I teach 1st and 2nd graders at a cram school and am very āpickyā about how they sneeze, cough, pick their loses, scratching their butts, and put their fingers/hands into their mouths.
From day one I get on their cases when I see them do this and I make it part of the lesson. I also try and attach a certain amount of shame when someone does it so they start getting on each others cases as well. Part of the problem, besides being very young and nobody teaching them about it, is that many of them live with family members who do this on a regular basis and view it as normal.
Anyhow, washing your hands before and after class is super important. Also, I convinced my boss to buy a large container of alcohol (which they conveniently store next to the studentsā tooth paste and tooth brushes but thatās another story). Every class I start off by spraying my desk and then I go around and spray all their hands. I sort of make it a game and they have to use English to ask me to āpunpun my headā or āpunpun my deskā. Iāve been doing this for a few years and rarely get sick. Once in a while the sniffles but nothing else.
If a kid is sick and not wearing a mask, I force them to wear one. Iāll even put them in the back of the room if itās bad enough. I show them how to cough into their shirts, arms, and away from me and their classmates. When they donāt do it, I get pissed. Take off points, no candy etc etc. Over time, most start to get it.
If I see one of them coming out of the bathroom without washing their hands, I give them shit.
When they sneeze in class and use their hands to cover it up, I open the door and make them go to the bathroom and wash their hands with soap and water. Sometimes I even have to show them how to wash their hands.
As a last resort, I avoid having them touch me as much as possible. I donāt want their hands coming near me, my desk, anything that is mine, or that I use.
Many Taiwanese are still unfamiliar with how bacteria and viruses spread. They seem to think that if you just wipe a table with a napkin after someone has spat on it, then all is fine. I see this all the time. Even at my job theyāre often mopping the floor with bleach, but thatās not the problem. The desks, door handles and other areas that people touch on a regular basis are the problem areas. Iāve tried to explain to them but itās like talking to a wall.
