Home > School Issues Channel > Fit To Be Taught Archive > Fit To Be Taught Vol. 29

Learning to Tap Away Stress, Anger

Imagine your stress level rising, or having a problem nag at you, and being able to ease your anxiety and relax just by tapping your fingers lightly on areas of the body. That's the thrust of a relaxation approach called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) outlined in Goodbye Ouchies and Grouchies, Hello Happy Feelings: EFT for Kids by psychologist Dr. Lynne Namka. Teachers can use EFT with their classes to help students let go of their worries and release tension in a positive way.

Namka is president of Talk, Trust and Feel Therapeutics, which provides toys and books to help parents, teachers, and therapists teach children ways to express uncomfortable feelings, take responsibility for their own behavior, and learn positive social skills. More information for children and families about dealing with anger is available at Get Your ANGRIES Out.

EFT draws on much from what we already know about what works in psychology, such as helping people deal with errors in thinking and with processing strong emotions regarding events they could not control. EFT adds self-applied acupressure and addressing emotions to the cognitive behavioral approach, which is the current popular approach among psychologists," Namka told Education World.

Read the full article on Education World.

Wellness News
P.E. May Improve Girls School Performance Time spent in P.E. does not harm elementary school students' ability to excel in the classroom and may improve girls' academic performance, a national study says.

Schools Could Earn Unhealthy Label Georgia schools that don't meet state physical education requirements or report a school-wide weight index risk being labeled unhealthy by the state.

City of West Hollywood

The City of West Hollywood, California, wanted students to learn about healthful eating and physical activity while at school and have them act as educators within their communities.

Approximately 400 students, ranging from preschool- to high-school-age have participated. Students in the program showed an increase in regular physical activity and in the amount of weekly fruit and vegetable servings they consumed.

Students learned how to plant vegetable and herb gardens, integrate physical activity into their daily lives, and make healthy food choices. They also created materials to teach community residents how to lead healthier lives, and shared what they learned by touring their communities and demonstrating how to garden, how to prepare healthy foods, and how to integrate physical activity into daily living.

Students assembled a multicultural, multilingual cookbook with healthful, easy-to-prepare recipes from family members and local restaurants, created brochures about their gardening experience, and filmed public service announcements about how to fit physical activity into busy schedules.

Students shared what they learned with their families and their community by visiting other classes and community organizations. More than 4,500 copies of the student cookbook and thousands of brochures were distributed at the annual Kids' Fair, City Hall, the local farmers' market, and schools.

Read more about this program at: City of West Hollywood.

Click to learn more about Action for Healthy Kids.

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