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Excerpts on
"TRACHABLE MOMENTS -- AN EDUCATIONAL APPROACH TO HEALTH"
Talk given by Jay B. Nash, Professor of Education, New York University, at State
Convention of K.H. & P.E.A., McPherson

Just talking about qualitative outcomes
of education does not guarantee them. This
has become axiomatic with all good teachers
where the desired outcome is something more
than a mere memorizing process. Tne quali-~
tative outcomes of educetion; chare.ccor ,
with its accompanying clements oi tolerance,
politeness and social qualities: citizen-
ship; and health are largely caught, not
taught -- at least not in any conventional
way: Much of our classroom hygiene is
particularly ‘useless not only because it
has little or no effect upon desirable
health behavior but because it is likely
to set up negative attitudes.

Teaching hygiene in schools is likely to
be an opiate given to administrators to
case their consciences while the school
violates most of the known conditions of
wholesome living.

Making the child self-conscious about
health is one of America's most unhealthy
procedurese
' There need be nothing mysterious about
normal health patterns. The real skill is
needed to restore normality after it has
been lost. For most children, health con-
stitutes just a simple, happy way of living.

The various phases of children's health
patterns are all things that involve doing
something, and much of the doing is an
adult responsibility.

Talking to children about things over
which they have no control is a bad educa-
tional procedure as it sets up strain and
fear. The clements of the health pattern
are somewhat as follows;

(A). Freedom From Infectious Drains.
This means, specifically, freedom from in-
fected teeth, adenoids, and tonsils, It
likewise means that the child should be
free from any of the ill effects which
might follow influenze, common colds, or
any of the so-called childhood disorders,
The detecting of these disorders and the
remedy of the same are tasks of the medi-
cal profession. Therefore, the question
arises “how can this medical service, in-
cluding diagnosis and treatrent, be pro-
vided for every child in the pvolic school
system," We do not talk to chiiaren about
those things. It is an adult problem and
action to remedy is the suswox~.

(B). Freedom From Stroins. The child
must not be subjected to uncue strains such

 

 

as throw off the normal functioning of
the body. This means that the child
must be protected from undue rush and
noise, irritating lights, foar and wor-
ry. The child must be freed from fears
which cause tenseness, that lower organ-
ic resistance, thus opening up th
opportunities of malnutrition with all
of its attendant hazards. This is an
educational task, in which the modival
profession is, of course, interested --
but it is primarily educational. We do
not talk to children about these "nodern
race destroyers." Removing these is an
adult function and action to remedy is
the answer.

(C), Health Habits Should Be Encourag
ed. Here great controversy as to what ~
are facts and how they should be taught
confront everyone. Facts alone are
known to have little influence upon be-
havior unless there can be an emotional
drive or want to use these facts. So-
called facts should probably be thrown
into the three following groups:

(1). Things we are fairly sure of. The
need of rest, sleep, nutrition and exer~
cise with joy and happiness can probably
be placed in the first group. Adults

organize these, but much talk ig of lit-

 

 

-&le value. (2). Practices which fall

into the realm of aesthetics and are not
health fundamentals. Certain questions
of manners and morals: washing neck and
ears, standing in line, being pleasant,
fall into this class. These may be de-
sirable but have practically no connec-
tion with health values. How can we
detect these and how can they be encour-
aged without leading them on to the
health program, (3), Things that are not
true. In this group we have many things
which are not true or contain only a
grain of truth, ~ as "A clean tooth
never decays" and “Exercise before breal:
fast if you want to. snd to after dinner.’
How can these vart-true statements be
run down and eliminated?

(Dj). Exercise. Unon the basis of
these threa ccnditions, power for healtl.
is built through exercise. It is the
age~old law of life. “Practice makes
perfect," "You learn that which you pra:
tice,” “Power is built through use."
Therefore, the whole program of physical

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