Staying Healthy

Since this is the most appropriate season for this question, I wanted to state that as a student in the education department, one of my concerns is sickness, as I am not very friendly to colds and infections. One of my upper respiratory infections took me out of commission for several days as one time I actually had forgotten what I had done in the last 3 hours and didn't know how I got to where I was. I also really despise colds and have become a bit of a germophobe.

What are some routines you have to avoid sicknesses?

Mine are adequate hand washing, disinfecting equipment regularly, and avoiding skin contact with surfaces that appear to be germ infested.

 

Wash wash wash your hands
Keep your own box of Kleenex
Drink lots of water
Healthy eating...lots of greens, fruit, lean proteins
Exercise
Plenty of sleep
Get a flu shot yearly

 

Get lots of sleep, keep hand sanitizer (and insist students use it, also), get a flu shot, and eat healthy.

 

Along with what's been mentioned so far, I NEVER use a student's pencil, scissors, etc. I feel like almost every time I do, I get sick. Now if I forget, I wash my hands immediately.

 

I also keep a friendly relationship with a neti pot to clear out my sinuses. As long as you use filtered water that isn't from a swamp, ignore all those urban legends about how you can get brain worms or whatever.

 

Any advice I could give would be worthless.... I'm sick with a cold right now.

 

When you get home immediately shower and change out of your school clothes!

 

I got really sick about 5 years ago while subbing at middle school. Since then I:
Get a flu shot
Wash my hands frequently
Only touch my face/eyes if I have tissue or my sleeve covering my hand
Avoid touching doorknobs and push doors with the back my hand
Don't let students borrow my computer, lotion, hand sanitizer
Wash my hands immediately when I get home

 

Hand sanitizer!!! Also, vitamins (Emergen-C is great! - take 2x daily as soon as you feel like you might be getting sick, I believe it has saved me multiple times), and regular exercise, healthy diet.

And, maybe just accept that the first year anywhere, you will get sick. When I moved to the area I am in now for my job, I had to adjust to the different climate and sicknesses/germs there, and was out for 2 days in a row my first year with something fierce.

 

I am required to shake the students' hands when they come, so I require that they get a squirt of hand sanitizer after they enter and I do too.

I agree with the above posts.

I also wash their desks, door knobs, pencil sharpener daily. Our custodian usually doesn't.

 

Requiring all students to use hand sanitizer seems excessive.

 

You probably wouldn't think so if you worked with third graders.

 

I would if it was my child and the teacher was pumping chemicals onto his hands as he entered the room because she was afraid of catching a cold.

Proper handwashing and basic sanitation is just fine, thanks.

 

Yeah, and if I was sure that my third graders used proper handwashing and basic sanitation, that would be great. But... they're third graders, and I don't go into the bathroom with them. I DO, however, see them sneeze into their hands and require a reminder to go wash their hands.

 

It may seem excessive, but if that's how you keep yourself from getting ill, so be it.

I personally don't like hand sanitizer, can't stand the smell of it. I've been known to open the door for a child so they can go wash their hands.

 

If a kid is showing symptoms of illness, I Lysol their desk after they leave, and I do all the desks at my planning, at lunch, and the end of the day. I also do the doorknob. Once a week, I wipe everything with Clorox wipes. I wash my hands and use sanitizer when I can't. I also take vitamins every day, and make sure to stay hydrated.

 

They have just touched my hands that have touched other kids' hands. If a parent ever complained, that kid wouldn't have to use the sanitizer, but until then, they'll all use it. I know they all don't wash their hands after they use the restroom and there are several nose pickers in the bunch. It's more to protect the kids than to protect me. I know I won't be putting my fingers into my nose and mouth after shaking their hands, but kids don't always have that kind of control.

I am sensitive to scents so I really don't like the sanitizer, but it is logistically impossible to immediately wash hands after our greeting.

 

I had a healthy class this year (in comparison to other years ). After some thinking about it, I realized I was because I had a student with a peanut allergy. My students had to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before they came into the room. I'm convinced ths helped.

As a teacher, I NEVER eat food that is in the teacher's room. I also never eat food that kids bring in. I've seen plenty of teachers get sick from eating 'public food'. I also wash my hands and face when I get home...and change my clothes immediately. I haven't been sick in years.

