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Teachers share 22 ways they avoid getting sick

"I have never missed a day from work."

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash
boy in gray sweater beside boy in gray and white plaid dress shirt

Schools are germ cesspools. Parents know it, pupils know, and yep--teachers know it better than anyone. With sickness easily spread in close quarters like schools (and especially during the colder months), staying healthy can seem impossible.

However, some teachers seem to have immune systems of steel–or have simply mastered how to *never* get sick. Even when entire classrooms go down and out, some stand strong. How do they do it? Thankfully, they have spilled their wellness advice for fellow educators and parents alike. Here are 22 ways teachers avoid getting sick, according to teachers.

1. "I make sure to tell students how disgusting they are in very clear terms and enforce a hands washing and hygiene regimen in my classroom. For example, 'did you just eat a bag of chips and touch my computer?' Student: 'I used hand sanitizer...' me: 'go wash your hands now before you do anything else.' Less sick kids in my classroom and less sick me." – Fit-Meeting-5866

2. "No magic bullet - I got Covid for the first time this past year - but here is what I do and it is moderately successful:

  • Vaccines. No joke.
  • If you are able, open windows and air out the room as often as possible. When sickness is at its peak times, I will run the AC or heat and leave the door and windows open, if only just a crack. Air circulation is critical, I am lucky to have control and I don't have to pay that bill.
  • This one will vary according to building policy and your school demographics, but I leave my door open all the time unless we are being loud or there is a lot of commotion in the hallway.
  • I have a small fan at my desk that I use to blow the air away from my face. Kids just think I have hot flashes, but that's rarely true. I just don't want their funk.
  • Turn in as much work as possible online. Paper goes in the tray. Not directly to me.
  • I don't conference much anymore if I can help it. Makes me sad, but my spouse is Very High Risk, so I do what I gotta do.
  • Wash those hands
  • Keep that air moving out, if possible (yes, I know that is a repeat)
  • Sanitize your desk/tabletops as often as you can.
  • I don't hand out or collect pens, pencils, etc. anymore. They are also in a tray. Get one, take it if you need it, put it back when you finish. I don't want to touch it.
  • Avoid cafeteria, teachers' "lounge," hallways during passing periods, sitting in the crowd at pep rallies and assemblies (I always volunteer for door duty)
  • I sit behind them. They breathe forward.

Hope some of this is useful. Exercise. Eat well. Do something to de-stress." – Two_DogNight

3. "Never forget to wash your hands and don't get close enough to a student that you can smell their breath. I still get teacher crude every few months though. Also, when a kid asks to go to the nurse for a cold like symptom? Out comes the Clorox wipes for every table." – Sea_Row_6291

4. "I spray a cloud of Lysol out the door after every kid who's going to the nurse." – InDenialOfMyDenial

5. "Students may not cough or sneeze in your face, but they will on their assignments. Treat any paper that is turned in, as infectious." – Bumper22276

CoughSick Friends Tv GIFGiphy

6. "I teach over 300 students so I wear a mask, I sanitize my hands any time I sit back down at my desk or touch my personal belongings, and I try not to get too close to kids since I teach older students. I take vitamins and try to drink lots of water. I go for a walk every day and try to get a decent sleep so I'm not run down." – ladyonecstacy

7. "Don’t be afraid to where a mask when you know there is something going around. Drink lots of water, vitamins, wash your hands often. Have students help sanitize the desks and high touch locations. Have everyone put hand sanitizer on as they come into the classroom." – mashed-_-potato

8. "I still teach fully masked. I teach teenagers and they are pure Petri dishes and don’t take care of their own immune system. I have never missed a day from work for being sick from something you can catch." – UncomfyNobleGas

9. "This is a small thing, but the box of tissues goes as far from my desk as possible. That means sick kids don't come to my desk with their sniffles." – TeachingAnonymously

TissuesSick Flu Season GIF by Emma DarvickGiphy

10. "Sometimes when I suddenly feel tired and wonder if I’m getting sick, I’ll allow myself to plan a low prep day the next day instead of doing to 1-3 hours beyond my contact that I often need in the beginning of the year. One of the best vet teachers at my school plans a sick/personal day each month and has one of the experienced subs cover her class. She uses that day to recharge & recover. She rarely seems to get really 'really' sick." – JoyfulinfoSeeker

11. "In terms of catching whatever is going around the school, it comes down to proximity control. Don't get too close, don't let them get too close. Don't reach across them (I've had students sneeze on my arm..). Hand sanitize frequently. Don't touch your nose or your mouth. Wash hands often. Get some Lysol or Clorox wipes and routinely wipe down surfaces. If you have student supplies in your room, leave those for the students only. Don't share supplies with them. Don't let them use your stuff.

