Teachers of grade school students sick more often than high school teachers?

[Grommitt]

I have a friend who is just starting her teaching career. Full time teaching positions are few in this rural location and she has had to accept part-time substitute assignments for the past year or so until a full time position becomes available. These assignments have been mostly substituting in grade school classes 3 or 4 times a week.

Since accepting these substitute assignments, she has been experiencing one illness after another on a weekly basis. Included are respiritory infection, laryngitis, strepthroat, sinus infection, and similiar illnesses. This week she has a case of pink eye.

She has been told by other teachers that they are constantly sick due to the germs that the grade school kids bring to school and spread around.

Based on the assumption that grade school kids carry more germs than high school students, she has decided to abandon her dream of teaching grade school and will now try for a high school teaching position.

I pointed out the 'post hoc, ergo propter hoc' error in her assumption the kids are making her sick and that she might apply some critical thinking before abondoning her career choice.

This post is simply to enquire of the teachers on the board. Do any of you know of empirical evidence to support the assumption that high schools are a healthier environment than grade schools? Anecdotal evidence would be appreciated, as well.

Thanks for your attention.

[crimresearch]

I would guess that one of our more medically inclined posters could address the issue of age related contagion.

I suspect that picking up pinkeye, etc. COULD be more common in lower grades (perhaps due to underdeveloped immune systems, and increased close quarters contact, making the little darlings walking petrie dishes ), and IIRC some things associated with high schoolers, such as mononucleosis, aren't as easily transmitted to adults.

Sorry that I don't have something more concrete to offer.

Paul

[cbish]

Grommitt wrote:

Quote:

grade school kids carry more germs than high school students,

I don't know about that.

One thing I'll tell you that you can pass on to your friend is that the first year you teach, you will be sick all the time. I was very ill about every six weeks for the first year. After that, I think you've been exposed to most "bugs" and your immunity builds up. Now, I get sick about every two or three years it seems.

Another thing. Don't waste your sick days being sick. If you can stand, you can teach. My standard is this; if I'm praying for death, then I'm sick. If not, I go to work. Sick days are for playing golf and stuff like that.

[Kiless]

... as a high school teacher, I've always believed that even though if you can 'stand' it's not right that you should put yourself and students at risk by passing on illness to them.

You also have to care for yourself. Trust me, no one will thank you when you collapse in front of the class. I've done that.

Bugger golf. I was told by my last Deputy Principal about how he met his 'supposedly dying' prac student around hole 16 at the local course after a school day.

Use your sick days to take care of yourself. Use the internet for a lot of other things that normally you'd go out and do - otherwise, sort it out with your boss. Even they have days where they're moving house, getting things delivered et al. I've found days where I've had the last hour of work scheduled off and as long as I'm not down for relief they'd let me go home. Everybody is human and a person will want to work harder at a place where they're both appreciated and acknowledged for the realities that they face outside of the job.

Yes, illness is part of the job, but it's part of any job where you're exposed to a lot of people. Doctors, nurses, etc., they come across illness too. I've got chicken pox twice and glandular fever from my workplace.

Even in saying that, I'm not 'sick' all the time or under the spectre of illness. Mostly it's stress.

Now, typing in my lounge at some unsavoury hour of the night in front of a roaring fire with woolly socks on, I can say that yes, I'm stressed about the parent-teacher night I've got tomorrow... but hey, if they know that I treat my students like human beings and consistantly ensure that they are being supplied with what they need for my subject, then I don't have anything to be stressed about, really.

If you want to do the job, do it. Health does depend a lot on you and what you let get to you.

...Although nits (cooties, I think you lot in the USA call them?) are a real b*stard in grade school. Thankfully I haven't had them since I temped for a Year 1 class. My long hair is happy about that!

[kittynh]

well, I have to admit that a three year old will sneeze right in your face. We have to teach them to cough into their sleeve, not their hand. Parents that work of real little kids will send them to school unless they are dead. The bad part is when they unplug the phone at work so we can't reach them!

You do build up an immunity, until that new bug comes along! the best thing is to bring along some antiseptic wipes or lotion so you can clean your hands often without having to go to the bathroom. Wipe the doorknobs and hope for the best. If nothing else, it makes your feel like you are doing something!


High school students tend to sit in their seats, and little kids will crawl in your lap - even in the lower el grades. But if your heart is with the little kids, stay there. After a few years you'll find you have a healthy immune system.

[Rob Lister]

This seems to be a really easy theory to prove one way or the other -- assuming you have access to the resources. You wouldn't even need subjective interviews. Just get access to a couple ten or twenty grade, junior, and high school sick-leave records for a rough analysis, or a couple of hundred for a really good one.

[Hand Bent Spoon]

I knew children were dirty! Dirty little scoundrels! Dipping pigtails in inkwells, hands eternally coated in jam. Dirty!