why can't teachers just wear masks in the fall?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]What would happen to masks at snack time or lunch?
My friend teaches at a school where they eat breakfast in the classroom.
How is this really going to work?
How about when a student needs to blow his nose? What happens to the mask then? Imagine an 8 year old trying to negotiate this.
How do you get the younger students to respect each other's space?

I think it would be good to reopen schools, but how do we do this in a way to protect the students, faculty and staff?

And how do we get the students picked up by parents immediately if there is any fever?
And what will be the policy..one positive covid and the school shuts down? For how long?
So many unanswered questions.
[/quote]
+1000
And there is a shortage of school nurses and Nurse’s aides. So a sick child gets sent to clinic, but no nurse to take care of them, meaning child sits in man office waiting and passing whatever he or she has to others until parents pick up, which is rarely right away.i

[Anonymous]

Chinese children are back in school and they are wearing masks. They are also wearing hats that promote social distance. A recent thread on here had photos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually I do telework but don’t have children that require supervision; therefore, my work responsibilities are still accomplished. For my employees that do require them to supervise their child during they day, they have the option to take leave, leave without pay, or make up hours if feasible during nights or weekends. If they can’t do their job, they aren’t entitled to a paycheck. As for employers providing training, its a business proposition they need to decide if it worth retraining employees or cutting bait. As for due process etc, teachers CBU agreement has a clause for both performance and conduct. I agree, your supervisor has the say to put you on a performance improvement plan but the tax payer has the right to lobby their councilman to reevaluate the teachers CBU. You are not entitled to a job or paycheck especially if you can’t fulfill your part of the agreement.

I’m sure. As a teacher who is rated highly effective, I’m not in danger of being put on an improvement plan, whether you like me or not! Please, try lobbying for the best teachers to be removed because they refuse to work under unsafe conditions. You sound like an arrogant, entitled person who believes that the world exists to serve you. You would really better be served at a private school where your money would talk. You can stomp your feet all you want but you aren’t in charge here. We’ve all been doing our jobs, you’re just angry that you lost your free childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chinese children are back in school and they are wearing masks. They are also wearing hats that promote social distance. A recent thread on here had photos.

It looks like only students preparing for entrance exams (the equivalent of our high school seniors, 8th graders) are back

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3079628/peace-mind-schools-reopen-students-difficult-path-chinas-gaokao

https://www.ft.com/content/854a885b-65e1-4a16-9698-8c8bebeb7876

They are allowing them back to prepare for exams (and because presumably 17/18 year olds are more responsible than 5 and 6 year olds about keeping masks on). Everyone else is still online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chinese children are back in school and they are wearing masks. They are also wearing hats that promote social distance. A recent thread on here had photos.

It looks like only students preparing for entrance exams (the equivalent of our high school seniors, 8th graders) are back

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3079628/peace-mind-schools-reopen-students-difficult-path-chinas-gaokao

https://www.ft.com/content/854a885b-65e1-4a16-9698-8c8bebeb7876

They are allowing them back to prepare for exams (and because presumably 17/18 year olds are more responsible than 5 and 6 year olds about keeping masks on). Everyone else is still online.

The kids in the photos with the hats are definitely not 17/18 year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chinese children are back in school and they are wearing masks. They are also wearing hats that promote social distance. A recent thread on here had photos.

It looks like only students preparing for entrance exams (the equivalent of our high school seniors, 8th graders) are back

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3079628/peace-mind-schools-reopen-students-difficult-path-chinas-gaokao

https://www.ft.com/content/854a885b-65e1-4a16-9698-8c8bebeb7876

They are allowing them back to prepare for exams (and because presumably 17/18 year olds are more responsible than 5 and 6 year olds about keeping masks on). Everyone else is still online.

The kids in the photos with the hats are definitely not 17/18 year olds.

Denmark and Japan have reopened too. By fall our schools will be open, it is months away and people are returning to work this month already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chinese children are back in school and they are wearing masks. They are also wearing hats that promote social distance. A recent thread on here had photos.

It looks like only students preparing for entrance exams (the equivalent of our high school seniors, 8th graders) are back

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3079628/peace-mind-schools-reopen-students-difficult-path-chinas-gaokao

https://www.ft.com/content/854a885b-65e1-4a16-9698-8c8bebeb7876

They are allowing them back to prepare for exams (and because presumably 17/18 year olds are more responsible than 5 and 6 year olds about keeping masks on). Everyone else is still online.

The kids in the photos with the hats are definitely not 17/18 year olds.

Denmark and Japan have reopened too. By fall our schools will be open, it is months away and people are returning to work this month already.

Denmark is only the youngest children back. They split every class into 1/3rds to spread out the kids and draw boxes on the playground to give each kid their own area to play. Drop off and pick up are staggered to minimize interactions. They are back for childcare reasons--which is fine, but let's not pretend that it's because it's a safe idea yet.

[Anonymous]

https://www.cnet.com/news/kids-in-china-head-back-to-school-wearing-social-distancing-hats/



As an elementary school teacher, I'd be fine with going to back to a classroom full of social distancing kids like this one. All kids wear masks and I'll wear a mask too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.cnet.com/news/kids-in-china-head-back-to-school-wearing-social-distancing-hats/



As an elementary school teacher, I'd be fine with going to back to a classroom full of social distancing kids like this one. All kids wear masks and I'll wear a mask too.