Otherwise, hydrate. I have a 32oz water bottle, and drink it down twice every school day. I don't seem to suffer from small bladder, so do whatever you need to do for you, but make sure you're hydrating regularly throughout the day.

Take a look at what you're eating. We've all been guilty of "teacher lunch" aka vending machine food (my go-to is a bag of funyuns and a cherry coke zero), but make sure that you're actually eating things with nutritional value and not just refined carbs and sugar. Eat good, feel good. Obviously this depends on your own dietary needs, but look... I'm guilty of dipping into the candy and snacks when I'm busy or stressing and it always makes me feel like shit.

In terms of stress management... I hate to oversimplify here but you gotta just... be less stressed. And I don't mean that in a dismissive way. First year you're panicking about everything, and you're now about to enter your 4th year. You know what is and isn't important, you know what is and isn't worth stressing over. Make sure you are drawing some boundaries.

Also, if you're just generally feeling lousy all the time, go to the doctor. I finally did after a few years of just generally feeling bleh and it turns out I'm slightly anemic. So we fixed that, and I feel better now." – InDenialOfMyDenial

12. "Same rule I had in healthcare: treat everyone like they have the plague." – MuddyGeek

13. "KN95 or better mask. HEPA filters and/or CR boxes. Open windows for ventilation. Clean everything." – youdneverguess

14. "If you can help it, avoid the school cafeteria. It's a giant petri dish of germs and bad hygiene." – JMWest_517

Cafeteriawalking eating GIF by South Park Giphy

15. "I don't see it listed yet, but don't eat in your room! And establish clear boundaries for your desk. Kids don't walk anywhere near it and don't touch anything on it." – positivesplits

16. "I got sick more than eight times my first year, teaching elementary physed, I was told by my doctor that the first few years this is going to happen and then after that, my immune system should be pretty good. And so far, I have only gotten sick a few times a year since. Immunity pro tip sure you’re eating healthy, or at least getting your fruits and veggies in. They can’t cure sickness. But many Americans are deficient in many vitamins, minerals, and vital chemicals that are helpful for immunity." – Plus_Bench_4352

17. "You need the following to not get sick often as a teacher

  1. Good sleep
  2. Exercise
  3. Diet
  4. 5 years of teaching experience to build immunity.

Half the shit my kid brings home from daycare gets my wife sick and doesn't touch me, because I've already had whatever it is." – MemeTeamMarine

18. "I am on year 21 and I used to get sick a lot. Now I do not. I have not changed my lifestyle at all. I eat healthy for the most part I honestly think it is the amount of citrus that I consume. I put true lime, grapefruit, or lemon in every single glass of water I drink. I eat oranges and clementines as snacks. In the last 5 years I have been sick with covid one time and other than seasonal allergies, no illness. Vitamin C is the only thing I can think to attribute it to." – User Unknown

LemonDance Dancing GIF by javadoodlesGiphy

19. "Vitamin C and D every day! Sanitize everything. Keep your hands clean and carry sanitizer with you. I use that stuff after I touch anything. Lysol spray between classes or have students sanitize desks. Don’t touch your eyes, nose, mouth, ears. That’s where most of your illnesses enter the body. Regularly remind kids hygiene practices that prevent the spread of germs." – User Unknown

20. "I personally eat Halls Defense Drops like candy. It’s a Vitamin C supplement. It’s also nice for soothing your throat after a long day. I know some people swear by elderberry supplements and Emergen-C as well, if you’re looking for that kind of thing. But besides that, a few basic practices:

  1. Practice personal space with your students. I have no problem telling my kids to take a step or 2 back if they’re way too close. My desk is a 'holy area' - they shouldn’t be behind my desk, even if I’m sitting there.
  2. If kids leave a tissue or trash on the floor, don’t pick it up. Yes, I understand wanting to make your custodian’s life easier. But if it’s a used tissue, you’re asking for whatever crap they have.
  3. During cold and flu season, spray or wipe tables at least once a day, multiple times if possible. You can also use an air freshener that has disinfectant in it (I think Lysol makes one).
  4. Model good hygiene habits for your students (no matter how old they are!). I have a sink in my class, and I occasionally wash my hands during class for whatever reason. It just reinforces those habits." – H8rsH8

