FEATURED ARTICLES BY DR. MELINDA BOSSENMEYER
A series of articles on children’s health topics such as physical activity, bullying, school playgrounds, school recess, nutrition, PE, childhood obesity, and play.
Schools Role in the Childhood Obesity Crisis by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, The Recess Doctor Let's Move - Active Schools During President Obama's first term, First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled her strategy for tackling the nation’s childhood obesity crisis. Mrs. Obama’s initiative is called Let's Move, and includes [...]
Successful Bullying Prevention Programs : What Works? Article by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, The Recess Doctor Bullying prevention what works? This is a poem written by Natalie, a high school student about bullying. I used to get bullied, and I didn’t know what to do I wouldn’t want to come to school I’d [...]
The Benefits of Physical Activity in Schools by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, The Recess Doctor Benefits of Physical Activity in Schools This article on "the benefits of physical activity in schools" points out other resources on the topic of physical activity. Jogging Walking Track Most classrooms have impulsive children. [...]
You can "count on" this kids pedometer to keep track of physical activity activity. According to the United States Surgeon General, “We have a health crisis affecting every city, state, community, and school across America. The crisis is obesity. It is the fastest growing cause of disease and death in America. However, it is completely [...]
Schoolwide Discipline: What Works by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, The Recess Doctor Schoolwide Discipline: What Works? In an election year, it is important to acknowledge that for approximately 20 years, the Annual Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes toward the Public Schools has identified [...]
Bullying Prevention: Life's Lessons in Good and Evil by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, The Recess Doctor Bullying Prevention Good vs Evil in Schools As you may know, last month I attended a gathering of like minded individuals called Hero Camp. During the Hero Camp discussions, I kept reflecting [...]
How Teachers Should Respond to School Bullying Setting the stage for responding to bullying. Download Article How to Respond to Bullying..... First, it is important to acknowledge that students rarely bully victims in front of an adult. The chance of a teacher observing bullying in school is limited. Furthermore, [...]
The Department of Education and U.S. Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, have taken an unprecedented step forward on the issue of School Safety and specifically, on bullying and discriminatory harassment. The Department of Education issued guidance to support educators in combating bullying in schools by clarifying when student bullying may violate federal education anti-discrimination laws and [...]
Is Empathy the key to conquering bullying? by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, The Recess Doctor As I observed my class the first week of school, one child stood out. The incident happened on the third day of school. Allie was a kindergarten student who learned that another child’s much-loved dog died. Most students sat silently, [...]
There is a public health crisis facing the United States and many countries around the world. Unlike so many public health crises resulting in disease, it can't be cured by an inoculation. The disease has reached epidemic proportions and is called childhood obesity. We need to address nutrition in schools before its too late. 20% [...]
Ten Tips for Getting Your School Grant Funded by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer aka The Recess Doctor Ten Tips for Getting Your School Grant Funded I first became aware of grant writing as a teacher for more than 25 years ago. My first school grant was for [...]
Childhood obesity has taken center stage as children’s #1 health problem. Senators and Congressmen are joining forces and passing legislation for mandatory physical education and many states are reinstating recess. Pediatricians are attempting to advise parents to attain a healthy body weight for their children. The emphasize that healthy bodies healthy minds go hand in [...]
Schools Teaching Organic Gardening In this article, we will look into the movement that is transforming the nation’s schools, the “Local Food Movement” via school gardens. Americans are facing epidemic levels of childhood onset of diabetes, a disease which in many of these children is preventable. Local schools are implementing gardens which allow for hands-on-learning [...]
Ideas for Healthy School Lunches [jwplayer config="Large Player" mediaid="4534"] 1. Serve a Hot Meal Schools across the country are beginning to prepare hot meals on site making available healthier choices thus eliminating or reducing fried foods and junk food from school grounds. The problem, however, is that healthy foods can take longer to eat and [...]
An alarming educational trend is spreading like wildfire across the nation due to our economic situation. More troubling is the fact that no one is talking about the effect of a shortened school year for students’ academic advancement. The nation’s second largest school district signed agreements with the United Teachers of Los Angeles to shorten [...]