Physical Activity And Involvement By Brent Heidorn And Erin Cenesio

Teachers Impact Students’ Physical Heath

I chose to read the article, “The Director of Physical Activity and Involvement” by Brent Heidorn and Erin Ceneio. This article introduces the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP). This program is intended to get both students and teachers physically active before, during, and after school. In order for CSPAP to work, teachers have to make a conscious effort to be active during the day. However, it is not always easy to get teachers to be intrinsically motivated to be more active. Some teachers have such heavy workloads they tend to avoid making time for physical activity, while others may be dealing with difficult situations outside of school that are causing them to be less concerned about their physical health (Heidorn, 2012, p. 14). However, teachers who exercise throughout the week tend to be happier with their career choice and are more likely to teach for a longer period of time, as compared to teachers who do not exercise on a regular basis (Heidorn, 2012, p. 13).

However, this can be challenging because classroom teachers already have so much material to cover in one day. The intent of this program is not to add a greater work load to a teacher’s already busy schedule, but to encourage everyone that a healthier lifestyle leads to a longer, happier life. Teachers are not expected to make additional lessons plans in order for students to be more physically active. Instead, the DPE will offer informational meetings and will supply additional resources, such as activity handouts and website links, for teachers to refer to in order to get students active throughout the school day (Heidorn, 2012, p.