As students become independent adults, there is a natural shift in priorities towards obligations, responsibilities, and a career. Physical activity and a healthy lifestyle can fall to the wayside for many when priorities change. As an adult influences students’ experience with health and fitness, physical education teachers can play a crucial role in motivating students to make movement a lifelong priority.
Engaging Students in Physical Education
Time and energy seem to be in nearly endless supply during the younger years of a student’s life. Before schoolwork, peer pressure, a potential part-time job, and extracurricular activities fill their schedules, many students are excited at the opportunity to be active.
Read More: What Are the Goals of Physical Education?
Secondary students, especially teens, are confronted with many different opportunities and responsibilities that can be difficult to juggle. Being a source of motivation and a positive influence on their motivation to remain physically active throughout their lives can be a valuable part of your role as a PE educator.
Read More: Healthy Goal-Setting and Recognizing Student Success in PE
3 Ways to Motivate Students to Form Lifelong Healthy Habits:
Serving as a role model for your students offers them a positive image to reference when they are prioritizing their health. These three motivation tactics are just a few of the many different ways you can positively influence students’ habits and lifestyles down the road.
1. Be an Example of Consistency & Enthusiasm:
DO: Make healthy activity and diet choices, and discuss the importance of a consistent and healthy diet with your students.
AVOID: Giving excuses for times you slipped up or complain about being pressured to make healthy lifestyle choices to your students.
2. Showcase a Wide Variety of Ways to Be Active in Class:
DO: Encourage students to try new things outside class and incorporate various activities into class time.
AVOID: Sharing opinions or commenting on how some forms of physical activity are “cooler” than others.
3. Discuss the Physical & Emotional Benefits of Movement:
DO: Share positive statistics and experiences stemming from healthy lifestyle decisions.
AVOID: Using statistics and negative examples to scare students into making healthy choices.
More PE Ideas and Inspiration
If you’re looking for more great ways to engage with your students or get inspired to make this the best year yet, explore the other blogs on the Physical Education category page.
Also, check out the online store and find thousands of high-quality and innovative PE and sports equipment products. Whatever the goal, you’ll find what you need in one place at School Specialty.
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