What would you want a teacher to know?

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Gottapee

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Hi everyone

I’m a diabetic but also a secondary teacher ( in Scotland) and we have a number of students who are diabetic in our school.

I’m hoping to learn more about how to support young diabetics in school - what would you want teachers to know? I am putting forward a proposal for staff training on diabetes in young people and would love your input on this.

Obviously we already have

- freedom to check readings/ respond to alarms in classes
- freedom to eat/drink when necessary in classes
- freedom to leave the class whenever necessary (with or without a trusted classmate) for medical reasons including using the bathroom

I’m also considering suggesting

- a “I’m diabetic” type card they can give to their non regular teachers (think substitute teachers who don’t know their medical history that details the above information) would this be too much? As a teacher I know that often you don’t know things until you are told about it, especially if you are a sub, but at the same time I can see how many young people might feel this is drawing attention to the issue and Making them feel highlighted or embarrassed- what do you think your child would say/feel about this?

But is there anything else you could suggest to add to this list? A few students have asked for out of class early passes as in busy corridors as pumps/cgms can easily get knocked off - is this something that should be considered?

I became diabetic as an adult so have no experiences as how teens experience this, and would genuinely love to know how I can help others support diabetic students in the classroom. Is there anything in regards to exams or assessments that would be helpful to add to this?

Thanks again
 
My school have a medical card that is issued by the first aider to students with medical conditions such as diabetes. It just says that I am allowed to leave lessons to go to medical/bathroom and skip the lunch queue.

Does your school not have anything similar?
 
Lily123 said:
My school have a medical card that is issued by the first aider to students with medical conditions such as diabetes. It just says that I am allowed to leave lessons to go to medical/bathroom and skip the lunch queue.

Does your school not have anything similar?
Click to expand...
It doesn’t and that is exactly what I’m trying to implement. At the moment information is available through the school registration system but no medical specific cards are given.

Often substitute teachers don’t have access to the medical notes of students so I think this might be a really good idea. Currently only 5 minute pass (to leave class early) or toilet passes are issued.
 
Gottapee said:
It doesn’t and that is exactly what I’m trying to implement. At the moment information is available through the school registration system but no medical specific cards are given.

Often substitute teachers don’t have access to the medical notes of students so I think this might be a really good idea. Currently only 5 minute pass (to leave class early) or toilet passes are issued.
Click to expand...
It would be helpful for students if you’re school does have that.Subs will just see the card and then let you go and regular class teachers know anyway

It doesn’t stop some teachers (regular class teachers, not subs) from still asking “can’t that wait, we’ve got a test?” when I say I need to go to medical. I normally just show subs the card and they just let me go.
 
Hi
My daughters school implements all of the above and she is also allowed if necessary to go to the front of the queue at lunch if needed .
What isn’t mentioned is the kind of comments used by teachers that are not only unhelpful but have an emotionally negative impact on a child dealing with the burden of diabetes management everyday.
Examples
I thought your levels would have settled by now

When are you going to have your bloods under control

My daughter gets these comments time and time again from non medically trained adults who are thoughtless at best, ignorant at worst.
How demoralising , if they knew the effort involved with living with this condition they wouldn’t just throw comments about .
My daughter has very good to excellent management but will experience hypos and hypers she has done nothing wrong it just happens and all of the reasons are to do with factors that we take in our stride and our bodies automatically compensate for .
So please educate fellow teachers if the child is not managing their care effectively the paediatric diabetic team work closely with the child and school and would let the school know
It is the old saying if you don’t have something good to say don’t say anything.
 
@Pare I hope not too many teachers make these comments to your daughter, ignorance is bad enough but when it’s hurtful as well it all the worse
 
@Pare - I'd jolly well be complaining about this to at least the headmaster/mistress if not the school Governors - this should NOT be happening in this day and age, IMHO.
 
Gottapee said:
Hi everyone

I’m a diabetic but also a secondary teacher ( in Scotland) and we have a number of students who are diabetic in our school.

I’m hoping to learn more about how to support young diabetics in school - what would you want teachers to know? I am putting forward a proposal for staff training on diabetes in young people and would love your input on this.

Obviously we already have

- freedom to check readings/ respond to alarms in classes
- freedom to eat/drink when necessary in classes
- freedom to leave the class whenever necessary (with or without a trusted classmate) for medical reasons including using the bathroom

I’m also considering suggesting

- a “I’m diabetic” type card they can give to their non regular teachers (think substitute teachers who don’t know their medical history that details the above information) would this be too much? As a teacher I know that often you don’t know things until you are told about it, especially if you are a sub, but at the same time I can see how many young people might feel this is drawing attention to the issue and Making them feel highlighted or embarrassed- what do you think your child would say/feel about this?

But is there anything else you could suggest to add to this list? A few students have asked for out of class early passes as in busy corridors as pumps/cgms can easily get knocked off - is this something that should be considered?

I became diabetic as an adult so have no experiences as how teens experience this, and would genuinely love to know how I can help others support diabetic students in the classroom. Is there anything in regards to exams or assessments that would be helpful to add to this?

Thanks again
Click to expand...

