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I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s almost back to school time! And with the back to school season, comes back to school germs. In today’s post, I’m teaming up with Kleenex® Facial Tissues and Viva® Paper Towels, available at Target, to share my top 5 tips for staying germ-free this school year! #KleenexCareForClass
Shop the Post
You can purchase all of the items featured in today’s post at Target.
Dates for special promotions on household paper at Target & Target.com
July 28th – August 4th
August 11th – August 17th
I have taught 1st grade for 7 years, and during that time, I have encountered many messes and lots of sickness. Last year, our school system actually shut down for a couple of days due to a Flu epidemic. Thankfully, my classroom was not one of the rooms that was affected during that time. I think a large contributing factor was my and my teaching partner’s cleaning habits. We teach in a collaborative classroom, where the wall was torn down between two rooms to make one large room. We are both certified teachers with two classes put together in our large room. 34-36 students sometimes means double the mess and double the germs! Thankfully, over the years, I’ve learned a thing or two about keeping the germs at bay.
5 Teacher Tips for a Germ-Free School Year
- Stock up on tissues – The Toy Story 4 Kleenex® Facial Tissue 4 pack (now available at Target for a limited time) is perfect for elementary classrooms. I’ve found that the cuter the design, the more my students want to use them. You won’t see them lining up for tissue out of a plain brown tissue box, but if there is a fun character on the package, they will all get a case of the sniffles! Kleenex® has been my go-to facial tissue brand for years. The quality is unmatched, which is probably why they are America’s #1 facial tissue brand.
- Don’t forget the paper towels – A clean classroom just functions better. Viva® Paper Towels Multi-Surface Cloth (also available at Target) are my favorite towels for cleaning our tables, white boards, etc. at the end of every day. I use a cleaning spray for a deeper clean (they trap messes 2x better when wet), but they can also be used without.
- Strategically place hand sanitizers – I always keep a bottle next to tissue boxes, by classroom doors, and on our desks. If they are convenient and prominently placed, they’ll be used more frequently.
- Lead by example – Students often learn best by watching what we do. I make it a point to wash my hands frequently in front of my students, help them clean in the afternoons, show them how to sweep, use hand sanitizer often, etc. It’s important to show them I care not only about keeping my hands and face clean, but also about our classroom. We all take pride in keeping our classroom clean and functional.
- Let your students help – You’d be amazed at what great little helpers you have! I try to make it fun by offering small prizes like stickers or a new pencil for the group of students who do the best cleaning job. Our classroom also has a “desk fairy” that often drops in while the students are out of the room. She leaves gum or other small treats for the students who have the cleanest desks. She always leaves an extra sparkly note behind saying how proud she is of our students for taking care of their classroom and reminds the ones who didn’t get a treat that she will be back again soon.
Do you have any tips for staying germ-free this school year? I’d love to hear them!
