Rant

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#1

So today in one of my classes I had a substitute and before class started I informed her that I had to leave a little bit early before lunch to go to the nurses office. She asked why and I told her because I'm diabetic and I have to check my blood sugar. With quite the attitude, as if she didn't believe me she said okay. So my time to leave came around and instead of just leaving like I normally do, I was nice enough to tell her. Well she didn't think that it was time for me to go and that I needed to wait. So after going back and forth with her about how that was the time I normally leave, she was just like okay whatever. I am livid at this point and I was ready to walk out whether she was going to let me or not. She never said anything to me after lunch, but I was livid for hours and even had my mom call the school to complain. Stuff like this is part of why I've always put off my diabetes, so having this happen to me really set me back. I mean why would someone who has NEVER met me before feel the need to tell ME when I can check my blood sugar. I'm typically a quiet person, but my fellow classmates almost got to see the other side of me. Like my face was red and I was shaking I was so mad. Even now it still gets my blood boiling.

But besides the witch lady, my day was quite wonderful and I even got my hair done.

So if you read this, thank you for listening to my rant :D

#2

why don't you check in class right there & then?
no one will notice.
if you are low you can't walk to the nurse's office, you might fall on the way there
so you need to test at your seat & take care of yourself right away
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD DO.

#3

Shoshana, it may have something to do with having the potential for having an "open wound" in class (aka blood-borne pathogens).

#4

Jessie, sounds to me like you did a good job standing up for yourself. Here's hoping the substitute learned something today.

#5

rick......thanks for all the answers you gave here
the letter from the nurse is a wonderful thing to have...a must.

#6

Jessie, I want to stick up for the sub. I understand your frustration and at your age I would have been upset in much the same way as you were. But I hope with time you wills step back and consider a couple of additional facts.

Subs are often called the morning of the assignment. It is most unlikely that she had any medical information about her students. In fact, many schools do not tell subs any medical information in order to the students privacy.

Subs are also told very emphatically told to keep kids in class almost no matter what. Here is the situation from a subs standpoint. A kid comes up and claims a medical reason for an absence from class. Given these circumstances a sub is preprogramed to keep you in class.

Please understand subs are evaluated after each and every job. If a sub makes a mistake they effectively lose the job. In my area subs make $40.00 to $60.00 per day on average. This is no more than $300 / week. Usually folks who do this are trying to support themselves or even their fmailies.

I am not condoning the actions of the sub nor am I siding with the sub in this case. But I hope you will step back and realize that one of the main evaluations administrators make about keeping a sub is if they can have discipline in the classroom. The sub was really trying to do her best. She likely had no information about you diabetes, and I suspect she needs the job. If part of keeping the job is keeping kids in class you can likely understand the thinking of the sub.

I suggest a couple of things. First ask the nurse for a universal pass with testing instructions. Carry that note all the time. This will give the sub some assurance that you legitimately need to leave class. This is usually given without much trouble. Second, please be nice to the subs. I can almost 100% assure you she felt caught between a rock and hard place.

We adults often react without thinking through the entire situation. I am so sorry this happened. But please understand it is a universal issue built into our school sub systems. There is almost no good solution. But if you understand the bind the sub was in, maybe you can help the system. I have no doubt you are aggrieved party here. But in a way so was the sub. I hope you can see that. Someday I hope you work on getting on the school board or better yet be an educator. We need thoughtful folks in the system and you fit that bill. As an administrator I worked on these types of issues for 0ver 15 years. Maybe you can keep the work going someday.

Blessings................................rick

#7

While I understand Rick's viewpoint, having been a teacher and T1D, it's the school system's responsibility you are physically okay. Children have been hypoglycemic and wandered school halls and outside until their parents found them. That's inexcusable. Substituting is tough, but that's no excuse.

#8

As a former sub, the teacher should have lesson plans that include information about students. Has a 504 plan been submitted to the school?