Hello,

Regarding the “I’m a diabetic type card,” for the subs.. Would a “briefing sheet” with a list of children & requirements in the class to be taken as a reference for the teacher not be more discrete?

I have to think back a number of years when I was at school. The “care package” I had was loaded into the pockets of an 8 year old’s “Parka..”
 
In the school I was teaching in they had medical conditions sheets that were handed out to cover teachers (and collected at the end of the day) Having said that the information about a student having diabetes will not an that the person reading it understands the implications of this.

I was diagnosed whilst I was teaching. I realise Now how little I knew. I would however hope that a teacher would enquire of a student what they can do to help, regarding any condition, rather than pass the comments identified above.

I now go into schools and talk to teachers in training days. I also go into schools to work with classes where a student has T1. Ideas that have come from this include.

  • The idea above of a card on their own table with simple explanation.
  • Ensuring that students can test and treat a hypo in class (some schools expect students to go to the medical room which can be a long way away!)
  • Weekly menu sent on a Friday. Student chooses and these are carb counted and sent back
    I got served a meal along with the carb count!!!
  • In a secondary school stashes of carbs in places known to those with diabetes
    We all get caught out sometimes.
PE was a bit of an issue sometimes, but along with the student having their stuff out with them, the PE staff had a kit with glucose and test kit.

A lot of this will be easier now with the access to sensors.

Hope this helps
 
SB2015 said:
In the school I was teaching in they had medical conditions sheets that were handed out to cover teachers (and collected at the end of the day) Having said that the information about a student having diabetes will not an that the person reading it understands the implications of this.

I was diagnosed whilst I was teaching. I realise Now how little I knew. I would however hope that a teacher would enquire of a student what they can do to help, regarding any condition, rather than pass the comments identified above.

I now go into schools and talk to teachers in training days. I also go into schools to work with classes where a student has T1. Ideas that have come from this include.

  • The idea above of a card on their own table with simple explanation.
  • Ensuring that students can test and treat a hypo in class (some schools expect students to go to the medical room which can be a long way away!)
  • Weekly menu sent on a Friday. Student chooses and these are carb counted and sent back
    I got served a meal along with the carb count!!!
  • In a secondary school stashes of carbs in places known to those with diabetes
    We all get caught out sometimes.
PE was a bit of an issue sometimes, but along with the student having their stuff out with them, the PE staff had a kit with glucose and test kit.

A lot of this will be easier now with the access to sensors.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...
Until recently, any child or teenager with diabetes would have had Type 1.

Nowadays, shockingly, even children are starting to get Type 2. And of course what's needed for Type 2 is very different from what's needed for Type 1.

So-- an "I'm a diabetic" card is not a good idea; you need an "I'm a Type 2 diabetic" card and an "I'm a Type 1 diabetic" card. Similarly, teachers will need to have some training/information about both, and about the differences between them.
 
Spathiphyllum said:
Until recently, any child or teenager with diabetes would have had Type 1.

Nowadays, shockingly, even children are starting to get Type 2. And of course what's needed for Type 2 is very different from what's needed for Type 1.

So-- an "I'm a diabetic" card is not a good idea; you need an "I'm a Type 2 diabetic" card and an "I'm a Type 1 diabetic" card. Similarly, teachers will need to have some training/information about both, and about the differences between them.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the update!!!
As you say shocking.
 
Further thought

The main time when they might need the card is during a hypo. Are the younger T2s on meds that can lead to hypos. If not it is a longer term strategy that the students will need support with.

One T1 child I met had different cards for whether she wanted help during a hypo (red -and friend aware to then get attention of teacher and that bad hypo trumps any other rules) or to just be left to get on with it (orange) She disliked the fuss when she was managing the hypo herself and just needed to not be expected to participate in any questions whilst she was hypo.
 
SB2015 said:
Further thought

The main time when they might need the card is during a hypo. Are the younger T2s on meds that can lead to hypos. If not it is a longer term strategy that the students will need support with.
Click to expand...
For children with Type 2, NICE only discusses weight loss/diet/exercise and/or metformin, and the British National Formulary for Children says that metformin is "the only oral antidiabetic drug licensed for use in children." And of course metformin does not cause hypos. The only other class of drug discussed by the BNFC is sulfonylureas-- which it says "are usually avoided in children" precisely due to hypo risk. (https://bnfc.nice.org.uk/treatment-summaries/type-2-diabetes/ )

But-- some children with Type 2 may be put on sulfonylurea drugs, and even sometimes be put on insulin.

So:

- In all cases of children with Type 2, the main challenge for schools will be about supporting them in losing weight and developing healthy eating and exercise habits, and supporting them with psychological issues. (https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng18/chapter/Recommendations#type-2-diabetes ) And, in addition, teachers should know when to suspect HHS (https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/diab...o-suspect-hyperglycaemic-emergencies-dka-hhs/ )

- For the minority of children with Type 2, those on insulin or sulfonylurea drugs, the teachers will also need to know stuff relating to hypos and DKA.

As though teachers needed more complications ... But gold star and A+ to Gottapee, for making the effort! I'd give her/him a pay rise, too, if I could. ; )
 
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