Conversation: Then & Now

This teaching strategy is designed for high school or college level. During this lesson, dramatization is utilized to help students examine health issues that occurred in the 1900 as compared to those of today. Additionally, students will explore their own health status and work to develop a plan to promote or enhance their own lifestyle behaviors

Reducing Stress and Enhancing the General Well-Being of Teachers Using T’ai Chi Chih® Movements: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of T’ai Chi Chih® (TCC) discipline on the physical symptoms of stress and the general well-being of 35 teachers. Teachers completed 15 hours of instruction and practice in a two-day format with four additional weeks of practice. The 23 teachers who completed pre-posttests showed significant improvement of their general well-being and reduction in perceived stress symptoms. Qualitative data from the teachers supported these results. Within the limitations of the study design it was concluded that this relatively new, easy to learn method of T’ai Chi has potential to enhance well-being and reduce stress symptoms of teachers. Teachers and other educational professionals may want to learn more about T’ai Chi Chih® discipline for its stress reducing benefits and enhancement of general well-being

Educational Professionals’ Perceptions Of The Health Benefits Of T’ai Chi Chih® Discipline

One hundred seventeen (N=117) education professionals completed a 15 hour T’ai Chi Chih® (TCC) professional development experience followed by four weeks of individual practice. Qualitative data of salient perceptions of health benefits were collected from participants after four weeks of practice. One hundred ninety one pages of narrative were reduced by commonality statements into five major themes. Themes included: (1) general physical benefits, (2) psychological/mental benefits, (3) physical ailments benefits, (4) spiritual awareness benefits, and (5) social benefits. A discussion of TCC as a powerful method of eliciting the Relaxation Response is proposed as one explanation for these benefits. Implications are stated in terms of future directions for quantitative investigations into the benefits of TCC as a behavioral intervention of school personnel