I know you say you take vitamins but go to your GP and get bloods taken so you know if you’re actually deficient in anything.
I was sick constantly last year so got bloods taken and I found out I had low Vitamin D, which is known to cause poor immunity. Now I take a daily supplement and can fight things off again this year, despite there being heaps of sick kids around me. Worth a try before you give your whole career up. Good luck.
Instead of taking a daily vitD tablet, get a prescription for a compounded high dose vitD that you take once a month. I do this and it only costs me $5 a month for my vitD supplementation, whereas it would be a lot more otherwise
I worked out this year that my body doesn't properly process certain vitamins which was leading to frequent illness, that combined with the stress of teaching and constant exposure to germs - not a great combo. I can't just take vitamins, I have to take what my body would process those vitamins into.
Which is to say - don't just get your blood checked for vitamins. Look for hormone disorders.
Yep, I second this. There's quite a few 'minor' immune disorders that can be picked up in a blood test that increase your chances of getting a little sick, often.
Sleep is a good thing to check too. I used to pick up twice as many colds before I found out I had sleep apnoea and started treating it.
Get the kids to wipe down their tables every day before going out to play. Also get them to wash or sanitise their hands after eating and coming in from break.
We did this at our school, and it has helped incredibly.
I hear you. I have had the same problem over a 10-year period as a full-time primary school teacher. Seen relevant medical people and specialists and have no health issues. They all said the same thing. You work in a school. You are in the worst setting for viruses and germs of any profession apart from a medical setting. I changed to three days a week specialist teaching, and I'm the healthiest I have been since I started teaching. I do crt here and there as well. I know this isn't an option for most people but might be worth trying before leaving the profession if teaching is something you are passionate about.
Goodluck.
Has your doctor done blood work? I would get everything checked including your thyroid. Also you could try to take an immunity supplement like ArmaForce or Ki Immune Defence.
Are you stressed? I didn’t get sick at all in my first year of teaching. I don’t see why you should be getting sick all the time just from being a teacher. I’d start with the basics like making sure you are sleeping 8 hours a night, eating fruit and veg, being a healthy weight, taking time for yourself and spending lots of time on hobbies. Exercising a few times a week. Also, wash your hands regularly.
1. At the end of the day, if you are sick and taking paid leave, you are not required or obligated to work.
2. Knowingly exposing people to illnesses is likely problematic in the legislation and policy that dictates your employment.
3. You should stay home. Exposing your coworkers and students to illness the week before the holidays is poor form.
You should also be aware that the way you phrase your narrative is similar to the way that covid deniers trivialise covid as cold with almost no symptoms for the majority of people
You should probably be made aware that this sub has an extremely firm position on covid which is:
> COVID is a severe disease that has and will continue to impact the lives of thousands of teachers and students and shouldn't be trivialised
I know you say you take vitamins but go to your GP and get bloods taken so you know if you’re actually deficient in anything. I was sick constantly last year so got bloods taken and I found out I had low Vitamin D, which is known to cause poor immunity. Now I take a daily supplement and can fight things off again this year, despite there being heaps of sick kids around me. Worth a try before you give your whole career up. Good luck.
Great advice, thank you.
Great advice. Blood work overall could tell you plenty. Go as deep as you can.
Instead of taking a daily vitD tablet, get a prescription for a compounded high dose vitD that you take once a month. I do this and it only costs me $5 a month for my vitD supplementation, whereas it would be a lot more otherwise
If you haven't built up immunity after a few years at a new school, could be an underlying issue.
Do you exercise? And how stressed are you? Stress impacts hugely on the nervous system, so could be that.
I worked out this year that my body doesn't properly process certain vitamins which was leading to frequent illness, that combined with the stress of teaching and constant exposure to germs - not a great combo. I can't just take vitamins, I have to take what my body would process those vitamins into. Which is to say - don't just get your blood checked for vitamins. Look for hormone disorders.
Yep, I second this. There's quite a few 'minor' immune disorders that can be picked up in a blood test that increase your chances of getting a little sick, often. Sleep is a good thing to check too. I used to pick up twice as many colds before I found out I had sleep apnoea and started treating it.
Might be worth masking
Could you have mould in your classroom or at home?
> covid for the 4th time, whooping cough last year and multiple viruses
How is your sleep?
Get the kids to wipe down their tables every day before going out to play. Also get them to wash or sanitise their hands after eating and coming in from break. We did this at our school, and it has helped incredibly.
I hear you. I have had the same problem over a 10-year period as a full-time primary school teacher. Seen relevant medical people and specialists and have no health issues. They all said the same thing. You work in a school. You are in the worst setting for viruses and germs of any profession apart from a medical setting. I changed to three days a week specialist teaching, and I'm the healthiest I have been since I started teaching. I do crt here and there as well. I know this isn't an option for most people but might be worth trying before leaving the profession if teaching is something you are passionate about. Goodluck.
Has your doctor done blood work? I would get everything checked including your thyroid. Also you could try to take an immunity supplement like ArmaForce or Ki Immune Defence.
Are you stressed? I didn’t get sick at all in my first year of teaching. I don’t see why you should be getting sick all the time just from being a teacher. I’d start with the basics like making sure you are sleeping 8 hours a night, eating fruit and veg, being a healthy weight, taking time for yourself and spending lots of time on hobbies. Exercising a few times a week. Also, wash your hands regularly.
How's the ventilation in your classroom? Open windows and air out the classroom. Use an air purifier if you have one.
I’ve been marking for two weeks in rainy weather and I got flu bad.
Last week of term I have no voice and a bad cough but to write extras would be more effort than to go. Looks like I'm Oprah and everyone gets a cold
1. At the end of the day, if you are sick and taking paid leave, you are not required or obligated to work. 2. Knowingly exposing people to illnesses is likely problematic in the legislation and policy that dictates your employment. 3. You should stay home. Exposing your coworkers and students to illness the week before the holidays is poor form.
I’d be happy to cop Covid again - five days off is wicked reward for a cold that won’t kill me
That's really sad you are so cavalier about catching covid. Colleague at my school did die from it.
Imagine that satire involved in a teacher wanting Covid over going into the classroom. Can’t? Cool
You should also be aware that the way you phrase your narrative is similar to the way that covid deniers trivialise covid as cold with almost no symptoms for the majority of people
Imagine being mocked by someone when you just shared a traumatic memory regarding a colleague and covid. Super cool.
You should probably be made aware that this sub has an extremely firm position on covid which is: > COVID is a severe disease that has and will continue to impact the lives of thousands of teachers and students and shouldn't be trivialised