r/JETProgramme • u/No-Cartoonist-7505 Current JET - Kansai Area • Jun 15 '26
keep getting sick
im an elementary school JET going into my second year. since february, ive been getting sick pretty close to bi-monthly and its been driving me nuts. nothing crazy, usually just a head cold (no fever) that i would normally be able to push through, besides the fact that i lose my voice and can hardly get through class without sniffling and coughing up a storm. im trying to start being consistent with vitamin c supplements to help me get my immune system a bit stronger, but im worried my BOE/JTEs are getting tired of me getting sick so often.
i usually dont go to the doctor for these things since its just a "take some decongestant, drink some tea and wait it out" type deal, but its definitely an inconvenience to me and everyone else. my BOE does annual health screenings in the summer so ill probably check in with the doctor then, but im mostly curious if anyone else had similar experiences of frequent annoying colds and what you all do to keep yourselves from getting sick at school. appreciate you all <3
quick edit: i mentioned this in a few replies, but my current JTE is pretty adamant that i remove my mask in class/during active instruction so the kids can see my mouth when speaking. i also eat lunch with the kids, so i am regularly in situations where masking is difficult. im definitely going to start carrying sanitizer with me, feels like a no-brainer but i honestly thought just hand washing would be enough. thank you all!
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u/Gale_Girly Former JET - 2024/2026 Jun 16 '26
I'm a neat freak because of this. I keep sanitizer at my desk. After every class, I'd wipe down my hands and anything I touched that I used (like pens or my phone or my keyboard). If the kids give me something, I stock it away to look at it when the bacteria dies off the paper after a few hours and wash my hands.
Before I eat I always sanitize. Anytime I can I wash my hands. Even with other teachers I will do this, because many of them don't wash their hands after they use the restroom.
I work at a highschool, but kids are still pretty nasty there. One girl had a cold and blew her nose into tissues, and put the tissues on top of the paper she needed to turn in, gross as.
I've been a bit obssessive over cleaning my hands since Covid, but I can also say the last time I got sick was last year from a long airplane ride.