Teaching in Sickness and in Health

As a student, I had to struggle in school balancing my classes and a lot of medical issues I had popping up. I'm very big on advocating for students, because without the help of some of my teachers, it's likely that I wouldn't be here today. Teachers are the last line of defense for students, and they should take that part of the job very seriously. The classroom is a safe space in all meanings of the word

My Story

I suffer from multiple health conditions, but the one that I experienced the most conflict with in the classroom were my allergies. My allergies range from your average bout of sneezing from dust to full-blown anaphylaxis when being in the same room as mint. This was really hard when kids would bring candies and gum into class because I needed immediate medical attention whenever this happened.

It is crucial to me that my students never have to experience something like this. School is hard enough as it is. You're growing up. You're losing and gaining friends. Your relationships and dynamics with your family are evolving or devolving into something new and a little scary. So many things are happening all at once, and having to worry about your physical safety like that is not something I will let happen to my students. I am also a big advocate of teachers having suitable first aid kits in their classrooms, not just the little pack of bandaids given out at the beginning of the year. All teachers, in my state, have to have CPR and First Aid training, so I think that we should act like it and dive deeper into those health classes. Our healthiest kids should have the same support as the ones not given that edge in life.

Here is more about how my allergies have impacted my life. I gave a speech on allergies and what to do if someone you know can suffer from severe anaphylactic reactions, and then the students also did a Question and Answer session with me about my personal experience. If me sharing some personal details can help someone else get the conversation started on treating their own allergies, then I don't mind the questions at all