Do you notice who does (or does not) wash hands in the bathroom? Somehow my girls in one of my classes ended up discussing hand washing while I was multitasking one day. The following dialogue (names changed to protect the guilty) is what I heard:

Susie: I don’t always wash my hands in the bath room.
Georgette: Me either. I don’t always “feel the vibe.”
Lorrie: I always do at home because I have this cool, foamy soap I love. But not here.

My multitasking screeched to a halt. This needed my full attention. RIGHT AWAY! The boys and I sat in shocked silence for a moment. Someone apparently noticed my curled top lip and read it correctly—I was a bit disgusted. I would have thought all my kids (especially the girls) would wash up. Wow. One girl explained that only her butt touches the “dirty” seat, and she touches nothing else because she’s careful.

I have been trained as a CNA, so I know the best way to prevent the spread of infection is HAND WASHING! You should wash your hands for as long as it takes you to sing the alphabet. Don’t touch the sink while you do it. Dry your hands well, and use a paper towel to open the door.

Evaluate this scene: You use the bath room and do not wash your hands. You then touch the door handle—where others who do not wash hands have also touched. You go to class and turn in a paper to your (beloved) teacher. Your dear teacher has been contaminated through not fault of her own! Oh, no!

This teacher now plans to spray any and all collected homework with Lysol and bathe in hand sanitizer. What about you?