You know, one thing that teachers struggle with on a day to day basis are the individual needs of their students – as a sub, when you walk into a classroom where a student has specialized needs, it can really ramp up the pressure you feel. Recently, I was called in as a floater. In other words, I’d go where they needed me throughout the day. Sometimes, you get a class where you teach all day and sometimes you don’t.
That day, I was assigned to a kinder class and that was fine. I like kindergarten, they’re young, they’re fresh and for the most part, they don’t have a lot of bad habits. I was prepared for this, but it was more difficult when I read in the teacher’s notes that one student had severe food allergies as well as an insect allergy. There were specific things that needed to be done to address those allergies as well as an epi pen and emergency kit that I needed to keep on me at all times.
I was also required to carry a walkie-talkie in the event of an emergency. Another student in the class suffered from asthma and I would need to make sure he went to the nurse at least three times during the day to use his inhaler. Still another student was on nebulizer treatments for a rather nasty bout with congestion.
The Pressure is On
As a mother, I feel keenly when kids are potentially in danger. As a teacher, I am hyper aware of what is going on in the class, specifically if the kids have needs to be met. But even I have to admit, that the pressure is increased three-fold when you have to watch several students like a hawk – especially one that suffers from deadly allergies.
Thankfully, I do know how to use an epi pen and I confirmed it with the nurse because I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing. I also know that my tension levels were very high each time we stepped out of the classroom.
You want to do your best as a sub, but if you are assigned to a class like this and you don’t know how to use the specific medical intervention or are not comfortable with doing so, you need to alert the school immediately. Safety should always come first for both the students and yourself.
Being a sub can be challenging enough, don’t take on more than you can handle.