21. "I got sick every two weeks one time during the winter. From November-April I was sick and I felt like crap the entire time going to work because I couldn’t keep taking time off. I bought elder berry/zinc mix through Amazon (liquid version). Put two full droppers in your mouth or drink. Not even joking, I haven’t been sick this entire year and if I did get sick, it was with a mild sore throat that went away in two days. Worked great." – Jiinxx10

22. "I teach math and the only papers that were coming in to me were the tests I gave students. I have them turn in their exams in to a folder away from my desk and I don't open it back up for 24 hours. When I started doing that, I noticed I stopped getting sick as often. Most of my good kids would still show up on test days when they're sick and gross and get all their germs over their papers." – broteus7

Health

Professor makes students put on surprise dance performance after catching them bored in class

“It was perhaps the coolest, most kind-hearted thing I’ve ever seen a college instructor do.”

Photo credit: @redadhdventures/https://www.canva.com/photos

When you're burnt out, you just gotta dance!

A Tumblr story from @redhdadventures is getting some attention after showcasing what learning in life is all about. In the post, she shares about when her Arabic college professor noticed the entire class was looking tired, restless, and overall rundown. Usually, a teacher would encourage their students to get a good night's rest after class, perhaps bring a coffee next time, or some other piece of advice before pushing forward with their lesson plan. This professor had a different solution: stop class and dance.


Seeing that his students were “dead inside,” he closed the textbooks and said, “That’s not healthy!” He then taught his students a dance he learned from Iraq, having them let loose and let the good vibes boost their energy. He didn’t go back to his lesson until he saw every student laugh and was able to confirm that each one was feeling better.

“It was perhaps the coolest, most kind-hearted thing I’ve ever seen a college instructor do,” remarked @redadhdadventures in the post.

The story made its way to Instagram in which commenters shared similar joyful, invigoration stories from their teachers:

“My high school German teacher used to do this. We'd be expecting a typical lesson/class, but she'd say, ‘Push all the desks to the back. Wir tanzen!’ 🕺😁”

“I had a linguistics professor like this. I remember one day it was beautiful and sunny. As class was about to start, he looked out the window and declared that it was too nice a day to stay indoors. We did our lesson in a circle on the lawn 😂”

“My ninth grade English teacher brought out jump ropes one day and had us go outside and jump rope for about half the class time and afterwards asked how we felt and everyone said that we felt like kids again. Core memories.”

Even fellow teachers shared their strategies when faced with depleted students:

“I used to dance with my 2nd graders during their 10 minute ‘brain breaks.’ They would tell me what Just Dance videos to play on YouTube and we would all follow along. 🕺🏾”

“I have given my high school students half an hour for nap time. They all said they didn’t need it but I turned down the lights and switched the music to soothing and one by one their heads dropped. I just let them wake up on their own time. About half an hour later they each woke up and started doing their work. I believe they were more productive after then if we persevered without a nap.”

College students dancingDancing can loosen the mood while improving your memory skills!Photo credit: Canva

Taking a break to boost students isn’t just good for the soul, science backs it up, too. A study by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke found that taking frequent, mindful short breaks while studying actually help the brain learn and retain new skills. It showed that the resting brain would repeatedly replay information while it rested, making it easier to retain and remember in the longer term.

Breaks are shown to be even more effective when they involve physical activity, especially dancing. Dancing can improve circulation and provide exercise without feeling like exercise, per a National Library of Medicine study. Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that dancing can also strengthen neuron connections, improve memory, and even combat dementia in our brains! This is partially music involved in dancing invokes emotions and thoughts within our minds as we move, along with our brains being stimulated as we try to remember the dance moves as we execute them. All of this stimulates and improves the parts of the brain that are associated with executive function, long-term memory, and spatial recognition. Our brains are also rewarded with feel-good serotonin chemicals due to the physical activity and social interaction that dancing provides, too.

Woman doing yoga in front of her laptopDoing a physical activity during a break from studying, such as dancing or yoga, can be beneficial to your health.Photo credit: Canva

So if you feel like you’re in a rut, your brain is fried, or you’re just feeling down, try just dancing it out. It may feel silly, but that’s kind of the point. Even if you’re bad at it, you’ll be able to make yourself feel better by laughing at yourself and from your body rewarding itself for it, if alone. If with a group, you’ll be able to all laugh together and feel better before attacking the next task ahead.

