to not want to shake hands with all my students every lesson

[DrSeuss]

New directive from on high at the school where I teach. As of next September, all staff must greet staff at the door (most, including me, do this already) and offer a handshake, fist bump or high five to each child.

I don't really want to and can see so many pitfalls.

1. Some of my students have ASD. Social interaction for them is difficult at the best of times.
2. A couple are survivors of abuse. Touch is a major issue for them.
3. At least a quarter are Muslims. Touch between adults and children past the age of puberty is a major issue. I have no wish to give offence and am more than happy to respect their faith.
4. Bodily autonomy. Why/how do I compel them to shake my hand?
5. quite a few will just see it as another reason to be difficult or play the clown. I expect numerous "near misses" which they will find hilarious even if I refuse to react.
6. DD, aged 15, thinks it's ridiculous. She's fairly average. If she hates it, they probably all will.
7. I know where their hands go and suspect how little they are washed! What am I supposed to do, shake thirty hands then use hand sanitiser in front of them? How will that "foster good relationships"?

As I say, this is for all staff, it is a directive from SLT and I don't see how I can just ignore it. They have form for actively watching to see if such directives are followed. Any ideas appreciated, thanks!

My local school has adopted this too, The only people on board seem to be the SLT - Everyone else hates it

What kind of thing are you expected to write? ‘I promise not to lose my shit when your pen explodes again’?

It’s starting to sound a bit culty.

Do the kids write pledges? ‘I promise not to decorate everything in sight with the eternal sign of the cock and balls’?

A pledge?

What could you write other than ‘get a new job by christmas’?

Haven’t read all the thread but my school introduced the Paul Dix handshake thing last September.

There was uproar from the staff for many of the reasons you stated. The first solution was to give us all hand sanitising gel! That would have really helped student relationships! ‘Here, just let me sanitise my hand after touching your hand.’ 🙈

I normally get on board with most initiatives and at least give them a go but I was massively against this so refused to do it, as did most of the staff and students. I sent an email explaining why. Within a month, it was all forgotten.

I do agree with greeting students at the door and have always done this.

Just ignore it. There's absolutely no way SLT will be able to monitor it anyway.

Compulsory Handshake can be traumatic for people with hyperhydrosis.,

Not read all the thread..

Ugh what a ridiculous idea. I would refuse too. A welcome at the door is good but NO handshakes or any other physical contact.

I hate shaking hands with anyone and avoid it where I can.

Do the kids write pledges? ‘I promise not to decorate everything in sight with the eternal sign of the cock and balls’?

We had a 3 foot high cock and balls spray painted on the road near us for months recently (came in quite handy for giving directions actually), and then the council came along and covered it - so now we have a clearly visible 3 foot high tarmac cock and balls.

I keep telling the kids it's a space rocket because thankfully the art department at the local outstanding secondary seem to be shite.

My sons primary school tried to introduce this at the beginning and end of the day. It very quickly stopped as even 8 year olds disliked it - my sons in particular (both Autistic). Some Senior manager will hav been on a course where it is suggested as a strategy - teachers like to make their names coming uo with daft ideas and no one will have had the time to think it through but have thought it was great. Treat the kids as individuals you know their needs and ignore the directive. If anyone pulls you up on it present them with a class list or two with next to the kids names the reasons they don't want to do it = that will shut them up. Just greeting a child and being freindly is a good start to a lesson,

How insane. Ridiculous.

When I was at school (admittedly a long time ago) calling the register was used as a way to greet everyone. 'Good morning Clara' 'Good morning Miss Jones' instead of just 'Clara?' 'Here.' Even that I thought was a bit awkward at the time, but it's much less so than all the handshake-and-high-five nonsense, and didn't waste a great deal of time because the register had to be taken in every lesson anyway.

There are so many reasons why this policy is a bad idea.

Building relationships is the key to successful behaviour management. However, that does not involve any of this forced shit. Treat pupils as individuals.

Suppose I did it and I compelled the kids with ASD/Muslim kids/difficult kids etc to do it, weathered the agro from the kids and the phone calls from parents who would rightly want to know why I was distressing their child, what would I actually have achieved? If every kid grudgingly shook my hand whether they liked it or not, how would that help? Would compelling them to do something that they hate and that makes them uncomfortable really forge relationships? Greeting them at the door, smiling and saying hello would surely be better?

You are still right, DrSeuss. You do not forge relationships by pretending to be something you’re not or behaving in a way that is so totally unnatural to you.

Update- didn't even get the emails sent when it was downgraded to just tours, just first thing and you can hold out your hand but students have no compulsion to take it! Trouble is, the SLT are like that with everything. We're also supposed to be going phone free during school hours but i give that a week. They'll see how many hundreds (probably literally 100+) are in detention after a week and bottle it. This is the only occasion I know of where their lack of balls and staying power has helped staff.

Ha! Knew it wouldn’t last. The real bullshit never does!

That's good news!
Phone-free might be more doable and is actually beneficial. IF your leadership team can pull it off.
We are now phone-free between arrival and departure, students can have phones off in their bags so getting round the problem of wanting them for travelling to and from (which I totally get). After the initial flurry of problems we probably get one or two a week that forget or 'forget'. It has really made a difference around the place too.

Surely the same thing can be achieved with a wave and hello?
Also isn't this going to be really time consuming...

Ugh, how ridiculous. I hate that kind of Americanised touchy feely shit.

To be fair though, you say you have to offer it, not that the students have to accept it - so points 1 - 4 on your list aren't an issue.

Points 5-7 are more than enough to make it a load of bollocks though.

In my day we would all be sitting in the classroom at the start of a lesson. The teacher would come in a few moments later and we all stood up. The teacher would say "good morning/afternoon class X" and we would reply "good morning/afternoon Miss/Mrs Y" and then all sit down. No physical contact needed, just a bit of Victorian etiquette

How’s it going @DrSeuss?