Question for those that teach kids

[skribs]

Whether it's a normal teaching job or as a martial arts instructor...how long did it take teaching before you stopped getting sick?

I've been teaching at my dojang for about 4.5 years now. I had pretty much avoided interactions with children for several years prior to that. Well, since I've been teaching, I've been sick probably 25-30 times, or around 5-6 times a year. How long should it take before my body gets used to the germs that these incubators bring to class and I can expect to be a bit more reliable?

 

[Christopher Adamchek]

Ive been teaching little kids classes at our dojo for over a decade and never had this problem
Not to talk down to you but watch what you touch (items and later your person), wash your hands often with a soap surfactant rather than a disinfectant

 

[Yokozuna514]

When it's cold and flu season we refrain from shaking hands with the 'infected' but we do it in an informative way so that they do not not feel isolated. I also typically tell people to stay home if they aren't feeling well, not because they cannot hack it but so that they do not infect others. When I do shake hands with someone that is infected, I try not to touch my face until I've had a chance to wash my hands. I've been working with kids in sports and karate for over 15 years and I rarely get sick (knock on wood). It still happens from time to time but that's generally when I feel run down. I try not to go in when I am feeling this way.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Like Christopher, I've never had that issue. I taught kids' classes for a couple of years at my instructor's school (it's pretty much part of getting to BB there), and didn't notice any spike in illness. I didn't take any particular precautions (this was before hand sanitizer was a common condiment) - I just didn't seem to get sick any more often around them. Well, at least not physically. Some of them were quite a joy to work with, and some were downright sickening.

 

[Tez3]

Like Christopher, I've never had that issue. I taught kids' classes for a couple of years at my instructor's school (it's pretty much part of getting to BB there), and didn't notice any spike in illness. I didn't take any particular precautions (this was before hand sanitizer was a common condiment) - I just didn't seem to get sick any more often around them. Well, at least not physically. Some of them were quite a joy to work with, and some were downright sickening.

I not only teach children martial arts but am also a Guiding leader so constant exposure to kids, I don't get particular ill or catch things from them. I agree though some kids are sickening!
Not a martial arts kid but I do have a 7 year old Brownies who has the most massive tantrums I have ever seen anywhere, not 'temper' as such but very real anger when she doesn't get what she wants or is chosen for things. She is a real trial to work with, she leaves me and other leaders with very real headaches.

 

[skribs]

I not only teach children martial arts but am also a Guiding leader so constant exposure to kids, I don't get particular ill or catch things from them. I agree though some kids are sickening!
Not a martial arts kid but I do have a 7 year old Brownies who has the most massive tantrums I have ever seen anywhere, not 'temper' as such but very real anger when she doesn't get what she wants or is chosen for things. She is a real trial to work with, she leaves me and other leaders with very real headaches.

I think the hardest tantrums for me to deal with are the ones where the kid is upset with themselves for a mistake. I mean, I want kids to be aware when they make a mistake that they need to fix whatever it is, but when a kid makes one mistake and starts crying and screaming because "I'll never be good at this" it's hard.

I don't know whether to be encouraged or discouraged by this thread. On the one hand, I was thinking I might need to quit teaching if I can't get a handle on my health. Which would suck, because I love teaching. On the other hand, it makes me wonder why I'm getting sick when none of you are.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I not only teach children martial arts but am also a Guiding leader so constant exposure to kids, I don't get particular ill or catch things from them. I agree though some kids are sickening!
Not a martial arts kid but I do have a 7 year old Brownies who has the most massive tantrums I have ever seen anywhere, not 'temper' as such but very real anger when she doesn't get what she wants or is chosen for things. She is a real trial to work with, she leaves me and other leaders with very real headaches.

The ones that drain me the most are those who simply won't try, because they feel entitled to do whatever they want, whenever they want.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I think the hardest tantrums for me to deal with are the ones where the kid is upset with themselves for a mistake. I mean, I want kids to be aware when they make a mistake that they need to fix whatever it is, but when a kid makes one mistake and starts crying and screaming because "I'll never be good at this" it's hard.

I don't know whether to be encouraged or discouraged by this thread. On the one hand, I was thinking I might need to quit teaching if I can't get a handle on my health. Which would suck, because I love teaching. On the other hand, it makes me wonder why I'm getting sick when none of you are.

Thinking about it, my experience might not be so odd. I traveled a LOT in my early career - often on 6 planes a week. That's a lot of exposure to other people, and then you add in all the time I spent grappling with folks at the dojo. I might actually have gotten my immune system ready for the kids. I was almost 30 when I started teaching kids, so had spent most of my 20's exposed to some environments that make the immune system work, and was still pretty young.

As for Tez, she's just warped.

 

[Yokozuna514]

I think the hardest tantrums for me to deal with are the ones where the kid is upset with themselves for a mistake. I mean, I want kids to be aware when they make a mistake that they need to fix whatever it is, but when a kid makes one mistake and starts crying and screaming because "I'll never be good at this" it's hard.

