Several years ago, I suffered a slipped disk which was very painful for several months. I found myself unable to sit comfortably and used a standing desk for grading papers, posting grades, and making lesson plans (after school work that I had previously sat down to complete). I also purchased a wheeled bag to replace my bags filled with papers, my computer, and books that I had been slinging over my shoulders each day as I left school. Since that time, I've been on a mission to convince other teachers to use wheeled bags rather than carrying bags on their shoulders.
A couple of weeks ago, I stopped a young teacher (at least 30 years my junior) in the hallway with the words, "You're carrying too much weight." I followed up my comment by encouraging her to get a roller bag so that she wouldn't strain her back. The next morning her carpool buddy shared with me that this teacher was appalled that I would comment that she was carrying too much weight. I think she must have missed the rest of my advice since she thought I was commenting on her body weight. It looks like I should rephrase this advice that I hand out each time I see a colleague schlepping heavy shoulder bags back and forth. My new advice, "Lighten your load, ladies!"
On the first day of February I tripped on an electrical cord connected to the cart that holds my document camera. As I stumbled across the classroom trying to extricate my foot from the cord, I kept thinking, "I'm going to pull the document camera off the cart and break it." Luckily the cord pulled free from the camera. When I finally landed on all fours, my students went quickly to the office and returned with the nurse, a wheelchair, and ice. It was good to see their first aid instruction in health put to good use as they responded quickly and appropriately. I was sent home with orders to stay off my feet, keep ice on my bruised knee, and take Advil for the swelling. Luckily my daughter was home so I received her TLC and the benefit of her medical knowledge as a PA in training. When I returned to school on Monday, my first task of the morning was to reposition my cart so that the cords were not on the outside edge where I stand all the time. And so because of my recent accident, I add another piece of safety advice to my fellow teachers, "Check your cords, colleagues. "
This was hysterical. I could totally visualize, because I connect with it. I love the comment about carrying too much weight...that would totally be my blunder. I have SWAT syndrome as I call it. I herniated two of my disks and it flares up when I progress monitor all the day long. xo
ReplyDeleteYour alliteration made me laugh. I hope the younger teacher found out you were referring to her bag and not body. That was funny!
ReplyDeleteRamona, if you weren't hurt, I would be laughing out loud! What a funny post, & the alliteration shines, or I guess that isn't the right word, because it needs to be a 'sound', like alliteration zings! Sorry, it's late & I must stop reading posts. I hope you're okay, certainly your sense of humor is! Thanks for sharing the advice!
ReplyDeleteYikes! Glad you are ok! Love your comments to the young teacher about carrying too much weight!
ReplyDeleteOuchy! Your bruise looked so painful. I hope you are almost all healed up now.
ReplyDeleteI know we've all learned some of these painful lessons... it's a good thing to spread the word and warn others. Your humor brings the point home. The carrying too much weight story was really funny...hope your colleague ended up hearing the real message. Climbing on chairs is one we need to be reminded of often, too. I've had a stupid close call with that one myself (stupid because of course I knew better!), and one time at my school a colleague ended up coming to her retirement party in a walking cast after climbing on a chair to take things down in her classroom just a couple of weeks before the end of the school year.
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