain the PDF for creating a set of the Puberty Chit Chat Cards. You can also use the TAL...

Did you know that 1 in 26 people will be diagnosed with a form of epilepsy and that 1 in 10 will experience a seizure at some point in their life? Listen in to this episode to learn about what we, as health educators can teach about epilepsy, including demonstrating compassion and knowing basic first aid skills. Michael Radell, this episode’s guest, is the Education Coordinator and Camp Director f...

School Health Educators are social and emotional learning experts. In this episode, Lori reminds us of this fact as well as introduces her new resource titled Tactile Tools for Social Emotional Learning: Activities to Help Children Self-Regulate with SEL. This book contains over 50 student-tested activities supporting self-regulation skills. Listen in to hear about some of these activities and how...

Being a member of a state or national professional organization has numerous benefits for school health educators. In this episode, Jessica Synenki, the Executive Director of the NYS Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, & Dance, discusses these benefits with Lori to encourage you, the listeners, to become or continue being a member. To connect with Jessica Synenki you can ca...

It seems like a lot of things are happening on our planet and happening so quickly. These things, in addition to other stressors, can create a feeling of “burnout.” In this episode, Henry Opperman, 2022 NYS AHPERD Health HS Teacher of the Year, chats about recommendations to help offset this feeling. Ideas include setting boundaries (professionally and personally), reflecting on your achievements,...

In this episode, Mr. Kevin Dahill-Fuchel shares information about the New York City resource “Counseling in Schools.” Discussed is the need for students to be mentally prepared to learn, as well as to feel they belong. Other concepts shared include the importance of connecting with school resources (ex. counselors, social workers) and the challenges of chronic absenteeism, as well as the resources...

In these current times we are aware that some young people may choose to partake in sexting behaviors. Due to this, young people are at higher risk to be victims of sextortion. In this episode, Saleema Noon, a compassionate and proactive sexual health educator, shares five points to share with students about this topic. Saleema also shares resources she has created for educators. Click here to dow...

Whether you are starting a new Health Education course or beginning your planning and goal-setting unit this month, this episode includes activities you may choose to use. Activities align with the SMEEPS acronym the host, Lori Reichel, uses to refer to different aspects of wellness; activities include the “Who is healthiest” worksheet and the SMEEPS Assessment pdf . To watch this episode on the S...

Happy Holidays! Lori wishes you a wonderful holiday season and a Happy and Healthy 2025! She also reviews the resources shared this past year (2024) on the School Health Educators Podcast. Click here for a list of all of the 2024 Episodes . Remember you can contact Lori Reichel by emailing her at schoolhealtheducators@gmail.com or check out her websites at: www.schoolhealtheducators.org and www.lo...

Need help supporting the emotional and mental health of your Gen Z students? Then listen to this School Health Educators episode, in which the phenomenal Jodi Aman joins in. A Doctor of Social Work, Jodi has worked with many young people and their families to support their wellness. She also authored the Compass Curriculum for middle and high school health education classes. To find out more about...

In this episode, Drs. Kristen Ford and Julie Knutson share an overview of THE FUSED Toolbox website. Pages include “What is FUSED?,” the SPA Tools, THE Pedagogy Tools, Fused Trainings, and Meet the Authors. To connect with both Drs. Julie Knutson and Kristen Ford email them at: fusedhealthed@gmail.com To check out their website, go to: https://sites.google.com/view/thefusedtoolbox?usp=sharing To w...

Are you teaching skills-based health ed?  Are you sure? To double-check, listen in to this episode to hear about the wonderful tools Drs. Julie Knutson and Kristen Ford have created for health educators! To watch this episode on YouTube, click here. To connect with both Drs. Julie Knutson and Kristen Ford email them at: fusedhealthed@gmail.com To check out their website, go to: https://sites.googl...

Some teachers who teach Health Education also teach Health Science. Today’s guests are educators who explain a free resource titled “uBEATS” offered by the University of Nebraska Medical Center. This resource is for 6th to 12th grade teachers and offers 90 elearning modules (15 minutes or less) that can be used by students as an additional tool. Module topics include genetics, pathology and microb...

Consent is an important concept we need to teach in health education courses. To discuss ideas for how to teach about consent is this episode’s guest, Erica Scott. Erica is one of the authors of Creating Consent Culture: A Handbook for Educators . This book includes fun and interactive exercises presented in a trauma-informed way, as well as explanations for how power differentials, differing soci...

Wondering what to expect at a national or state conference? Listen to this episode in which the wonderful Judy LoBianco, former SHAPE President, shares her insights regarding what to expect at conferences and how to plan for your attendance. Other things to consider, including possible funding to attend, are also discussed. Judy LoBianco is the President of HPE Solutions and spent most of her care...

Embracing skill-based teaching requires a shift in thinking and planning. In this episode Kevin Mason shares information from the Analyzing Influences Unit he taught to his middle school health education students. To watch this episode on YouTube, please go to the School Health Educators’ Podcast Channel. To get in touch with Kevin, email him at: kpmason814@gmail.com  or connect with him through “...

Kevin Mason is in his 3rd year of teaching middle school health education in the Mid-West. In this episode he shares his background and how he started teaching skill-based health ed. Kevin also shares how he helps students think instead of simply being given information. To watch this episode, check out the School Health Educator’s YouTube Channel. To get in touch with Kevin, email him at: kpmason...

With the beginning of a new school year (for most of us) approaching consider listening to an episode or two of the School Health Educators podcast! Past episodes include how to create positive connections with students, skill-based health education, and the variety of resources health educators can utilize. Watch this episode on the School Health Educators YouTube channel here. Contact Lori Reich...

How do you begin your first day of health education class? And how do you check in with students throughout the school year? Listen to this episode in which Melanie Sjoblom shares how she connects with students. Melanie also shares information about the resource Edtomorrow. You can connect with Ms. Melanie Sjoblom by emailing her at: melaniesjoblom@yahoo.com Remember to watch this episode on the S...

To help prepare for another school year let’s be reminded of how to get to the Heart of Education ! Guest Dr. Stephen Sroka joins Lori on the School Health Education Podcast to explain how to do this. One huge aspect Steve notes is to ensure trusted relationships with students are formed which includes the 4 C’s: communication, collaboration, culture, and caring. Other additional points are shared...