“In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something else.”
– Lee Lacocca

 

I have a few clients who are teachers who I am currently seeing on a limited basis due to their busy schedules this fall. Like many other essential workers, their jobs have been turned upside down. I think most people would agree, it is not easy to inspire and lead our youth. After speaking with some of my clients who are educators, I can say it seems it has been even more challenging during our current pandemic and not every student may have the same learning accommodations and interaction with their teachers. The situation reminds me of the saying, “only the strong survive.” All teachers who are weathering the storm of COVID-19 are trying to find their groove with all the variables the situation presents.

All of this has led me to think of some of the teachers that I had that went above and beyond the normal routine for me personally. In this blog I will share my story of a teacher who has made a big impact on me, as well as how I’ve noticed COVID-19 has affected teachers ability to really help students. 

Throughout high school, my track coach who was also a math teacher, was a man who helped me get recruited – but beyond that he also made me feel important. He always had such great confidence in me. He had a fun personality that led our team to have a lot of fun while taking practice and competition seriously. I loved seeing his breakdown strategy of how we were going to compete and win. I know if I had a problem I could go to him and he would help me get moving in the right direction. Whether it was an injury, issues at home, nervousness, or really anything that I had on my mind, he was there for me. Without even discussing it he made a highlight tape of all my best javelin throws and sent it to the schools I had been considering. He did this in his own free time because he wanted to see me succeed and was willing to do what he could to make it happen. His approach was helpful, I ended up getting recruited by PSU. At the state competition during my junior year in high school I ended up placing 7th. The top eight finishers medaled. My coach was such an inspiration to me that I gave him my medal.  He never had an athlete place at the state level before so I was his first and wanted him to remember it. It was also my first state medal. I would not have given my medal up if I hadn’t felt he was someone who truly believed in me and supported me. I really want to tell Mr. Fox that he made a huge difference in my life and without him I may not have aspired to get to where I am today. Thank you for doing so much more than what was required. Your generosity will stay with me forever and I hope someday to be able to pay it forward. 

Now more than ever I’m sure that our youth are having a tough time coping with this new way of life. The educators that I know that are working through this pandemic have expressed that they are now doing more than what was previously asked of them. Sadly, some teachers are making less money because of how things have transpired. Educators at all levels are going above and beyond the normal routine during the pandemic. It is clear that the pandemic has made their job more difficult for them to teach in a way that keeps them inspired, creative, and passionate. Now their time is filled with online meetings with all kinds of people, office hours (virtually), cleaning, and so many managerial tasks that weren’t necessary pre-COVID. I have so much respect and admiration for all the teachers. I’ve had teachers come to me recently with new body pains since this pandemic started. They aren’t used to being at a computer for such long hours. Because of the length of time their bodies are seated and standing I’m seeing a lot of back, neck, and shoulder pains. Most of that I attribute to stress and poor posture that is maintained during work hours.

With this new level of stress I would recommend doing exercises or modalities of exercise that promote recovery and restoration. With this added pressure I’m sure most teachers may be experiencing increased cortisol level and most traditional workouts will add to that cortisol level.  Some examples of exercise that will not increase stress causing the body to restore includes stretching, foam rolling, yoga, Thai Chi, or even a moderate pace walk. 

In conclusion, I want to say a huge “THANK YOU!” to all the educators and everyone involved in the field of education. You are an inspiration to me and I am extremely grateful. Your jobs are not easy and you have the charge of molding the next generation. What you do is monumental and I want all of you to know I support you. If any educators need any tips or help with their workout to stay healthy and happy please contact me. I’d love to help in any way possible and give back to this specific community. 

 

Jesse Hershey

Personal Fitness Trainer

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