NOT in MY classroom
He was a PE teacher multiple awards from the State "Teacher of the Year". She was an Elementary School Teacher. Both worked in the same Public School System. with a little over 40 years experience (her 10+/- him 30+/-) between them. Having been friends with both for many years I asked them one night going into dinner if either respectively would allow diabetic kids to test in their classrooms?
Their answer (and the vehimence) was literally appalling to me... Both adamently refused to let "any kids" test in their respective class rooms, regardless of the medical necessity.
They relageted that as being ONLY the nurse's pervue... the lancet devices were dangerous "weapons" (they meant it literally), the potential for communicable diseases via the "blood splatter", etc., etc. Two people who in all other respects were sane, rational individuals and worthy of my respect.... in that I felt were insane, dead wrong. I was pretty elliquent, framing and eliminating their IMHO irrational fears. They were intransigent... would not be budged for any reason. Thankfully/otherwise, they eventually married and moved elsewhere.
It took me completely off guard and was difficult to not be "rightous" with them over it. I let it go.... but muttering under my breath. The ADA was definately in place but they would hear nothing of it, and were confident they were on safe ground in their position.
Is their thinking understandable to you as teachers???
Stuart
Their answer (and the vehimence) was literally appalling to me... Both adamently refused to let "any kids" test in their respective class rooms, regardless of the medical necessity.
They relageted that as being ONLY the nurse's pervue... the lancet devices were dangerous "weapons" (they meant it literally), the potential for communicable diseases via the "blood splatter", etc., etc. Two people who in all other respects were sane, rational individuals and worthy of my respect.... in that I felt were insane, dead wrong. I was pretty elliquent, framing and eliminating their IMHO irrational fears. They were intransigent... would not be budged for any reason. Thankfully/otherwise, they eventually married and moved elsewhere.
It took me completely off guard and was difficult to not be "rightous" with them over it. I let it go.... but muttering under my breath. The ADA was definately in place but they would hear nothing of it, and were confident they were on safe ground in their position.
Is their thinking understandable to you as teachers???
Stuart
Tags: behaviors, classroom, diabetis, students, testing
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on -
Sorry. I just came across this. Appalling! But true. I dealt with some of this discrimination in school as a type 1. Unfortunately too many teachers share this opinion.
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Permalink Reply by Stuart on -
Hello Melissa:
It definately was appalling... a man whom I literally trust with my life, took a position I cannot articulate coherently. Lancet devices as a WEAPON 8 O.... droplets as dangerous??? A thought process that makes some
foolish assumptions.
What am I missing here????????
Stuart -
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Permalink Reply by FJ on -
Melissa before I go too far let me explain that I was in law enforcement for 7 years in that time I delt with all manner of bad situations. Only twice was I threaten with a gun or a knife and my contact with blood was limited. I the fifteen plus years I have been in education I have been covered in blood from breaking up fights more times than I can count, assulted twice and shot at once.
Education requires thah students lives be private. Period. They are not to know other students grades home status, economic status period. If one student tells another that is ok but the teacher cannot. Period no discussion. We are trained to the ninth degree to avoid body fulids. Yea right but that is the school policy. If we contact the fluids we were trained therefore the school is not liable. Students testing in the classroom is a privacy issue as much as health. Besides if the students is in need of health care we CANNOT give sugar wafers or anything else that is the nurse and health care. Right or wrong schools are lawsuit shy. Would I carry a student the nurse to be tested you bet but I want them there and not in the classroom. Kids are far too cruel anyway without having blood testing in the classroom. Just imagine what the kids would say behind the teachers back to one another. That is real world sorry. But you did miss a little. -
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Permalink Reply by Stuart on
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Hello FJ:
Wow, thank you for taking part. You have a unusual and unique perspective.... lets talk about this.
This so called "privacy" (completely artificial barrier) does absolutely nothing to protect the children in this context. That is to protect the school against so called ~bodily fluids~ lawsuits period. If it a completely hysteria based idea.
And if a child doing any bloodtest looses that much blood we are talking hemophylia not diabetes as being their worst medical problem. Regardless this kind of bizarre policy isolates, and paints a target on the backs of diabetic kids. "...HEY FJ's gotta go to the nurse to get/do diabetic X (and gets outta this class doing it). Forcing us to go solely to the nurse makes a public specticle, and rents any hope of so called "privacy" ever again. Its again totally artifical, false. We're not talking injections in class, we are talking about testing/feeding as a medical necessity to prevent immediate danger.
Forcing them to go to the "nurse" makes an easily preventable situation, both far more disruptive and tangibly more dangerous. Free falling bloodsugar does not suffer literal ignorance (delayed response) well.... EVER.
This too is "real world". I am curious of your perspective...
Merely my opinion, I could surely be mistaken,
Stuart -
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Permalink Reply by Linda G on -
I don't think I truly would care what my outcome would be as a teacher....if a child in MY care was having a reaction, I WOULD choose to give them a dextrose tab....or glucagon rather than seeing them die. period. Good God!!!!
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Permalink Reply by MomsL8 on
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OMG! I help T1 kids test all the time in my classroom. The nurse at all the schools I've ever worked at sends me all those kids because she knows I won't freak out. Truly ignorant, truly.
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Permalink Reply by Stuart on
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Apparently I live in a state that has a lot of bizarre ideas too. Middle school kids ONLY allowed to goto the nurse's office to do their thing, food, candy forbidden (even in context) etc.,etc.
The system is truly broken I fear... -
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Permalink Reply by Linda G on
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My gosh...it's an actual phobia!!! (shades of the dark ages!)
Where are these kids suppose to test?? The"nurse's" office? (Not every school HAS such a luxury!)...the washroom? Now THERE'S sanitary for you! Regardless, the lancing device STILL requires to be used...and drops of blood may still drop on the floor, so what dif. does it make WHERE they bloody (no pun intended) well test?
Those teachers perhaps had the support of the school board, otherwise why would they not fear a reprimand for their irrational behaviour? -
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Permalink Reply by Stuart on
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Hello Linda:
There was no repremand for either of them. They were on SOLID ground. The places they both had worked was not unusual for kids to have bone-fide weapons, of which a "lancet device" they believed to be one. Yeah "...and four people were killed today by lancets again at the local elementary school..."
I wish I could tell you where someone is "supposed" to test... long as they don't hit/use an artery toget it why care?
Stuart -
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Permalink Reply by Marcia Skidmore on -
That is sad and bizarre! And just doesn't make sense.
I'm on the top floor and the nurse's office is downstairs. I let kids keep their snacks in my classroom minifridge all the time so they don't have to go up and down all day - especially in a pinch. But most of them just carry tabs. I can't imagine running up and down stairs during a low. In response to sending them to a school nurse - We don't always have a nurse, she's only in the building a few hours each day and lets face it - ours are somebody's grandmother with a little free time needing a little money. They have a little bit of first aid training and that's it.
My kids can test anytime, snack anytime. If they want privacy they can step out and use the hall or an empty classroom or go downstairs but they would rather not take that long out of class. The other kids pretty much ignore it. Heck, I've been known to keep on lecturing while I do a quick test. I'm inner city so I know the difference between weapons and lancets. Those educators need an education!
Just when you think you've heard everything . . . -
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Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on
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I hear you on the "somebody's grandmother" with a little first aid training. I'll never forget a nurse a couple years ago trying to give me juice when my BG was almost 400 and I had thrown up while making copies in the library (infusion set had fallen out and I hadn't realized it). I'll never forget her face as she stared at the red and white classic BD arrows (up and down) chart in every school nurse's office since I was a little kid, trying to figure out what to do.
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