I was a college teacher 1963-1997. I am retired, may I still join? I could start a group for retired teachers. I would probably be the only member, Lol!
Absolutely Richard!!! Don't start a group for retired teachers....once a teacher, always a teacher!! So far you and I are the ony memebers of the group! I teach 6th grade....I have been teaching for 14 years! Welcome to the group! You're a wonderful teacher, by the way!!:D
It's a deal Angela! I hope it won't be just the two of us here. There are many Juve members and I am sure there are more teachers. In the listing of the groups the teacher's group is very near the bottom. I doubt many people see our group for that reason. It would be nice if we could advertise our group in the forums. Do you thing that would be appropriate?
I actually created the group! Should I post it on a forum? Do you think that would gather more teachers??? I think it would be appropriate! Or maybe Gina could do it in the Friday Five??? Let me know your thoughts......
Angela, you are indeed the creator of the group. I suggest that you ask Gina her opinion on what might be done to attract more members. See what she thinks about a thread on the group, in the forums. I recently created a group called Dexcom Users on another site. Then when it was not dioing well I started a thread in the CGM forum. It now has 10 members and several discussions. If we can get several members then we can talk about hypos while teaching, how we deal with diabetic students in our classes, etc. It could be an interesting group.
i joined!
I just found this group today and I decided to join. This was a great idea for a group, teachers share a bond that some don't quite understand. I have never known a teacher to turn away one of their own. I am so glad I looked through the new groups. I am 27, heading into my fourth year of teaching. I am a science teacher at a community high school. My students range in age from 16-22. It is kind of a "last chance" for some kids, some have babies of their own, and some live in poverty and have to work to help their families pay the bills. I am almost (finally) done with my master's degree, it is for geosciences, and then I am going to take a few extra class for biological sciences too. I think one of the funniest thing I have noticed is not in the classroom, but in the doctor's offices. Usually when doctors find out what I do for a living they stop explaining things to me like other patients, and they tend to go over things in great detail, and explain the hows and whys of everything going on. I was officially diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic in July of '09. My first high blood sufar reading came the February before that, and my family doctor and a specialist both decided I was a type 2, because of some conflicting blood test results. Turns out, as my new endocrinologist explained to me, it was almost like they caught it too soon. My body was still producing some insulin which was why they thought I was a type 2, eventhough at the time I was rapidly loosing weight, at 5'9" I weighed in at about 120 pounds. Most people don't end up going to the doctor until they feel bad for awhile, and their body is done producing any insulin at all. My was caught so early because of the annual health screenings that our insurance company does every year. So I consider July 16, 2009 to be my diagnosis date.
Hello Becks, thanks for joining! So you seemed to have been in your "honeymoon period" when you were diagnosed. Have you heard it called that when a type 1 is still producing insulin? I was diagnosed in 1945, when I was 6, and my pancreas was already "dead". I am glad your type 1 was discovered early and that you were correctly diagnosed without too much delay.
I taught math at the local communuty college here in the Catskill mountains of NY. I retired in 1997 and am the senior citizen of this group.
Do you ever have hypos while teaching? If so, how do you handle that? It was a problem for me since I taught many years before glucometers were available. Do you have any diabetic students? Are they given special privilages, like being allowed to test and eat in the classroom, when needed?
I have heard it call the honeymoon period. What a horrible name for what I was going through. I was a vegetarian for 13 year, the doctor suggested I eat meat, they put me on 4 or 5 different pills that made me feel dizzy, sick to my stomach and gave me headaches, the worst part was that they didn't help. My first A1c was 8.9, and after "treatment" it was 13.1. The doctor I saw at the time just kept telling me that I wasn't eating right, although some days I ate nothing but grilled chicken breast (yuck) and steamed broccoli.
I had a hypo during an evaluation last year. It was horrible, it wasn't really low, just low enough to start to feel bad. I was shaky, and sweaty, and I felt horrible, but I taught through it because I was afraid to stop during an evaluation to test and treat, I know that wasn't the best decision.
