Teacher- Worried about Being Sick

[arosenba]

I am starting student teaching in two weeks and will be at an elementary school. After that, I will be certified to teach in an elementary school. Before this, I have worked in an elementary school part-time for a year and a half. I am extremely nervous about getting sick or others getting sick around me. I am so terrified that it will happen to me or that a child will be sick. I don't know what to do or how to handle it. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to prevent getting the stomach bug as a teacher or how to deal with sick children? I love teaching so much but I am afraid that I can't do this and I have no idea how to cope with this. I am in counseling and we talk about this quite a bit but my counselor doesn't seem to have a lot of suggestions. I really need to figure out how to prevent myself from being sick and how to handle kids being sick in the classroom. Any advice would be very helpful, especially from fellow teachers who are emetephobics as well.
Thanks!
Ashley

[bodhi]

OMG you are brave. the first thing i might suggest is to talk to the school nurse and tell her/him about yourself.
this phobia has prevented me, in my life, from ever seeking to teach in a classroom, with any kids, young especially.
the other thing is maybe some form of breathing or meditative breathing might help to ease your fears. this is the 1st time i have posted
anything, just joined this forem. new to it. but amazed that it exists at all.
i am 65 and have lived with this my whole life. i started mediataing about 5 years ago and it has helped me a lot in life.
anyway, i hear you.....couldn't deal with my own kids when they were sick....my husband had to deal with them then. man, have i felt guilt about this for soooo long.....you really are brave. good luck

[Dairyfreelife]

I had to get out of teaching because of this stupid phobia. But I really hope I can maybe try again once I get over this fear and I will get better. Determined. I suggest working on your anxiety skills and continuing therapy. You can clean your classroom daily, especially during cold and flu season. Teach your children good hand washing skills such as when they come in from art/PE/music/library and recess and after they use the bathroom or blow their nose and before eating lunch. Teach them to use their elbow to cough too. If a child does vomit, call for the nurse and janitor and after they clean it up, bleach if you can and clean surfaces with Lysol III. If the bathroom is in your classroom and they got ill there, a bleach solution can kill any norovirus. Good luck to you and let us know how it goes.

[horsewoman]

Congratulations on your studies, sounds like you're very near getting your certificate. You must've worked hard getting this far, be proud! Please do not let this phobia keep you from fulfilling your dreams. Yes, someone may get sick sometimes, but MOST of the time it won't be that way. You chose to do this for a reason, you may become one of the best teachers a child has and really make a difference. Because of this phobia and anxiety, we are very sensitive and that in itself will make you better at connecting with the kids. You can do it, get some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you through the bad times and go for it!

[Soccergirlm21]

Well, some good news...if a child does get sick in your class...you can send them to the nurse! And even have another student walk them to the nurse I think parents are pretty good about keeping their kids home from school if the child is sick like that..or at least I hope! And another thing to keep in mind that kids have different illnesses from adults. So, something that makes them sick may not have the same effect on you. I commend you on becoming a teacher...that's my goal too! Please don't give up on your goal...teaching children is such a rewarding experience! I wish you all the best

[tiredofitall]

I teach 8th grade. My advice is to wash your hands as often as possible during the school day and never put them by your face unless they are freshly washed. Also never eat with your hands without washing them first. I also keep Clorox wipes in my classroom and I wipe down the desks every few weeks. While I do fear having a child get sick in my class I don't worry about it much because I am just so busy all day. My students are also older and, in theory at least, should know if they are going to be sick and should be able to get to the bathroom. Good luck. It is the best and hardest job. You will love it.

[EimsieG]

Well done! I teach in a primary school, 6-7 years olds for the past 2 years. It's just a fantastic job, even with the phobia I love it, and honestly you're so busy as a teacher you don't have time to be anxious! I always keep hand sanitiser on my desk and plastic gloves and plastic bags in a drawer, just in case, and I'd always wash my hands before eating. Sometimes kids do get sick, but you CAN deal with it! I've not caught any sv in three years teaching and a year as a classroom assistant, with plenty of kids ving. Also, you said you've been in classrooms for a year and a half, you build up an immunity being around kids so if you've not been sick yet, you're more than likely going to be fine! I find that it's kind of like free exposure therapy, you just have to deal with it! (Unless you're lucky enough to have a school nurse!) I was hopeless at first but I've gotten much more used to it now! having said that, I've a friend who's taught for 5 years and never had anyone v in her class, so it's not like it's a day to day worry! Couple of times a year at most! best of luck with your placement, it really is a great job!

[metric4]

I know it's hard to believe, but I joined nursing school with my emetophobia. I feel like once I'm working and getting into the busy schedule, people being sick around me starts to become less anxiety-causing. Even when people have been currently been sick while I was in my last clinical, I was task-oriented and focused on doing my job. Overall, what I'm saying is, I really feel that your phobia will not get in the way of you pursuing your career and being able to do it perfectly fine :-)

[KarMar]

I've been an elementary school teacher for 6 years and share the same feelings and fears. I got an SV my first year and my 4th year, but have been around sick kids 300x more than that. My school has sinks in the classroom so I wash my hands aaalllllll day long, never touch my face or my food. I've only had a student v in class once. I didn't handle it well and ended up getting in trouble for my "lack of professionalism." I was mortified and so ashamed. But then like all things, my admin forgot about it in a day and I learned my lesson. If it happens, stay calm, just send the student to the nurse with another kid, call the custodian and if possible take the rest of your class out of the room til it's cleaned up. The gym or auditorium, or if its nice even outside to play and get distracted for a bit.

I know this sounds weird, but the kids' resilience really motivated me. They get sick and then 2 days later they're back and bouncing around like nothing ever happened. They don't even think twice. I even talked to some of my students about my fear, and even at just 8 years old they were so wise and helped me tremendously. "Why are you afraid to get sick? If you do, just go to the doctor and you'll get better!" It's always true.

Other tips: tell your closest colleagues if you can. If there's an emergency in your room, make a plan so that another teacher can come watch your class and you go to theirs for a few minutes to cool down. Also, keep an eye on them. If someone looks unwell or is acting quieter than usual, a quick "you feelin ok, buddy?" can prevent lots of trouble. If they say they feel sick, send them to the nurse. (Or the bathroom).

Most of all, think about how much how power your immune system is building up by working in classrooms! I hear it takes a few years, but eventually you stop getting sick altogether! (We'll see if year 6 is finally my year!)

Teaching is one if the most important jobs, and when it's going well, it feels better than anything. So stick to it!! You will grow so much.

[KarMar]

....also, I'm sure this is common sense to most of you-- don't share their food! I always used to take up their sweet offers of having a cookie or something (hey, teachers get hungry and desperate). After I ended up with strep throat one year I traced it back to one kid sharing his food with me. Doh!

[Robbie A Carlson]

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