Teacher Body Talk: Connecting Educator Dialogue to Student Body Image

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 39
  In Roundtable Session: Thinking and Teaching Differently: Teachers Confront Themselves

Abstract

How acceptable is it to refuse a cupcake from a student, comment on a coworker’s weight loss, or leave body-image education exclusively to health class? Educators across a wide variety of disciplines in Connecticut assessed their use of body-saturated dialogue in connection to its potential influence on student perceptions of body. This survey study examines the connection between educator language, body consciousness, and perceived impact of adult behavior on student self-image and esteem. This presentation will offer participants a comprehensive overview of survey findings as well as an an opportunity for discussants to collaboratively explore research and practice considerations that can be utilized to integrate body-conscious education into the very fabric of the school community.

Authors

• Emily Winter, Fairfield University

• Dr. Evelyn Bilias-Lolis, Fairfield University