I.

LEARNING TASKS
Learning Task No. 1 (10pts)

Direction: Online research. Gather data about the following topics.

1. What is Stress management

Stress management is a wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies

aimed at controlling a person's level of stress, especially chronic stress,
usually for the purpose of and for the motive of improving everyday
functioning.

If you’re living with high levels of stress, you’re putting your entire well-
being at risk. Stress wreaks havoc on your emotional equilibrium, as well as
your physical health. It narrows your ability to think clearly, function
effectively, and enjoy life. It may seem like there’s nothing you can do about
stress. The bills won’t stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day,
and your work and family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you
have a lot more control than you might think.

Effective stress management helps you break the hold stress has on your life,
so you can be happier, healthier, and more productive. The ultimate goal is a
balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun—and
the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head on.

2. Identify ways or techniques to manage stress

Tip 1: Identify the sources of stress in your life

Stress management starts with identifying the sources of stress in your life.
This isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. While it’s easy to identify major
stressors such as changing jobs, moving, or going through a divorce,
pinpointing the sources of chronic stress can be more complicated. It’s all too
easy to overlook how your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors contribute to
your everyday stress levels.

ractice the 4 A’s of stress management

 While stress is an automatic response from your nervous system, some
stressors arise at predictable times: your commute to work, a meeting with
your boss, or family gatherings, for example. When handling such predictable
stressors, you can either change the situation or change your reaction. When
deciding which option to choose in any given scenario, it’s helpful to think of
the four A’s: avoid, alter, adapt, or accept.

Tip 3: Get moving

When you’re stressed, the last thing you probably feel like doing is getting up
and exercising. But physical activity is a huge stress reliever—and you don’t
have to be an athlete or spend hours in a gym to experience the benefits.
Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good, and it can also serve as
a valuable distraction from your daily worries.

Tip 4: Connect to others

There is nothing more calming than spending quality time with another
human being who makes you feel safe and understood. In fact, face-to-face
interaction triggers a cascade of hormones that counteracts the body’s
defensive “fight-or-flight” response. It’s nature’s natural stress reliever (as an
added bonus, it also helps stave off depression and anxiety). So make it a
point to connect regularly—and in person—with family and friends.

Tip 5: Make time for fun and relaxation

Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress
in your life by carving out “me” time. Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and
bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing
yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. If you regularly make time for fun and
relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stressors.

Learning Task No. 2 (10pts)

Direction : : Online research. Gather data about the following topics.

1. What is Conflict Resolution?

Conflict resolution is a skill that benefits professionals across all types of

career paths. What makes this true? Simply put, conflict can occur in
virtually any setting, from office jobs to in-field work. 

Understanding how to deal with conflict, reconcile emotions and reach

an understanding are valuable practices that boost well-being and
productivity—and all of these techniques are learned through conflict
resolution.

Conflict resolution is more than just a single technique for

understanding the difference between mediation and arbitration. This
complex skill set can lead to a rewarding career. Read on to learn more
about what conflict resolution is and why it’s important.

2. Identify conflict resolution strategies

1. Don't Ignore Conflict

If you're someone who dislikes dealing with conflict, it might seem tempting
to just put your head in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist, hoping it will
resolve itself on its own. While this sometimes can happen, the truth is that
the vast majority of the time, this will only cause the situation to get worse.
Ignored conflicts have a tendency to fester over time and reappear at
inopportune moments, so do your team a favor and address conflicts when
they occur, nipping a potentially toxic situation in the bud as soon as you
recognize it.

2. Clarify What the Issue Is

If you're dealing with a conflict between two members of your team, it's
important that you get all the facts. Sit down with each individual involved
and find out exactly what the issue is. How is each individual perceiving the
situation? What needs are not being met? What does each party see as an
appropriate resolution? Make sure that all parties involved understand that
you are acting as an impartial mediator, and let them know they can feel
comfortable to share sensitive information.

3. Bring Involved Parties Together to Talk

Once you've had a chance to talk to all involved parties separately, bring them
together in a meeting so that they can hash out their differences in a neutral
environment. This is a time for brainstorming, active listening, and being
open to different perspectives - the goal is to come to a common
understanding of what the problem is, what role each individual is playing in
the conflict, and what some possible solutions might be.

4. Identify a Solution

After both parties have had a chance to discuss the situation at hand, it's time
to identify what a satisfactory resolution might be - and how to get there.
Ideally, by this point, both parties will understand the other's side, and
oftentimes the conflict will be resolved just through facilitated, open dialogue.
However, if the situation requires further resolution, you will need to step in
and help them negotiate a reasonable solution. This phase can require some
time and effort, as it requires both parties to set aside their differences and
preferences and find some common ground to work towards (which may
involve not getting everything they want out of the situation). Then, work
with both individuals to come up with a concrete list of steps that will result in
the solution being achieved.

