Message 5: Lessons don’t only come from books. Your students don’t learn from your lessons alone. They learn from your words and actions. Show them that good health is important by quitting tobacco. Let them see that you take good care of yourself, so they learn to take good care of themselves. Aren’t you worth it? Aren’t they worth it? Learn to quit tobacco with our program. First picture in the Indian context: Female teacher teaching a group of students (4th graders) sitting on the floor Second picture in the American context: American teacher teaching a group of students Message 6: Lessons don’t only come from books. Your students learn from your actions—the good ones and the bad ones. If you use tobacco, they will think that tobacco is OK. You have so much power to influence your students. Send a positive message instead. Quit tobacco—show them that you take good care of yourself, so they learn to take good care of themselves. Aren’t you worth it? Aren’t they worth it? Learn to quit tobacco with our program. Picture showing Indian teacher smoking a cigarette Message 7: ‘We talk about a lot of things in the common room at school, like what we did over the weekend. Since I’m quitting tobacco, I had a chance to tell everyone what happened to me at a function on Saturday. A lot of people at the gathering were using tobacco, of course. In the past I might have felt strange saying no, but this time I said, ‘No thanks, I’m quitting tobacco’. I had to say it a lot! Suneeta was in the common room, too, and she said, ‘I know how hard that is to do! My husband had to say “no” many times when he was quitting’. It made me feel better to know that others went through the same thing. Before I could answer her, Rajeev added, ‘It’s good to hear these stories. I think about quitting sometimes, and this makes me feel more like I can do it. Also, the more people say “No, thanks!” at gatherings, the less I’ll feel like I have to use it to fit in.’ Learn to quit tobacco with our program. Picture of teachers and students sitting in a circle Message 8: Be a leader. Don’t use tobacco. ‘Over the years, I have known many teachers who use tobacco. I always wish they wouldn’t, for a lot of reasons. I worry about my best teachers getting sick and suffering from the health problems that we know tobacco can cause. I knew one who did have problems, and I saw how hard it was on his students. Just as importantly, I worry about the example the teachers are setting. I see the students watch their teachers and pay attention to what they do—both inside and outside the classroom. We teachers know that kids don’t miss a thing! As a teacher, you are in a position of respect and prestige—kids look up to you and listen to you. Teach your students about tobacco with your words and actions. Quit tobacco, and show that good health is important. Be the role model they expect you to be.’ Learn to quit tobacco with our program. |
Participants felt that messages based on social modeling communicated the benefits of quitting tobacco, and subsequent decreases in disease risk, well. The format worked for teachers as they pointed out that it was important for teachers (“as highly dignified persons in society”) to lead by demonstration. |
Merely providing bookish knowledge to children is not sufficient. A teacher needs to provide [information]…differentiating between good and bad habits. That is why we need to correct ourselves and become a role model. It is our duty to beautify their future. So, we shouldn’t use tobacco. We should make them learn and teach them the right lesson. This will improve their future and make a non-tobacco society. |
