Preparing Classrooms for Flu Season
Cleaning and Student Education Key to Keeping Kids Healthy
Sep 6, 2009
As flu season approaches, a well known proverb sums up current social leanings; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Education, whether about how germs spread, how to properly wash hands or how to stay healthy, can help minimize the spread of the flu and keep children's bodies healthy so they can better fight the illness if they catch it. Keeping the classroom clean both models the lessons and lessens the likelihood of spreading the flu.
Tips for Flu Season Classroom Cleaning
Keeping the classroom clean during flu season goes beyond sweeping or vacuuming and erasing the board. A disinfectant spray can make it easy to keep pencil sharpeners, staplers, door knobs, light switches and other small, frequently used classroom items clean. Cleaning wipes and spray cleaners are also useful to keep around for desks and tables as well as surfaces that should or could be wiped down instead of sprayed.
Get students involved. Keep age appropriate cleaning supplies available so students can help, and teach them both why to do it and how to effectively clean surfaces.
Ideas for Teaching Kids About Staying Well
Most curricula, from elementary through high school, include lessons about good hygiene and healthy practices. It is good to also take advantage of teachable moments and opportune events, such as the rise in concern about H1N1 (Swine Flu), to reinforce or enhance the previous lessons.
Older students can benefit from researching facts and information about the flu. One research project is to find the statistics for deaths attributed to the flu each year and to create a graph. Another would be to research how and why the flu virus changes each year, or what are the different types, such as H1N1. Students could also compare the flu pandemic of 1918, also called the Spanish Flu, to what is being predicted for Swine Flu.
The CDC encourages that children understand several important prevention activities that will help minimize the spread of the flu. One activity is to wash their hands often with soap and water. They should also be taught and reminded not to share personal items such as food and utensils. Another activity is to learn to cough or sneeze into their elbow or tissue instead of their hand, and to follow up afterwards with a hand sanitizer.
Though both cleaning the classroom and learning how to stay healthy are key components for student, both are most effective if children see adults practicing them. Get parents involved while teaching kids about staying well. Model good cleaning and hygiene practices at school, and encourage students to keep practicing these after flu season has passed.
Read these articles for more information about keeping a classroom clean and lesson ideas for demonstrating hand washing and the spread of germs.
For up to date information about H1N1 in the United States, visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
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