I teach kindergarten. I'm DYING laughing at this photo. I can't imagine how many times a day kids bump into each other with those things, poke each other in the face, etc. I mean, hey, I have kids who will eat trash out of the trash can if I don't stop them (no these aren't kids going hungry, there's some undiagnosed something going on). But yeah, sticks on the heads. Sure. Hey, I'll do whatever I'm told to do. I'll just send all the injured down to the office.

[Anonymous]

No way those hat kids are 6 feet apart. Maybe 4.

[Anonymous]

That picture is adorable but not happening in America. Even in China, how do the poor dears pee?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That picture is adorable but not happening in America. Even in China, how do the poor dears pee?

Right? No one could get out of their seat without being in everyone else's space. I set up my desks this way on testing days and the kids are tripping over each other (and poking each other, and passing notes to each other, and stealing things from each other's backpacks) when they use the pencil sharpener. If you want to cut my class sizes in half I could make it work, but not with 32 kids in a room.

I am happy to wear a mask and go back. I'm happy to give kids masks and goofy hats. I just don't think for one minute it's going to make a difference if we have the same class sizes and schedules (secondary) as before. If we go back as normal in August, it will be because they have determined the virus isn't as dangerous as previously thought, not because we can safely social distance in classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assume they will. As will students. What is your question?

I was wondering the same. Did somebody say we can’t wear masks?

I'm not sure either.

I don't think anybody has indicated that teachers wouldn't wear masks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach preschool students. I’m happy to wear a mask. But do you think they will keep them on?! Based on how long it takes me to train them to cover their coughs and sneezes, most parents don’t bother requiring their children to do so they will be coughing and sneezing and wiping boogers all over their other classmates. I know they aren’t getting as sick as adults, but surely they will bring this home to grandma.

I miss my students, I want my own kids to go back to school, I’m all for starting in the fall with precautionary measures,but I don’t think it’ll work. We are going to see a huge huge spike in cases in the fall and will have to shut down again.!

NO, the TEACHERS wear the mask, the kids don't.

Just like--THE NURSES wear the masks. Patients don't wear masks!

Yes patients were masks. Who are you kidding?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't believe most of the people on here saying they are teachers are actually teachers, for one. Second, every single teacher I know is planning on going back to work once the governor lifts the order. I don't know anyone independently wealthy who can afford to stay home. I could see a handful of young teachers with small children at home deciding to take another year's worth of unpaid leave, but it won't be more than a very small percentage. Yes, I know, the people on this board would love to see teacher's be out of a job. I know you don't think we deserve our pay or our job security. You'd love to watch teachers be told "you're out". But it isn't going to happen. You are stuck with us, just like we are stuck with you. The decision to open schools or not is 100% in the hands of the governor. No one else.

That’s sad! I don’t want to see teachers out of a job. I love my child’s teacher. I think the fact that everyone wants teachers to go back to school is a positive thing, right? I feel like it’s the teachers that are refusing to return to work that bother parents.

No, parents are just mad at everyone. Teachers are doing what they're supposed to do, last month, this month, and in the fall.

[b]Ditto. I am a teacher and a parent. I see both sides but I am patient and understand sacrifices must be made for the greater good. Their may be challenges and you might be uncomfortable. That is life sometimes. Also, I have had some tragedies in life so I have a different outlook. Everyday, I am so thankful to be alive and I go from there. Teachers: I, along with most at my school, are rock stars and have had no parent complaints. We have awards for assignment completion, zoom lunch bunches and game shows, enrichment, book clubs, scrapbooks for the kids, words with friends groups, and 1.5 hour zoom sessions. We love and want to be there for our kids. They always want to stay on longer on zoom. I even have a virtual play and field trip for the next two weeks. Please do not equate one bad experience with a teacher to all of us. Now, my parent hat: I love my kids but sometimes I could cry because I miss going to school, my commute, my alone prep time. I now teach my own 3 kids, including a preschooler and they mostly are tired of me being teacher at home. I try to balance just Mom and teacher Mom but it is hard. But, that is life and each day I try to shake it up a little. But, since I am a cancer survivor, I try to see the positive in each day. Unlike most quarantine families, I absolutely cannot leave my house. My husband took leave as he has a high contact job. We save tons so I am good there but feel terrible for being the reason he stopped working and my kids can absolutely have no contact with the neighbors. I try my hardest not to complain and remind myself that if I die, my husband will have to raise all 3 on his own. Now, I will return to school as that is my duty to contract and will have a lot of sanitizer, Clorox wipes, a swifter steam mop, and I already ordered N95 masks to last me a while. I am used to wearing them. Once I returned from med leave after chemo, I learned to teach with masks. My kids and their families were so kind to keep sick kids home and send extra cleaning supplies. I can and will do it again. Now, there are 4 other teachers who are battling/ survived cancer and 2 retired and the other two are switching to .8 support positions. So, even compromised teachers can do this as well. OK. My book is over. I just wanted to share.