In honor of Heart Month and their Kids Heart Challenge program, DeWayne Reed, physical education teacher at Walker Charter Academy, brought in Tim O'Connor, Heartbeat LLC., to assist his eighth-grade students in earning their CPR certification.
The students were taught various techniques, including how to deal with a choking incident, perform CPR, and how to properly use an AED machine. Students performed CPR in groups of three, which allowed them to have a person in-charge to make sure it was performed correctly, as well as telling participants when to switch to ensure fatigue didn’t set in.
“The biggest takeaway was seeing the student’s confidence grow. Many of them going in were nervous regarding old forms of CPR and using mouth-to-mouth,” said Reed. “Once they were able to engage in the lessons and learn proper ways to perform CPR, their confidence grew, and they became excited.”
After seeing how great of an experience this was for his students, Reed hopes to bring O'Connor back in the spring to train his eighth-grade students in first aid.
“It is a valuable lesson that prepares the kids to be heroes, whether at school or somewhere else,” said Reed. “They have the knowledge and tools now to help save a life.”