nurse requests

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2002 : January : 25

nurse requests
By Carolyn

I am a full-time teacher now, and I have also been a substitute teacher. I remember well those days when I subbed. It wasn't all that unusual for a group of kids to give you those pathetic looks and almost even believe
that they were ill, when all they wanted was a trip to the office to get out of class for awhile. Some groups of kids are worse than others in this respect.
I had a group of kids last year (and they were fifth graders!) who were notorious for this. I was forewarned that they were "frequent fliers." Complaints ranged from bellyache and headache to anything else you can imagine. I

told them that they just had to tough it out if they weren't: 1) sick with a fever; 2) vomiting; 3) had an obviously contagious disease, such as pink eye or lice. Once they got the idea that I was that tough, the requests began to stop.

This year I once again teach fifth grade. I have several boys who ask me every single day to go to the office for an ice pack when they leave the playground. I tell them that they are going to be perfectly okay and to return to your seat. I have a little girl in my room who is always having
some sort of pain or other malady which needs a trip to the office. Our nurse finally called the mother and told her that DSS would be contacted if the complaints didn't stop.

Hey, we don't mean to be cruel or anything, but I just think that some kids overdo it. Many of them are just looking for some attention. You just have to put a stop to it by saying "no."