It might sound simple, but remembering the brain is part of the body can be easy to overlook in a day filled with thinking, typing and talking.
That brain-body connection is front and center, with 10 Utah educators recognized for helping students build healthy habits early.
Jayden Camp, a first grade teacher at Wasatch Elementary in Clearfield, is one of those honorees.
“We recognize 10 elementary educators throughout the state of Utah that excel at promoting those healthy habits,” said Kimberly Ruiz, Community Relations Coordinator for Select Health.
Those habits include movement and calming breaks woven into the school day, a model supported by Select Health through its Brain Body Boost awards.
“She does a lot to incorporate healthy habits in her classroom, which I thought was so outstanding, especially because, you know, she teaches first grade,” the representative said.
In Camp’s classroom, students are not just learning about healthy habits, they are practicing them.
“I try to put on their homework, like make sure to eat a healthy snack, make sure to go out, play outside,” Camp said. “I also have daily like 5-10 minutes set aside in my schedule where they’re getting some sort of movement break and also where they’re getting some sort of like breathing, like calming down their bodies’ break.”
The approach helps students stay engaged and focused.
“You’re teaching them and they’re experiencing that that’s important, and they understand and listen better after a break,” the reporter said.
Camp says her approach is shaped by personal experience, watching how traditional classroom expectations can be challenging for active kids.
“My brother was the same way when he was younger and he was kind of pushed down for that,” Camp said. “And so now it’s like, OK, well I saw that in my siblings. I don’t want my students to feel that same way because I know they feel like they’re bad because they’re being like who they are.”
Each Brain Body Boost award recipient receives $1,000 to support their classroom. Camp plans to use the funds on items like wobbly seat cushions, giving students a way to move while staying seated.
And the goal is lasting impact, helping students carry those healthy habits with them long after they leave her classroom.