I have two students who are type one diabetics. One graduated last year, and the other will be a senior this upcoming year. She has probably helped me cope with my diabetes more than anybody. She shared stories and always stops by my classroom to see how I am feeling. The school I work in is an alternative high school, so all of my students have accomodations. They can all eat, and they are only in class for 3 hours a day rather thatn the traditional 6. She will tell me if she feels bad, and I let her go test and grab something to eat, she also knows where the glucose tablet are on my desk.
The alternative high school sounds very interesting. You must live in an area with a lot of population since there are enough teens with special problems to populate that school. It is a great idea to have a school like that. I wonder if there are many schools like that in other parts of the country. There is probably an elementary school like that in your area too.
I had a mild hypo like the one you had, when I was taking my "orals" in grad school, for my MS degree. I was surprised that I passed and received the degree. They liked my thesis very much. That is what got me the passing grade. My oral presentation was awful. I did not make any excuses. They did not know I had diabetes. I never heard anyone talk about having diabetes until much later in my life time. You are much younger than me, and diabetics come out in the open and share and help each other. That is wonderful. I wish I could have experienced that when I was younger.
every school district in iowa has an alternative high school. at my high school the alternative school was called "the harbor." in the neighboring school district, there's was called "scavo". (the names had some significant meaning, but i'm not sure what they are). our alternative schools are for students who struggle in the traditional setting and are at risk for dropping out or not graduating. the alternative school helps them stay on track and still accomplish their goals. i'm always so happy to see the students at the alternative schools graduate! i'm sure it's a great feeling of accomplishment for those who teach there!
Hi Becks...welcome to the group! I have been busy getting my classroom ready for the beginning of school next week! Your school sounds interesting. Where are you from? I got my masters degree in 2001. I have been teaching for 14 years. I teach 6th grade! I teach everything except for Social Studies. I am ready to get started with the year! I am so glad to have fellow teachers to talk to and like you, I believe we do share a bond! I am looking forward to sharing stories with you!
Richard,
It isn't really a large city, and the school itself started out very small, I think 10 graduates, and last year we graduated around 160, I think. I live in Muskingum county in Ohio, and we have students come from several different counties into our school. I do not know of an elementary school, but Foxfire, my school is opening an intermediate school for students 11-15, and then the high school takes in students that are 16-22.
I feel very lucky to get to live now. I feel really bad that you would have felt so alone. You are a true inspiration. Juvenation is probably one of the best things I have ever found. I have learned so much, and I get to listen to success stories like you, and it helps me realize, that while life can get tought, everything is going to be alright. Thank you.
Angela,
I spent the whole day today cleaning and organizing. I think I am going to be teaching bology this year, which will be a new fun experience. I am also getting a classroom pet, which I am really pumped about! I know it seems silly for the age of my students, but my kids really missed out on some of the simple pleasures that other children got. A lot of them were in trouble a lot or absent, so they didn't get to do some of the stuff other kids did. So, we all try to give them some of that back.
C,
Every year the week of graduation is crazy, I mean really CRAZY!!! But, every year when I get to sit back and watch my babies get their diplomas, it is the most amazing feeling, ever. I get to talk to parents, and they cry, and I cry, and every year, if I need a reminder I get it there....this is why I do what I do.
This group is one I was looking for! I teach 4th grade and have been doing so for 8 years. I didn't realize there were other teachers on here too. Good to see that everyone is busy getting their classrooms ready for another exciting year of learning!!
Welcome to the group Paul! So glad that you are here! It's a great group! I thought about teaching 4th grade sometime in the future, but I hear 3rd grade is the best! Right now, I'll stick with my sixth graders! Where are you from?
Becks.....what is your classroom pet going to be??? We aren't allowed pets in our district:( I think it is so cool how you provide experiences for your students...especially since they missed out on the basic things! That is very admirable! Keep up the great work!!!
Hey Paul! Welcome aboard. It is nice seeing the group grow so much in the past week. I am not getting my stuff together to teach this year. <sigh> I retired in 1997. Angela let me join the group, after 13 years of retirement. Thanks Angela!
Welcome to the group Paul!! Hope you hagve a great year!