I don't know whether to be encouraged or discouraged by this thread. On the one hand, I was thinking I might need to quit teaching if I can't get a handle on my health. Which would suck, because I love teaching. On the other hand, it makes me wonder why I'm getting sick when none of you are.

Don't be discouraged. There is a number of reasons why you might be catching colds and I suspect most of them have to do with your immune system being stretched. If you are stressed out or tired all the time, the body may not be able to combat the little germs the kiddies bring with them.

Kids that cry after making a mistake because they will 'never be good at this' may have other issues that have nothing to do with the lesson being learned. I have found that a brief chat after the session allows me more time to assess the problem better. Trying to determine why they feel this level of frustration is important to understand how to deal with the issue. Hopefully the parents can also shed some light BUT in the end, most of those kinds of kids need a smaller group to find their confidence.

 

[skribs]

Don't be discouraged. There is a number of reasons why you might be catching colds and I suspect most of them have to do with your immune system being stretched. If you are stressed out or tired all the time, the body may not be able to combat the little germs the kiddies bring with them.

Kids that cry after making a mistake because they will 'never be good at this' may have other issues that have nothing to do with the lesson being learned. I have found that a brief chat after the session allows me more time to assess the problem better. Trying to determine why they feel this level of frustration is important to understand how to deal with the issue. Hopefully the parents can also shed some light BUT in the end, most of those kinds of kids need a smaller group to find their confidence.

I've seen this with a lot of kids, and I think it's part of growing up. It doesn't happen with everyone, but I don't think they're old enough yet to have an underlying issue. (My degree is in psychology, so I at least know a little bit about this).

As to my initial question...I started working at a hospital 4.5 years ago. I also started working at the dojang 4.5 years ago. Same day. Previous to that I was only working one job, which was an IT position for the organization, so there were rarely any kids in the office (maybe twice a year there would be a kid in my office). So I think it's a combination of the hospital germs and the kids germs.

 

[Yokozuna514]

I've seen this with a lot of kids, and I think it's part of growing up. It doesn't happen with everyone, but I don't think they're old enough yet to have an underlying issue. (My degree is in psychology, so I at least know a little bit about this).

As to my initial question...I started working at a hospital 4.5 years ago. I also started working at the dojang 4.5 years ago. Same day. Previous to that I was only working one job, which was an IT position for the organization, so there were rarely any kids in the office (maybe twice a year there would be a kid in my office). So I think it's a combination of the hospital germs and the kids germs.

Those kids will be fortunate to have a teacher that also understands psychology. True, not all kids have an underlying issue. Some have just not be disciplined when they were younger or were over disciplined, if you know what I mean.

Hospital germs and kids germs may certainly stack the odds against you staying healthy. Good luck and keep at it.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I've seen this with a lot of kids, and I think it's part of growing up. It doesn't happen with everyone, but I don't think they're old enough yet to have an underlying issue. (My degree is in psychology, so I at least know a little bit about this).

As to my initial question...I started working at a hospital 4.5 years ago. I also started working at the dojang 4.5 years ago. Same day. Previous to that I was only working one job, which was an IT position for the organization, so there were rarely any kids in the office (maybe twice a year there would be a kid in my office). So I think it's a combination of the hospital germs and the kids germs.

Just wanted to interject-a 1 year old is old enough to have underlying psychological issues. So unless your teaching people out of the womb, thats always a possibility

 

[Buka]

Kids? You mean those, short, loud, sticky things?

 

[Tez3]

I think the hardest tantrums for me to deal with are the ones where the kid is upset with themselves for a mistake. I mean, I want kids to be aware when they make a mistake that they need to fix whatever it is, but when a kid makes one mistake and starts crying and screaming because "I'll never be good at this" it's hard.

I don't know whether to be encouraged or discouraged by this thread. On the one hand, I was thinking I might need to quit teaching if I can't get a handle on my health. Which would suck, because I love teaching. On the other hand, it makes me wonder why I'm getting sick when none of you are.

Those I'm used and I understand how hard it is when you are trying and it won't work, this girl's tantrums are something I have never seen before in years of volunteering and teaching kids. It's the 'I want that', 'I have to sing/show/do it' she accuses the other girls of cheating in games, says they are horrible to her and has an attitude of such entitlement we are at a loss what to do. We've done all the tried and tested means of dealing with a tantrum but we now think something isn't right, that there is a bigger problem.

On the original subject though are you run down or have anything else that might make you susceptible to catching things? Are they coughs and colds or worse things, I know that children not being vaccinated has become a worrying trend, I lived through a polio epidemic so am more than aware of the need for vaccinations and have also seen how emotive this subject is now. The other thing is the parents, we make it quite clear that if the kids are sick they don't come ( this is martial arts and Guiding) we've had kids who have been off school before and still come to the activity which is not good.

 

[dvcochran]

Whether it's a normal teaching job or as a martial arts instructor...how long did it take teaching before you stopped getting sick?

