2 Items That Will Keep Your Students in the Room

It can be frustrating when you are in the middle of a lesson and a student has to leave for the nurse. I'm not referring to true medical necessities (diabetes, vomit, etc...). I mean those tiny little hiccups that add up to too many minutes of missed instructional time. The 2 most frequent little hiccups I've encountered: blood issues (picked scabs/hang nails/paper cuts) and chapped lips.

So, there are two items that I stockpile religiously in my classroom:

1. Band-Aids
These are a must-have. In fact, if I could choose only one item to keep on hand, band-aids would be it. From the simplest paper-cut, to picked scabs that transform into mini blood domes, band-aids help stop the bio-hazards from flowing and get the students back on task. A quick wash-rinse-bandage and it's back to business as usual. "No, you don't need the nurse. I have a band-aid right here!"

After the first few attempts to leave the room, they learn to simply come to me and I will supply the needed bandage. Better yet, they stop picking scabs altogether as a means to leave!

2. Lip Stuff
This one can be tricky. But, it's a fantastic remedy when chapped lips start to appear. I keep a tube of Vaseline-like lip balm available. When cracked, dry lips become too much and a student wants to go to the nurse for some relief, I grab my handy tube and keep him/her in the room.

The caveat to this nurse-denying trick is that I am the only one allowed to touch the tube. To keep things sanitary there are two ways you can deliver the much-needed balm. You can squeeze it onto a student's finger (I hold their finger so they don't accidentally touch their finger to the tube) or you can squeeze some on a tissue or paper towel. Then, the student smooths out those distracting ridges and gets back to work!

These 2 simple items will lead to less instructional time being missed and give needed relief to those students who may encounter blood or chapped lips during the day.

What are your full-proof ways of keeping students in the room?