5. Continue to Monitor and Follow Up on the Conflict

Just because a solution has been identified and addressed doesn't mean it will
just go away. As a manager, it's your responsibility to check in with both
parties to ensure that the conflict has truly been dealt with, and that the steps
identified to reach a solution are being followed. If all seems to be going well,
simply remember to stop and observe from time to time, just to see if things
really are going smoothly or if there are still lingering tensions under the
surface that need to be handled. If it's clear that the solution didn't work, or
wasn't the right resolution for the situation, make sure to be proactive in
working with both parties to readjust expectations, identify alternative
solutions, and continue their dialogue to create a positive and healthy work
environment.
Learning Task No. 3 (10pts)

Direction : : Online research. Gather data about the following topics.

1. What is Empathy?

Empathy is the ability to emotionally understand what other people feel, see
things from their point of view, and imagine yourself in their place.
Essentially, it is putting yourself in someone else's position and feeling what
they must be feeling.

When you see another person suffering, you might be able to instantly
envision yourself in the other person's place and feel sympathy for what they
are going through.

While people are generally pretty well-attuned to their own feelings and
emotions, getting into someone else's head can be a bit more difficult. The
ability to feel empathy allows people to "walk a mile in another's shoes," so to
speak. It permits people to understand the emotions that others are feeling.

For many, seeing another person in pain and responding with indifference or
even outright hostility seems utterly incomprehensible. But the fact that some
people do respond in such a way clearly demonstrates that empathy is not
necessarily a universal response to the suffering of others.

2. Identify the different types of empathy

 Affective empathy involves the ability to understand another

person's emotions and respond appropriately. Such emotional
understanding may lead to someone feeling concerned for another
person's well-being, or it may lead to feelings of personal distress.
 Somatic empathy involves having a sort of physical reaction in
 response to what someone else is experiencing. People sometimes
physically experience what another person is feeling. When you see
someone else feeling embarrassed, for example, you might start to
blush or have an upset stomach.
 Cognitive empathy involves being able to understand another person's
mental state and what they might be thinking in response to the
situation. This is related to what psychologists refer to as theory of
mind, or thinking about what other people are thinking.

Learning Task No. 4 (10pts)

Direction: Get a Sample Wellness Program (intended for schools)

WELLNESS PROGRAM
Chester Community Unit School District 139
Adopted February 18, 2016
 
Wellness Policy.pdf

BELIEF STATEMENT
 
The Board of Education of Chester Community Unit School District 139 is
committed to providing a learning environment that supports and promotes
wellness, good nutrition, and an active lifestyle and recognizes the positive
relationship between good nutrition, physical activity and the capacity of
students to develop and learn. The entire school environment shall be
aligned with healthy school goals to positively influence students’ beliefs
and habits and promote health and wellness, good nutrition and regular
physical activity. In addition, school staff shall be encouraged to model
healthy eating and physical activity as a valuable part of daily life.
 
INTENT
 
The purpose of this plan is to ensure a total school environment that
promotes and supports student health and wellness, helps to reduce
childhood obesity and meets the requirements of the Child Nutrition and
WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 and the Illinois School Code, including,
without limitation, goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other
school-based activities designed to promote student wellness; nutrition
guidelines for all foods available during the school day; a plan for
measuring implementation including designating one or more persons
charged with operational responsibility; and involving parents, students,
school food service providers, the school board, school administrators, and
the public in developing this plan.
 
RATIONALE
 
A disturbing number of children are inactive and do not eat well. The result
is an alarming 16 percent of children and adolescents are overweight – a
three-fold increase since 1980. Congress passed the Child Nutrition and
WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 on June 30, 2004.  Recognizing the role
schools can play in health promotion; this law requires local education
agencies participating in a program authorized by the National School
Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to develop a local wellness
plan. The objectives of the wellness plan are to improve the school
nutrition environment, promote student health and reduce childhood
obesity. In addition, Public Act 094-0199 amends the Illinois School Code,
requiring the Illinois State Board of Education to establish a state goal
that all districts  have a wellness plan.
 
The link between nutrition and learning is well documented. Healthy eating
patterns are essential for students to achieve their full academic potential,
full physical and mental growth and lifelong health and well-being. Healthy
eating is demonstrably linked to reduced risk for mortality and
development of many chronic diseases. Schools and school communities
have a responsibility to help students acquire the knowledge and skills
necessary to establish and maintain lifelong healthy eating patterns. Well-
planned and well-implemented wellness programs have been shown to
positively influence children’s health.
 
Schools also have a responsibility to help students establish and maintain
lifelong habits of being physically active. According to the U.S. Surgeon
General, regular physical activity is one of the most important things
people can do to maintain and improve their physical health, mental health,
and overall well-being. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of
premature death in general and of heart disease, high blood pressure, colon
cancer, and diabetes.
 
This plan is divided into four categories.
 
Setting Nutrition Education Goals:
 
GOAL: 
Students in K-12 will be knowledgeable concerning nutrition and its
importance in their lives.
 
Action Plan 1
 Students in grades pre-K-12 receive nutrition education that is
interactive and teaches the skills they need to adopt healthy eating
behaviors.
 Nutrition education is offered in the school dining room as well as in
the classroom, with coordination between the foodservice staff and
teachers.
 Students receive consistent nutrition messages throughout schools,
classrooms, cafeterias, homes, community and media
 District health education curriculum standards and guidelines include
both nutrition and physical education.
 Nutrition is integrated into the health education or core curricula
(e.g., math, science, language arts).
 Schools link nutrition education activities with the coordinated
school health program.
 Staff who provide nutrition education have appropriate training.
 
