Diabetic teachers?

[TabbyL]

Newly diagnosed T2 Drama teacher

I've told my dept colleagues (the three I'm closest to), the Head and our First Aid team. Time will tell how I cope.

However, 8 weeks to summer hols


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[lizdeluz]

Welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but it was sensible to tell the people who need to know straight away. These 8 weeks of the summer term will be a good time to monitor your diabetes and the way your teaching day might impact it. Any questions, we're here to try to help!

Newly diagnosed T2 Drama teacher

I've told my dept colleagues (the three I'm closest to), the Head and our First Aid team. Time will tell how I cope.

However, 8 weeks to summer hols


Sent from my iPad using DCUK Forum

 

[1abRat]

I was a secondary science teacher before I ran away to HE! I always just tested my sugars in class and when the students inevitably asked what on earth I was doing I explained.

Quite often there were diabetic students in my classes and I thought it was very important to set a good example to them and show that it's nothing to be ashamed of. I also used to inject in class if needed (under my desk in my stomach).

Occasionally I had hypos during lessons (once when Ofsted were inspecting - fun times) but would just drink a bit of the Lucozade that was ALWAYS in my desk and/or bag and carry on. Any kid that moaned about me drinking Lucozade in class would usually get an eye roll and possibly a witty comeback depending on how wobbly I felt at the time!

If you're on MDI or a pump then skipping lunch because you're too busy is no better or worse than a non-diabetic as you would just skip your lunch bolus.

It wasn't around when I was teaching but I can imagine that a Freestyle Libre would be great to have in the classroom. It would have been very interesting to see just how much my bottom set Y9 and Y10 classes spiked my sugars! Just made sure the little darlings don't make off with your reader as I did once have my Accu Check mobile nicked off my desk by a very naughty Y7 boy once. He returned it in tears an hour later because his friend had told him I would die, I didn't let him know I'd just gotten the spare from my car.

Good luck with the roller-coaster of teaching! Diabetes is no obstacle at all; it's the paperwork that's killer

 

[lizdeluz]

I was a secondary science teacher before I ran away to HE! I always just tested my sugars in class and when the students inevitably asked what on earth I was doing I explained.


Quite often there were diabetic students in my classes and I thought it was very important to set a good example to them and show that it's nothing to be ashamed of. I also used to inject in class if needed (under my desk in my stomach).

Occasionally I had hypos during lessons (once when Ofsted were inspecting - fun times) but would just drink a bit of the Lucozade that was ALWAYS in my desk and/or bag and carry on. Any kid that moaned about me drinking Lucozade in class would usually get an eye roll and possibly a witty comeback depending on how wobbly I felt at the time!

If you're on MDI or a pump then skipping lunch because you're too busy is no better or worse than a non-diabetic as you would just skip your lunch bolus.

It wasn't around when I was teaching but I can imagine that a Freestyle Libre would be great to have in the classroom. It would have been very interesting to see just how much my bottom set Y9 and Y10 classes spiked my sugars! Just made sure the little darlings don't make off with your reader as I did once have my Accu Check mobile nicked off my desk by a very naughty Y7 boy once. He returned it in tears an hour later because his friend had told him I would die, I didn't let him know I'd just gotten the spare from my car.

Good luck with the roller-coaster of teaching! Diabetes is no obstacle at all; it's the paperwork that's killer

Ha! This takes me back! One thing that used to amuse me was that students with diabetes would sometimes be taken out of lessons to have a walk or run round the field with a teaching assistant/carer/first aider! Unfortunately, as a teacher with diabetes, I wasn't offered the same....

 

[Chris Thailand]

Teacher with T2 here. My head quietly confessed to me after my hospitalisation and diagnosis that she was too and we've become quite the little cabal sharing info, sugar-free tit-bits and how we're both doing as we walk our diabetes journeys. Do tell people who matter and have influence; it can be more positive than you'd expect.

I tested once in the school lunch hall, discreetly, and was told by a primary student who noticed , 'you're diabetic, my grandmother does that to test her sugar'.
From the mouths of babes and sucklings!

 

[hdragon]

hi there to all teachers with diabetes I worked for thirteen years as a primary teacher both in England and Hong Kong so I understand well the problems we have trying to balance things out. it's difficult but I found it better if you tell all about your situation so they can help you . I had wonderful assistance in the classroom and throughout the whole school who kept up to date with how I needed help at times and even discussed it with the students in the room so they were fine if I needed to have a snack at strange times/. be open , discuss what's happening to you share your condition. it seems strange but it does help everyone. be careful in this extreme weather signs are difficult to see and deal with at the moment. lots of fluids and plenty of snacks handy help. I have had to retire and do miss teaching due to ill health issues. some heads find it hard to work with us but not all. there are some good heads out there. I hope this helps and encourages any teacher to talk more.

 

[Elleon12]

For diabetics living in Texas, there is a state law stating that each teacher must have 30 minutes for lunch. Uninterrupted.