Starting the new year on a positive note, some of the teachers around the school have taken part in a friendly competition to see who can get the “most steps in”. Mrs. Rebekah Giles organized The 30-Day Walking Challenge as an innovative way to promote health with the teachers in the school.

“There were a few of us that started walking every day, anyway, and everyone that saw us walking kept saying oh I need to do that, I need to do that, so I think it clicked, why don’t I do that,” H.O.P.E. (Health Opportunities through Physical Education) teacher Mrs. Rebekah Giles, says.

This was Mrs. Giles motivation for the challenge. Seeing people were interested she made the challenge and had all the teachers sign up and make groups with their own fun names. Mrs. Gomez, Miss Root, and Mrs. Araujo for example have come up with the team name “Walk it Like I Taught It”. Others include The Dream Team, IT Crew, The History of Art and many more.

“I’m gonna send the teachers step count, or miles because I can convert it to miles, for the whole so far, everybody so far to help motivate them through the last few days,” Mrs. Giles says.

Though life can get in the way, Mrs. Giles has found a way to motivate the teachers to keep going and keep getting their steps. Her conversion of steps to miles will remind the teachers to look at The 30-Day Challenge chart downstairs to see their place among the other groups.

“Walking is so beneficial not just for your physical but, your mental well-being and social well-being,” Mrs. Giles says.

After school teachers can be seen walking around the school, on the back turf, and in the gym. They talk about their day and about many other things. Mrs. Giles explains that this is how walking helps teachers mental and social well-being, being like therapy.

“Adults forget to take care of themselves, they’re so busy taking care of everybody else, that they forget to take care of themselves,” Mrs. Giles says.

With teachers busy teaching their students and making sure they are okay; their physical health can sometimes go by the wayside. Dealing with students and with their own life at the same time a teacher’s job is never done.

“That was the other thing I wanted, we’re supposed to be positive role models for you guys, not just in academics, in every part in life, obviously you know I teach you guys the health continuum, obviously you have to do something to get to that high level of health,” Mrs. Giles, says.