Setting Physical Activity Goals:
 
GOAL:
Recess should be offered before lunch or at a time that is different
than lunch time.
 
Action Plan 1
Careful consideration of the school lunch environment shall be taken
into account when scheduling recess. It is encouraged that schools
provide recess before lunch or at a different time than lunch at all
appropriate sites.
 
Establishing Nutrition Standards for all Foods Available in School Building
during the School Day:
 
GOAL:
School staff should rarely use food as a reward and never withhold
food as a punishment.
 
Action Plan 1
School staff shall use food as a reward for student accomplishment
sparingly during the school day. The withholding of food as
punishment for students is prohibited. For example, restricting a
child’s selection of flavored milk due to misbehavior in the
classroom
 
GOAL:
Prohibits student accessible vending machines in elementary schools
 
Action Plan 1
Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, every school district
shall: prohibit, for elementary school students, in-school access to
vending machines offering food and beverages.
 
GOAL:
Highly qualified Food Service Director and Cafeteria Staff
 
Action Plan 1
Dining room staff shall receive training in maintaining a safe,
orderly, and pleasant eating environment. All food service personnel
shall have adequate pre-service training and must hold a State issued
or equivalent training certificate.
 
Setting Goals for Other School-Based Activities Designed to Promote
Student Wellness:
 
GOAL:
Provide Elementary Students with a Walking Program during Recess.
 
Action Plan 1
Students will participate in a walking program that is designed to
increase the student’s activity level during lunch recess. 
 
GOAL:
Provide K-12 Students a food service program to ensure that all
students have affordable access to the varied and nutritious foods.
 
Action Plan 1
It is acknowledged that the feeding of children is primarily a family
responsibility. To supplement their efforts, every school shall operate
a food service program to ensure that all students have affordable
access to the varied and nutritious foods they need to stay healthy
and learn well. During each school day the food service program
shall offer lunch under the nutritional guidelines of the USDA’s
National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. Each school shall
encourage all students to participate in meal opportunities. In
particular, the school shall make efforts to ensure that families are
aware of need-based programs for free or reduced-price meals and
those eligible families are encouraged to apply. The program shall
maintain the confidentiality of students and families applying for or
receiving free or reduced-price meals.
 
 Setting Goals for Measurement and Evaluation:
 The district superintendent shall be charged with the operational
responsibility for ensuring that each school meets the local wellness
plan requirements.
 The district superintendent shall appoint a district
wellness team/council  that includes parents, students, and
representatives of the school food authority, the school board, school
administrators, and the public to oversee development,
implementation and evaluation of the wellness plan. In addition, it is
recommended that the district superintendent also appoints teachers
(including preschool – grade 12, family and consumer science,
physical education and health educators) and health professionals
(school nurse, physician, dietitian, etc.) as members of
the team/council .
 The terms of district wellness team/council  members shall be
staggered for continuity. 
 The appointed district wellness team/council  shall be responsible for:
o creating and maintaining bylaws for operation;
o assessment of the current school environment;
o development of a wellness plan;
o presenting the wellness plan to the school board for approval;
o measuring the implementation of the wellness plan; and
o recommending revision of the plan, as necessary.
 The principal of each building shall be responsible for
implementation of the local wellness plan and shall appoint a school-
based evaluation team to develop and implement an annual
evaluation plan.
 The school-based evaluation team shall evaluate plan implementation
and identify areas for improvement. The evaluation team shall report
their findings to the building principal and develop with him/her a
plan of action for improvement, as needed.
 The wellness team/council  shall hear reports from each building
group annually.
 Before the end of each school year the wellness team/council  shall
recommend to the district superintendent any revisions to the plan it
 deems necessary.
 The wellness team/council  shall report to the superintendent and
school board annually on the progress of the
wellness team/council  and the status of compliance by the schools.

Learning Task No. 5 (10pts)

“Being compassionate and kind is closely related to empathy. Compassion includes the desire to take
actions that will alleviate another person’s distress. Compassion means to “suffer together”. From this
sharing in suffering comes the motivation to help relieve the suffering of others”. Applying this
description in your future role as a teacher , how will you describe a compassionate teacher?

Compassionate teacher is the one who teaches her/his students the act of
service in their community and getting involved during holiday seasons, or in
times of catastrophes. Some ideas include assigning a project that encourages
students to volunteer at a local shelter to feed homeless.

As an educator, I like to take a moment to reflect upon my teaching career

and how could I do better to be a compassionate teacher. I believe that the
word compassionate is complex in real life examples. However, when an
educator is solicitous human, he or she understands the love that teaching
profession encompasses. Teaching compassion is about promoting
understanding and teamwork efforts among students. Overall, a
compassionate educator is thoughtful and adventures in bringing everyone
together.

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm

https://www.northcentralcollege.edu/news/2021/08/04/why-conflict-resolution-important

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-empathy-2795562
https://www.chester139.com/parents/breakfast___lunch_program/school_wellness_plan