Tips for Teachers

• Know which kids in your class have asthma. A conference with the parent, child, and school nurse may be needed. Discuss the child's asthma, medicines, and management.
• Know the early warning signs of an asthma episode or attack.
• Have a copy of each student's Asthma Action Plan in the classroom. Review it with the student's parent(s). Know what steps to take in case of an asthma attack.
• Develop a clear procedure with the student and parent(s) for handling schoolwork missed due to asthma.
• Understand that a student with asthma may feel:
  • Different from the other kids
  • Anxious about accessing his/her medications
  • Embarrassed by his/her asthma symptoms
  • Withdrawn from other students.
  • Tired
• Know the possible side effects of asthma medications. Refer any problem to the school nurse and parent(s). Common side effects include nervousness, nausea, hyperactivity, drowsiness, or jitteriness.
• Reduce allergens and irritants in the classroom. Common classroom allergens include:
  • Animals
  • Chalk dust
  • Odors (perfumes, paints, wipe-off markers that are not marked as low odor, glue).
  • Reduce the number of plants in the classroom, as plants are sources of mold growth.
• On very cold days, it may be best to have a child with asthma spend recess indoors.
• Encourage students with asthma to participate in physical activities, but make sure to take proper precautions. Have them do warm-up exercises before playing.
• Educate classmates about asthma so they will be more understanding of students with asthma and know when to get help from an adult.
• Know Minnesota's asthma inhaler law.
• If a child seems unusually tired, inattentive, or hyperactive, advise the school nurse and the child's parents.
• Encourage parents to get continuous care for their child's asthma.

Adapted from Managing Asthma: A Guide for Schools. National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes (NHLBI), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching, Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education. September 1991. NIH Publication No. 91-2650.

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