Fellow teachers - How are we supposed to teach with masks on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am also not buying a microphone and speaker for my class and figuring out how to rig that up with a mask on-just stop. I'm done with the expectation that teachers sacrifice money, time, their health, basic necessities like bathroom breaks-it's enough already. We need to stop coming to the rescue and let people see what their taxes actually fund. Period.

What DO our taxes actually fund? Because, as far as I know, there are a LOT of dollars that go into education. I would love to know why those dollars aren't working effectively and efficiently.

Off the top of my head? Bus contracts (gas, renting or purchasing of buses, maintenance and repair, insurance, driver salaries), cafeteria (supplies, maintenance and repairs, the food itself-my district offers free lunch and breakfast to all students, cafeteria staff), janitorial contracts (staff and salary, cleaning supplies, overtime), heating/electricity/water/internet bills for the school buildings, support staff (front office, paraprofessionals), assistant principal(s) salary, principal salary, superintendent salary, deputy superintendent salary, teachers salaries, professional development, curriculum materials and curriculum training. Notice how quickly those things add up? This tally doesn't include a single classroom supply.
The people at the top make big salaries, too-many of them over $200,000 a year. THAT is the problem. Those people are not interested in education, by and large. Many of the administrators that I know spent very little time-sometimes just a single year-in the classroom. They don't interact with the kids, and they don't add value to our institutions.

Interesting, and thank you for taking the time to respond.

Genuinely curious - and let me couch this question by saying I think anyone making $200k who can't make the amount of $$ flowing into education work should be fired yesterday - do you think that redefining administrators' salaries will really fill the gaps that you are talking about? Or is there a complete system overhaul that is necessary? What would that look like, in practice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s just a matter of getting used to it. Medical personnel do it all the time. My family has been working on wearing them more for when the kids go to school and we have all built up to a few hours comfortably in one week’s time.

I don’t understand the constant comparison to medical professionals. Pretty sure doctors and nurses aren’t walking around delivering lectures, projecting their voices to classrooms, reading aloud, teaching young children phonics, etc while wearing masks.

If my kids camp counselors can manage it outside all summer I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Actually, my 13yo keeps his on about half the day if he feels the activity puts him too close to other kids.

If they are outside, there’s probably plenty of times where the counselor is far enough from the kids where he can take his mask off and raise his voice. And in any event. The kids aren’t receiving grades on what they are learning in camp.

You’re making inaccurate assumptions. The counselors are required to wear masks at all times, and it the camp is for a skilled sport. No, they aren’t graded, but if they want their spot in the fall the kids know they need to improve. Come on, this isn’t rocket science. We’re all adapting in a difficult time.

[Anonymous]

Not worried at all about teaching with mask on. I've tried talking with it on and had no problems. Other people seem to be able to understand me fine. Students will not be scared, they will be used to seeing people with masks on. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but I'm used to it now.

I could only see it being a problem if I had a student that was hard of hearing. I don't teach any specialized courses like speech or language. Obviously, those teachers in special situations will have to have a work around.

[Anonymous]

The same way I've been seeing patients with a mask on all day for 4 months.

[Anonymous]

I'm honestly more concerned about trying to keep group of kindergartners wearing their masks than me wearing mine.

I really hope to God that everybody is getting their kids to practice where masks for 5-7 hours a day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm honestly more concerned about trying to keep group of kindergartners wearing their masks than me wearing mine.

I really hope to God that everybody is getting their kids to practice where masks for 5-7 hours a day

My rising first grader keeps his mask on just fine at outdoor camp and any other time we ask him to do it. Kids can adapt to these kinds of things. I'm not sure why you think that will be a harder adaptation than kids having to sit in front of a screen for six hours a day and being expected to learn that way, indefinitely. It's completely developmentally inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know about everyone else but I find it incredibly difficult to hear what people are saying inside their masks.

[Anonymous]

My brother lives in NYC, and both he and his wife are drs. As essential health care workers, their two children are enrolled in NYC's emergency child care program for 7-8 hours a day. The kids are 3 and 5. Guess what? The children wear their mask all day! As do the child care providers! And it all works fine!

Yet another instance of (some) teachers grabbing at straws to "prove" why they can't work in person....

[Anonymous]

I recommend trying to get medical (surgical, not N-95) masks. They are much more comfortable than heavy cloth and way easier to talk through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My brother lives in NYC, and both he and his wife are drs. As essential health care workers, their two children are enrolled in NYC's emergency child care program for 7-8 hours a day. The kids are 3 and 5. Guess what? The children wear their mask all day! As do the child care providers! And it all works fine!

Yet another instance of (some) teachers grabbing at straws to "prove" why they can't work in person....

Those are so under-attended that they had to close down most of them, and many of them have between two and five students per room. Not an accurate representation of what the fall will be like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm honestly more concerned about trying to keep group of kindergartners wearing their masks than me wearing mine.

I really hope to God that everybody is getting their kids to practice where masks for 5-7 hours a day

Kindergarteners are not going to be required to wear masks. It has not been required for that age (for good reason) in any place in the world and DC won’t be the first and only. And my K child will not wear a mask the whole day - not for lack of trying but for lack of ability without touching it nonstop and chewing on it both of which pose greater risks. My PK child who will also be in DCPS similarly will not wear a mask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about everyone else but I find it incredibly difficult to hear what people are saying inside their masks.

Same. We have been interviewing nannies all week in masks and There are SO MANY “what did you say” and “huh?” Moments in all the interviews. Half the time I just move on without knowing what the person actually said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recommend trying to get medical (surgical, not N-95) masks. They are much more comfortable than heavy cloth and way easier to talk through.

They also don’t work as well alone for this purpose because they aren’t fitted. Cloth masks tend to have less gaps than the surgical masks.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it’s a toss-up; the better fit of the cloth mask (but poorer filtration) or vice versa? Luckily, we can all make the choice that is best for us!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm honestly more concerned about trying to keep group of kindergartners wearing their masks than me wearing mine.

I really hope to God that everybody is getting their kids to practice where masks for 5-7 hours a day

Kindergarteners are not going to be required to wear masks. It has not been required for that age (for good reason) in any place in the world and DC won’t be the first and only. And my K child will not wear a mask the whole day - not for lack of trying but for lack of ability without touching it nonstop and chewing on it both of which pose greater risks. My PK child who will also be in DCPS similarly will not wear a mask.

The FAQ from the virtual MCPS meeting tonight says that ALL staff and students will be required to wear masks.