Happy second ever Student Saturday!

Today is a solo post from the BB. I would like to share something that both myself and the WW experienced during student teaching—the confidence that comes with coming to love your own body—and the fact that this confidence often comes far later than it should.

So, without revealing too many of the stories that I want to share for Throwback Thursdays, I will tell you that I used to be someone who would agonize over my clothing, selecting what to wear depending upon what it looked like when I sat down, stood up, stretched, etc. I would practice these different positions in the mirror, making sure that I looked just right.

Upon returning to the high school setting for student teaching, the urge to participate in these tendencies resurfaced again. However, I refrained from participating in them despite my nervousness—high school was the site of some of the worst fat shaming moments (besides that Gyno!) I had ever experienced. Now as a teacher, what would my students think of my weight? What jokes would they make when they thought I wasn't listening? How would I look sitting or standing in front of them?

I am happy to report that my worries were soon assuaged. My weight was not an issue at all—it didn't seem to inhibit the students’ respect for me like I thought it would. Now, I don’t know what kinds of comments were made outside the classroom, but in the classroom I felt very respected by students. I didn't catch an awkward joke related to my weight in a hushed whisper or an offensive drawing depicting me with a Hippo’s body—yes, these were legitimate thoughts that crossed my mind!

I found that with my confidence in my subject area, my command of the classroom, and my students’ respect, it was an easy transition to apply my new body love to the classroom.

Now, this is Student Saturday, so let’s get back to youth. The fact that this much body love and acceptance came into my life in the years AFTER high school is a long-awaited miracle. Why should young, overweight people have to wait so long to love their bodies? Why do I hear stories of bullying for weight in the elementary, middle, and high school settings? Why do I hear little girls, under ten, agonize over their weight because they feel ugly?

Importantly, what can we do to help?

As teachers, helping students with body image can be as simple as doing the following:

1. Don’t allow any kind of fat shaming, fat jokes, or derogatory fat talk in your classroom.

2. Use classroom examples and media that are representative of all body types.

3. If something derogatory does come up, confront it then and there. The WW had an excellent technique for this during student teaching, telling her students “So what if that person is fat. Maybe she/he likes being fat.”

This webpage has a great summary of implementing healthy body image into school curriculum, and the importance of helping children see their bodies positively. If you were skeptical about the need to help students with body image, take a look at this snippet from the text Healthy Bodies:

http://bodyimagehealth.org/

Being a young adult is perhaps one of the most difficult times in life—struggling to claim an identity, to fit in, to find love and acceptance. By helping students with weight issues we can lessen some of that stress.

In addition, if you aren't involved in education, be an advocate for someone you love who is fat. Encourage your son or daughter to love their body. Educate yourself about body empowerment and all sides of the weight debate. Tell a friend that they are beautiful, and mean it.

And, of course, share your own stories of the journey to body empowerment in order to educate others—experience is a powerful educational tool!