Health Education and Hypertension

I have found my role in educating client’s about blood pressure very important. Since hypertension often has no signs or symptoms until the disease has progressed it is known as the silent killer.  Helping people be aware of their blood pressure levels will help them be aware of any medical interventions they may need before it’s too late.

I remember when I worked in corporate wellness we would do monthly blood pressure screenings for the employees. There was one woman that when I measured her resting blood pressure it was elevated in Stage 2 hypertension.  I encouraged her to see her doctor as soon as possible.  About a week later she came down to the fitness center and asked to speak to me.  When I was talking to her she thanked me for telling her to see her doctor.  Because of my advice she saw her doctor who immediately put her on blood pressure medication and told her that left untreated she likely would have had a heart attack or stroke by the end of the year.  At the end of our conversation the woman thanked me for saving her life.  Even now as I think back on that experience I realize how important it is to educate people on improving their health…it might just save a life.

Fall Semester at FCC

This Semester at FCC has been great. I’ve been able to implement a lot of things that I learned during my technology class at OSU.  From blogging to digital storytelling I have new tools and resources to help keep my classroom full of dynamic and engaging lessons.

My seniors had a large amount of course work to complete this semester. They were busy with the Criminal Justice Personal Training Project, helping me lead Zumba classes, volunteering for the Apple Butter Day 5K and just getting together their plans for life after high school.

The junior class is the largest class I have ever had in Exercise Science. I am thrilled to see how much the program has grown in such a short amount of time.  My first graduating class only had 13 students and now I have almost double with 25.  It has been an adjustment for me having more students.  Lessons that I previously taught take a little longer to get through.  I am looking forward to the break to be able to adjust my lesson plans for next semester to take these changes into account.

Several juniors commented about how a lot more work is required than they had expected. I am glad to hear this because it means that I am creating a rigorous curriculum.  When I look back at lessons from the past I see how I used direct instruction more than inquiry based learning.  As I transition to inquiry based learning I feel as though my students are more engaged because they have greater ownership in their learning.

I am looking forward to break and being able to spend extra tie with my family. I am also excited to come back for second semester ready to get into the next set of lessons.