How to Stay Healthy

One of the most difficult aspects of teaching is staying healthy enough to actually teach, especially in an early childhood classroom. This information is especially helpful for first year or student teachers.

Help! I’m sick all the time, when will it end? Every person is different, for me, it took almost 5 years of teaching Pre-K to get to the point where I was not sick all the time.  However, I did not discover many of the ideas below until the 5 year mark so maybe that was the key.

Here is my list of tips for staying healthy in the classroom:

• Flu Shot- I get one every year.
• Take a multivitamin and B12 daily during cold and flu season
• Lysol all tables/desks and doorknobs daily
• Wipe telephone and keyboard of computer with alcohol wipes weekly or after anyone else uses them.
• Never, ever use the same tissue box as the students, I keep my own on my desk on top of my computer- where the kids can’t reach. Kleenex now makes an anti-viral tissue that I like to keep a box of on my desk.
• Teach students to cough in their elbows and not their hands.
• Never use student pencils, crayons, or scissors etc.
• Never touch your face during the day at school, don’t rub your eyes, nose, scratch etc- it’s a hard habit to break but it can be done.
• Drink plenty of water daily- keeping hydrated is CRUCIAL to staying healthy. When I implemented a 3 bottle of water per school day rule I started to have fewer incidents of illness. I force myself to drink three bottles of water during each school day and I make sure I finish them before I leave each day.
• Sleep is also a crucial part of staying healthy. Get plenty of rest, at least 8 hours per night. I can almost guarantee illness if I start staying up late and not getting enough sleep.
• De-Stress- listen to relaxation music daily at school during planning times, after school, or at night before bed.
• Wash your hands up to your elbows as soon as you get home from school with hot water and plenty of soap. This will prevent you from bringing any germs home from school to share with your family.
• Change your clothes when you get home so you don’t spread germs from school around your house.
• Use Purell or other anti-bacterial type gels when you can’t get to a sink with soap and hot water.