Oh no, I have probably just jinxed myself!!

 

No new or different strategy, but I wash my hands very often. Really, any time I come into physical contact with a student, I wash my hands. I work with little kids usually and am washing my hands often, since they like to hug and hold hands a lot. They also tend to get within my personal "bubble" more often than I wish they did, such as talking too close to my face, and I find myself taking a step back or asking them to. I also try to use my own pen and am conscious about when I touch my face. If I am going to eat anything at all, I wash my hands first. Sleeping for long enough each night and eating right make a big difference, too, for me.

I don't know if it helps at all, but I think I've been less sick these past couple of years than I was earlier on in my life when I didn't think about that kind of stuff. Then again, maybe I've just built up a resistance to the germs.

 

Wipe the steering wheel of your car down on a regular basis.
I use essential oils on a daily basis.

 

All of the above, including hand sanitizer for the kids.
I make everyone wash before snack and lunch. Years ago, I had them by the sink (we have one in the room) but it sucks up so much time that the sanitizer just is better. I have had kids ask to skip on the sanitizer and use the sink and that is not a problem at all!

Also, crack the window each day....even if it is super cold and only for a few min....it makes a world of difference!

Loveslabs, I have never used essential oils. What do you use?

 

I need to do that!

 

Lovelabs...and your cell phone & keyboards!!!!

 

I shake everyone's hand when they enter the room, and I'm not the most sanitation minded about little things.

I get sick a few times a year, but I figure it's unavoidable and I take vaccinations for the really bad stuff.

I've found that if you do get sick, staying warm by getting under tons of blankets, taking hot hot baths, and drinking hot fluids, induces a fever which can help to burn off the infection quickly (so avoid fever reducers), so if I do get sick, usually it is only for about a day, and I'm back in full force the next day.

 

I have never had a flu shot. I have never had the flu and I've been teaching for 20 plus years. Just noticing how many recommend it. Sometimes I think we have become "too sterile".

 

I agree that basic hand washing and sanitation is all you really need. There is no super secret and you will just drive yourself crazy if you constantly worry about getting sick. I work with very young kids so I am frequently coughed and sneezed on and pretty much in constant contact with their germs. I regularly wash my hands and sanitize surfaces and the toys, but it only goes so far. However, I get sick much less frequently now (1-2 times a year) than I did the first year I was working with little ones, so I think that a lot of it is simply developing your immune system so that you aren't as prone to catch every little thing that goes around.

 

I agree, kinderkids. The immune system is a powerful thing, give it a chance to do its job once in a while or else it's just going to weaken.

 

Don't touch your face. Wash your water bottle, coffee mug, etc. and don't use the drinking fountain. Use your own pen, pencil, eraser. The less you touch the better. I have students sneeze and cough on me from time to time. I just go to the sink and clean up.

Also wash your hands after using the copy machine or correcting student work.

 

Exactly! If we limit the power of it, it won't do it's job! We need to be exposed to germs in order to fight them. Washing hands with warm water and soap is what I would recommend.

 

People used to die of the flu a lot more in the past, too. They still can and do. You're fortunate never to have had the flu, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good precaution to take for people who work around children. Passing the flu onto a child could kill them. I had your mindset until I caught swine flu (H1N1). I was severely ill for an extended period, and I am young and healthy. I'm grateful that I wasn't working in a school during that period because I could have passed it onto the children. This current flu season has killed 147 people in the state of California so far, with more under investigation.

 

I wash my hands all the time, exercise, cook my own heathy food, drink water. I also drink mate tea, it is Argentinian tea known for being good for you. Also I try to drink glass of water with honey and drop of apple cider vinegar.
When I first start to feel sick, I take Umcka medicine, drink honey and warm tea, and for throat I take water with few drops of oregano oil,that some good stuff. If you open to it, acupuncture works well for flu.
Hope you all stay healthy.

 

As a classroom teacher, I'd have my kids sanitize their hands upon entering the classroom (first thing in the morning, after recess, etc.). Additionally, I'd always have them use hand sanitizer before lunch.

Most importantly, though, I taught proper sneezing and coughing technique (sneezing/coughing into the arm). My kids were great in terms of not sneezing or coughing into their hands.