I've been teaching at my dojang for about 4.5 years now. I had pretty much avoided interactions with children for several years prior to that. Well, since I've been teaching, I've been sick probably 25-30 times, or around 5-6 times a year. How long should it take before my body gets used to the germs that these incubators bring to class and I can expect to be a bit more reliable?

You are in a cooler region. Is this not somewhat normal? Do you get sick year-round or just in the fall/winter? It is as much about boosting your immune system with increased physical health and diet as it is exposure. Have you had a health check to see if your body is deficient in something? Supplements may help a ton if you can figure out which ones you need. A multi-vitamin isn't enough for some people. Diet & lifestyle has a lot to do with it. And of course it could be genetics.

 

[skribs]

You are in a cooler region. Is this not somewhat normal? Do you get sick year-round or just in the fall/winter? It is as much about boosting your immune system with increased physical health and diet as it is exposure. Have you had a health check to see if your body is deficient in something? Supplements may help a ton if you can figure out which ones you need. A multi-vitamin isn't enough for some people. Diet & lifestyle has a lot to do with it. And of course it could be genetics.

I am adjusting my diet. Let's just say I'm not a good role model when it comes to diet. My excuse, however legitimate, is that without a sense of smell, I don't know when food goes bad. As a result, my diet is mostly processed food and fast food.

And yes, PNW. We have a "flu season" but pretty much any time kids get back from vacation is flu season.

This one just hit me pretty hard, because I was coasting on a 102 fever for like 3 days, and because this is the first one that's going to cause me to miss judging tests. I can't even go watch my nephew test for his yellow belt today, because I haven't had my fever broken for long enough. This Friday, my Mom is testing for basically Black Belt 1.1 (an intermediate test between degrees), and there's the black belt tests for several kids that started taking class around when I started teaching. There's a guy I basically dragged into the Master's office to test (because he's been ready for months and kept saying no) and I told him I'd be there for his test. And there's a girl that helped me with my 3rd degree test that's getting ready to test for her 3rd degree, and she was counting on my help (which I won't be able to give).

So the last ones it's usually been about me missing a few classes and getting back into it. But this is a pretty big week for me to be on the sidelines for.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Kids? You mean those, short, loud, sticky things?

I see you take my view of the little buggers. I once proposed starting a kids' program to give parents some time off, operating it like a coat check. It involved hooks on the wall and duct tape. The Hobbit didn't think it would work.

 

[Tez3]

I like children, teaching them, spending time with them, they are interesting and amusing, they also keep you young minded. I even like our very very difficult one, I just don't know how to deal with her. Her father is a nightmare though, he's a warrant officer in the army quite tall and one of those that likes to invade your space, stand toe to toe with you so that you move backwards, I don't. I will stand there and talk to his chest, he can move. I'm always happy to have someone who does that, I find from a martial arts point of view it's easier to talk them down ( being a smaller person) there is no way his daughter is ever coming to my martial arts with her behaviour.

 

[_Simon_]

Ah yep! I help out in the kid's classes and I have gotten sick every now and then... I just took extra precautions, made sure to not touch my face or any food I'm eating until I've washed my hands after class thoroughly. And the kids all line up and we bow and shake every single one of their hands individually after every class!

Like said before it may be your immune system or deficiencies, especially in times of stress and exhaustion you can become more prone to getting sick.

I also taught primary school kids piano for 4 years, so I washed my hands alot in that time . I somehow kept forgetting to wipe down and disinfect the keyboard though... whoops! Some of the kids were quite grotty... sneakily picking their nose then playing the piano, sneazing onto it, or somehow spilling food onto it!

Sorry you had to miss those classes, I'm always shattered if I miss a kid's grading or grading results class.

 

[Yokozuna514]

I like children, teaching them, spending time with them, they are interesting and amusing, they also keep you young minded. I even like our very very difficult one, I just don't know how to deal with her. Her father is a nightmare though, he's a warrant officer in the army quite tall and one of those that likes to invade your space, stand toe to toe with you so that you move backwards, I don't. I will stand there and talk to his chest, he can move. I'm always happy to have someone who does that, I find from a martial arts point of view it's easier to talk them down ( being a smaller person) there is no way his daughter is ever coming to my martial arts with her behaviour.

I like kids too. The way you described them is exactly how I see them as well. I recently had two little twin boys that started attending the class I taught. They were coming from a McDojo and are not very disciplined on the floor or seemingly at home. One of them actually said to me, "we aren't here for you to learn our names, we are here to learn karate." This coming from a 7 or 8 year old, lol. My response was to tell them to 'never speak to an instructor like that again and.......(dramatic pause) I will speak to you after class'. Never saw them after class. They grabbed their coats and were out the door . Subsequent classes, they have been better. Not perfect, but better.

It sounds like you have a tough case and the parents aren't going to help out. Our head instructor is pretty good to remind me and the parents that this is a dojo and not a daycare. We're here to teach karate, not to babysit. Good luck.