Most likely, your parents have already told your teachers, principal and coaches that you have diabetes. It’s a good idea that your teachers know the basics about diabetes so they know how to help you if your blood sugar gets low at school.
Teachers Can Help
Your teachers are not just there to help you learn new things, but also to keep you and your classmates safe. For some kids that means being sure they wear their glasses; for others it means making sure they have their inhaler for their asthma; and for you, it means knowing how to help you check your blood sugar and treat a low blood sugar. It’s important for your teachers and coaches to always have a rapid source of sugar, such as glucose tabs or glucose gel, available in case you have a low blood sugar. Tell your teacher right away if you think you have a high or low blood sugar at school. And make sure your parents tell your teachers if anything changes that they need to know about.
Tips for Talking to Teachers
- Provide your teachers with a copy of the Bayer Emergency checklist.
- Offer to talk to the class about diabetes. Provide books, puzzles or other things that can help make the information fun to learn.
- Offer to have your diabetes nurse educator or another guest speaker talk to your school about diabetes.
- Bring in resource materials or books for your teacher and classmates to learn more about diabetes.
What to Bring to School
Keep a box of diabetes supplies at school with things like snacks, glucose tabs and testing strips. Some kids also keep an extra meter at school. Remember to check your supply box occasionally to make sure it has everything you need.
