How Teachers Can Avoid Getting Sick

Teachers are famous for catching every disease that comes inside the schoolroom. After years of teaching, I think I would be immune to every disease there is, but that is not the case. Over the years, I have discovered a few tricks to help me make it through the winter months, with little illness.

1) Teachers are always putting Kleenex on their desks for student access. I discovered this is about the worst thing you can do as a teacher. Students are coming to the front, grabbing a Kleenex, sneezing on you and your desk, and leaving their germs behind. With the smaller students, they even want a hug because they are sick. At the beginning of the year, I add Kleenex to the list of things a student should purchase. When small Kleenex packs go on sale, I purchase them for the students, and give them out as needed. This way, their germs stay at their desks.

2) Schools look poorly on students missing days. With standardized tests being the main focus of education, some administrators would rather have a sick child there than have him at home missing test review. I spoke with my administration to garner their support. When a child is sick, they agreed I could send him to the nurse, and send a polite note home asking the parent to keep the child at home. This seems to work. I have less sick students in my classroom than I use to have.

3) Provide hand sanitizer lotion to the list of needed items. Many people frown on hand sanitizer, thinking people are prone to OCD disorders that use them. However, I do not find as much resistance from parents with the sanitizer lotion. Not only does it keep germs down, but also student's hands tend to get dry from all the paper, art supplies, and dust. This serves both purposes.

4) Above all else, whatever the grade level, the first rule of business is to have a class on manners. Simply teaching a child to cover their mouth or cough in their shoulder goes a long way to avoiding germs in the classroom. We would hope all students had been taught these few simple rules, but that is not always the case.

5) Teachers need to remember to take care of themselves. Many teachers, afraid of getting in trouble, come to school sick. School districts allow teachers to take an allotted number of days off for sickness and personal business. I would advise teachers to take advantage of this when sick. It not only benefits you, but your students, keeping them from catching your illnesses.