While teaching healthy living can be challenging, most educators find that once a safe, inclusive, and accepting learning environment has been established, they can lead thoughtful and productive discussions with their students.
In a classroom where respectful teacher–student relationships have been established, more meaningful conversations can happen about topics that need to be approached with sensitivity. As an educator, reflect on your own attitudes, biases, and values with respect to the topics you are teaching and seek out current resources, mentors, professional development, and training opportunities as necessary.
A thorough examination of your personal biases includes considering the ways your teaching strategies and instruction style could affect your students. Once we recognize that biases and perspectives are inherent in any topic, we can take steps to understand the values, assumptions, possible motives, and underlying messages in what educators and students say in class.
