Children spend most of their time at school, so it’s imperative you make your classroom a safe space—especially for children with allergies, regardless of the severity. As a teacher, you can ensure these students are appropriately accommodated to prevent flair-ups. Although food allergens should be prohibited in a classroom setting, here are more ways to keep students with allergies safe.
Clean Shared Spaces
If you have communal spaces in your classroom, you can keep them clean by encouraging students to keep hand sanitizer and wipes at their desks. You never know what allergens are left on a student’s hands or clothing after engaging in a school activity that could potentially trigger another student’s allergies.
Create Food-Free Zones
Another way to keep your students with allergies safe is by creating food-free zones. Your classroom should be a food-free zone, but if not, encourage your students to only eat in the respected areas, such as a snack corner. By creating food-free zones, you can ensure that area is 100% allergen free and is always available for students to use. This is important for children with food allergies triggered by airborne particles.
Avoid Sharing Food or Utensils
No matter what grade you teach, some students will share their food, especially if they’re close friends. However, it’s best to encourage your students to keep their food to themselves or to eat their snacks when not in the classroom. You never know what allergen is in the foods we eat that can trigger a student’s allergies.
Know Which Students Need to Be Accommodated
Schools and parents are responsible for informing the teachers of which students need accommodations for their allergies. However, it’s the teacher’s responsibility to enforce these rules and know the importance of preventing and treating allergies of all severity. By identifying these students, you’re able to make seating accommodations so everyone can enjoy a positive, allergy-free learning environment.