I've built up quite good immunity over the years. I do, however, get my yearly flu shot!

 

Vaccinations are not about sterility. They're actually about increasing the effectiveness of your immune system by giving it a chance to come into contact with small doses of a virus and allowing your body to build the natural antibodies to fight it off if you ever do get infected with it.

 

When I first subbed in elementary, I got sick with a cold around October for the first couple of years...and then again when I got my own high school classroom (I had a break between subbing and teaching my own). It always happened around October.

Since, I've been doing it a few years, I don't get sick as much. I have allergies so I rarely know the 'clear nose' idea. I have my own personal hand sanitizer at my desk to use in a quick jiff and I have a huge bottle of sanitizer for the students. They don't use it a lot, mostly if they blow their nose in class (or right outside the door-they do this without me telling them *bonus*). Majority of my students will go to the bathroom to wash hands, again I have 14-18 year olds too. If I get a chance to go down the hall to the rr I'll wash my hands as well.

I don't think we should be in the fictional world that hand sanitizer is the greatest, I still believe soap/water is the best. But as some said, in a quick moment the sanitizer works fine. I never get the flu shot, I don't want THAT stuff in me. I've been fortunate to have a pretty solid immune system.

 

Have you ever watched a second grader pick his/her nose and then eat it? Have you ever watched a child pick the scabs on their arms until there is blood rolling down their arm? Have you ever watched a second grader lick their desk? Have you ever watched a second grader pick at the bottom of their shoe and then put their fingers in their mouth? Oh, I could go on, but it is early in the morning! Lol!

I have, so I believe there are times in which water, soap, and hand sanitizer are required and not the least bit excessive.

 

I would fight the shaking hands policy. That is completely ridiculous.

 

I use the Young Living brand only. The one oil blend is called Thieves. I apply it to the bottom of my feet. I also use it in a diffuser designed to diffuse the oil into the air. Thieves kills viruses and bacteria in your body and in the air.

I use the peppermint oil in my water. My water tastes great so I drink much more of it which I think is an essential part of staying healthy. Drinking the peppermint water has other benefits, but I don't have my notes handy to look at right now. There is also a lemon oil you can add to your water which has benefits as well.

I use lemon and lavender on my child's face to control teenage acne. I use lavender mixed with grape seed oil on the pads of my dog's feet to control his dry skin. I apply a blend called peace and calming to the back of my neck to help me sleep at night. I sleep like a baby!

I could go on and on because there is so much information to share about essential oils. I am really just in the beginning stages of learning, but what I have seen so far has been impressive. PM me if you want more information. You can also check out Young Living's website. They have a starter kit which is a great value and a great way to get started.

Yes, the oils may seem expensive, but you have to remember you are paying for quality. A little bit of oil goes a long way as well. The best part is they are all natural with no chemicals at all.

 

Interesting, thanks for sharing this! Can I ask why you like the Young Living Brand so much? I often use Yling Ylang in the winter, but there are so many brands out there to choose from...

 

I researched for about a year before beginning to use oils. I looked at how the oils are made, where the plants come from that they use to make the oils, the company's reputation, etc. Over and over what I read kept pointing me in the direction of Young Living. I spoke with my family doctor to gain his opinion. He also uses Young Living. He stated that is the only brand he uses on his children. Yes, he said he uses antibiotics as needed, but his first go to is the oil cabinet.

In the process of researching, I discovered a distant relative that uses the same brand on her family and in her business. She had also spent quite a bit of time researching the different companies before beginning to use Young Living.

 

My classroom doesn't have a (working) sink, so my students cannot always wash their hands. I keep hand sanitizer around for that reason.

I'm all for letting the immune system do its thing, but if I can help it out by killing some of the nasty germs, I will, remembering that kids have weaker immune systems, and that my teenagers generally do not have a great diet, sleep, and exercise routine going, and drink more soda than anything else. We've had student deaths at districts near mine due to H1N1 this year. Also, Norovirus has been going around this area. I'm not taking any chances with my students.

I hope they've all gotten a flu shot, and wish I could get one myself, but I'd have to have one specially compounded for me, and my insurance won't cover that. That's also why I'm so careful about germs.