The Podclass Ever Active Schools

Jamie chats with GEOEC president and junior high teacher Court Rustemeyer about the long-lasting impacts of outdoor education, and how getting outside doesn't just benefit students, but teachers as well! Starting small at the beginning of the school year can set the stage for a successful year in nature.
Resources:
Global Environmental and Outdoor Education Council (GEOEC)Outdoor Learning QuickdrawCharades RelayGEOEC Five Minute Field Trips (Volume 1, Volume 2)Inside Education Outdoor Explorers

Elizabeth talks with Scott Bailey, a wellness consultant with Ever Active Schools, about the importance of health promotion in schools and why they're an ideal place for upstream approaches to improve wellness. They discuss what Comprehensive School Health is and what it looks like in practice.
Additional Resources:
Government of Canada: “Social determinants of health and health inequalities”Alberta Health Services Provincial Teacher Resource List 2019-2020Reimagining School SportLoose Parts Play (like tarps and tires)Sports as a Platform for Resilience in Indigenous SchoolsIndigenous Youth Mentorship ProgramDon’t Walk in the HallwayGirls Only Run ClubYouth Run Club in High Schools

Jamie is joined by Chrysta Bell, a program consultant in Alberta Health Services’ Tobacco Reduction Program, who shares her knowledge and expertise around tangible strategies for preventing tobacco use by students.
Additional Resources:
Alberta Health Services Information for Schools & EducatorsAlberta Quits Alberta Quits - Resources for Teachers and Schools Alberta Quits - The Academy for Tobacco Prevention

Elizabeth talks with Medical Health Officers Dr. Hu and Dr. Gustafson in November 2020 to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the school context. They share how the pandemic has highlighted social inequities and the importance of multidimensional wellbeing and how to keep perspective as a teacher.

Elizabeth talks with Katherine Zavodni and Anna Lutz, dietitians with expertise in treating eating disorders, about striking the right balance when teaching about healthy eating and nutrition in schools. They provide suggestions for a developmentally appropriate and protective approach so that students can have a positive relationship with food and their bodies.
Additional Resources:
Ellyn Satter InstituteTribole, E. & Resch, E. (2020). Intuitive eating (4th ed.) St. Martin’s Press.

Dr. Shannon Kell, associate professor at Mount Royal University, joins Jamie to discuss the benefits to both students and teachers of being outside and connecting with nature. Dr. Kell shares ways to gradually incorporate the outdoors into your teaching practice and lessons learned from the (literal and figurative) field of outdoor education.
Additional Resources:
Childhood by NatureTake Me OutsideFacebook groups: search “Nature Resources” and/or “Nature Learning”