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Joy

Man teaching people in other countries how to dance online is the perfect mood booster

"This is exactly what we need."

Photo credit: Canva

Man unites people by teaching men in other countries American dances

Dancing is one of those things that comes easier to some people than it does to others. Having no rhythm seems to be a lot like being tone deaf: no matter how hard you try it takes a herculean amount of effort just to get it remotely close to what you're trying to replicate. But some people have rhythm and are simply untrained on how to use it which is when dance teachers or tutorials come in handy.

When TikTok was first developed, it was mainly an app where people made dancing trends and tutorials. You can still find dance videos on the app but it's mostly been taken over with skits, life advice, politics, trad wife content and more. But recently a content creator named Ace has been delighting people with random live videos of him teaching people from different parts of the world how to dance.

It's unclear how or when it started since it looks like someone came across the live and decided to screen record it. Ace uploads the screen recordings onto his platform putting them all in one place. It is truly like watching a impromptu dance class because clearly some of the dancers are repeat attendees based on their interactions. The "classes" seem to be full of men from countries that don't speak English so the communication is a little spotty at times but they make it work.

man jumping on the middle of the street during daytime Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash

In one video Ace is teaching them how to do the "superman" from Soulja Boy's song "Crank That." It starts off a little rocky as Ace speaks loudly trying to convey the five men need to copy his moves.

"Listen, follow me. What I do, you do. Got it? No own moves. Do not bring your own moves up here. I need you being precise" Ace shouts just before the music begins to play again.

That's when one of the men seems to have a bit of a personal issue happening with his backside that the TikTok dance instructor has to tell him to leave alone. The entire interaction is comical but wholesome. The men appear to be really invested in learning this dance

@thefvmousace I HAD TO TAKE EM BACK REAL QUICK😂 #trending #jokess #stream #fypシ #explorepage✨ ♬ original sound - Ace ♠️

In another video, Ace teaches a different group of men how to do Jackson 5's "ABC" dance. Of course the communication barrier had the instructor a little stressed. One man named Babar struggled to understand what Ace was asking him to do but eventually got it so the class could resume. People cannot get enough of these videos as they provide a form of escapism from stress.

One person asks, "Is the world…. Healing ?!???"

Another shares, "This is exactly what we need."

@thefvmousace Babar had me stressed 😂😂😂😂#jokes #streaming #trending #fypシ ♬ original sound - Ace ♠️

"TikTok gotta be the only place where u see America happy," someone else surmises.

"TikTok is a real view into the world usually. The news would have you believe we're in an apocalypse. Irl, most people are chilling," another person chimes in.

While Ace's dance classes won't actually bring world peace, it's certainly a nice break from the current stressors people are feeling. Besides, who doesn't like a little dance break?

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Joy

Watch this 13-year-old dancer blow away the professional choreographer who danced with her

Phil Wright said, he 'got smoked.' Yup.

Phil Wright/Instagram

Mariandrea Villegas dancing with Phil Wright at The Dance Awards.


Humans may not always recognize greatness right away, but sometimes it's so clear it simply can't be denied.

You don't have to be a dancer yourself to see when someone's got moves, and a viral video from choreographer Phil Wright spotlights a kid who's got moves. Like, wow.

Mariandrea Villegas may be tiny, but she packs a mighty amount of energy, skill, coordination and x-factor into her dancing. Oh and joy. Did I mention joy?

Villegas, 13, danced alongside choreographer Phil Wright at The Dance Awards and holy moly. She snatched the stage right out from under him.

"I think I got smoked," he wrote when he shared the video on his Instagram page. "I need to stop dancing with these kids. 😂 They’re low-key superheroes."

If Villegas is any evidence, he's right. Watch:

Upworthy shared the video on Instagram as well, and people loved it.

"When you find your passion at a young age, it’s a beautiful thing to see," wrote one commenter.

"And all with a smile on her face," wrote another.

"This kid is an absolute star 🙌" shared another, echoing the sentiment of the copious fire emojis in the comments.

Keep on dancing with joy and passion, Mariandrea! We can't wait to see more from you. (You can follow her on Instagram if you want to see what she's done up to now. It's impressive.)


This article originally appeared on 2.20.23

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