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!

What fucking utter madness is this?? Shake hands with 30-6 boys every day? I KNOW they don’t wash after football/toilet/whatever. There’s no way I want to touch them (or them me, probably!)

Total waste of time bollocks. Reminds me of a cover teacher who tries to be Mr Popular.

Fist bumping and high fives were very frowned upon at my last school, teachers were told it was too informal and not to do it.

Why don't you take that list to the school head rather than mumsnet?

They seem eminently logical reasons to avoid that malarkey.

Sorry, I just realised I didn't recommend anything!!

Hand sanitize as soon as they're all in the room. I had a tiny one in my pocket and I quickly squeezed it on whilst I was looking up and down the corridor to see if there were any late arrivals. Although this didn't prevent me from getting ill.

Other than that, if it's a non-negotiable from SLT, then I'm afraid you have to do it. Does it have to be a hand shake or can you hi-five instead? Less contact and maybe slightly less awkward too?

I'd hate that as an adult, and especially would have hated it as a child/teen.
I went to Pakistan on a charity trip and all the men I met there were very polite and friendly but none tried to shake my hand - it's was such a relief! I had an Italian ex and I absolutely hated meeting any other Italians as the double kiss/ personal space was so
Uncomfortable for me... I feel I've gone on a tangent and possibly missed the point!

Bouncebacker- I already say hello at the door and can totally see the value in that. According to SLT, yes, I do have to shake hands/fist bump/high five. That's my problem! It is a requirement, not a suggestion.

I stand at the door to greet my class as they walk in (and to say goodbye when they leave)

I had safeguarding training.
We were told the basic thing to remember was Rule 1 - don’t touch the kids. Ever.

Then straight into Pivotal training and told about this handshake rubbish.

Other than that, if it's a non-negotiable from SLT, then I'm afraid you have to do it.

She does not. SLT should not be bringing in significant changes to policy without consultation with staff. Without consultation she can refuse to do it and they would get nowhere with a disciplinary because there could be any number of good reasons for her not doing it. Since they have shouted everyone down, how would they know?

You don’t have to do it because it’s a non-negotiable. We have bodily autonomy, a right to set our own boundaries with regards to personal space and unions who will back us up. She can absolutely refuse to comply. What will SLT do if a number of staff take a stand on this?

I can also see this turning into injuries and pain.
The student with a grudge against a teacher uses a handshake to cause injury.
Arthritic teachers will be in agony if all the students decide handshake.

You are so not being unreasonable. You didn't even need your points 1 to 7 to justify that YANBU. What an absolute waste of everyones time. You can be friendly and welcoming just by being yourself, you don't have to do it to a formula - you are not a blimming robot! I'd be going to the union or looking for a new job. Oh and did I mention YANBU.

To me it just seems a way to very quickly spread germs, especially as children are expected to attend even when unwell to keep attendance figures high.

Pivotal is bollocks! Hw very dare you! Our SLT are considering having Paul Dix canonised and putting his picture up in the entrance hall for us to bow to as we arrive!

Even if my SLT told me this was a requirement, there is no way I would do this. There is no way I would be shaking the (grubby) hands of 160 students in a day. If enough of you refuse/threaten to seek union advice, they would surely have to listen to you.

Thank God I am no longer at school, I would have hated that. Not all kids want to high five their teacher or the other way around. Why should you have to do that if it makes you uncomfortable? Why can't schools focus more on child welfare and wellbeing rather than stuff like this? I fail to see how it is more likely to make the kids engage with the material you teach. My geography teacher at school was nice doesn't mean I enjoyed her lessons though.

Would I fuck do this.

For one thing, my students would look at me as if I had gone absolutely batshit crazy. And any attempt at fist bumps or high fives would have them unable to take part in the lesson because they would be weeping with uncontrollable laughter at how desperately tragic it was that all the old people were trying to be down with the kids.

Who on earth is this Paul Dix twat and how glad do I have to be that he hasn't seeped into my school yet? Do I need to wheel out this clip for him?

*shake hands even
Stock up on the hand sanitiser.

If you like this thread slating Paul Dix then you may also enjoy this one:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_staffroom/3601747-Deteriorating-behaviour-and-lack-of-support-bringing-the-profession-to-its-knees

The twat isn’t just responsible for lightweight shitnitiatives like this one, but a general behaviour policy that is ruining teachers’ ability to do their jobs effectively,

I teach in secondary and I'm afraid I'd refuse. If that policy had been introduced in a whole staff meeting, I'd have had no qualms about refusing in front of the whole staff and SLT.
Your reasons for refusing from your OP are absolutely valid, the religious issue will be huge, I have known Muslim men, adult men, who have declined to shake hands with female colleagues due to the issue of physical touch, many teenage boys will feel the same. I can only IMAGINE how Muslim girls will feel about enforced physical contact with male members of staff.
I'm so sorry you're being put in this position OP. I'm grateful I work in a school where a) we couldn't afford Paul DICKS, oh I'm sorry, Dix even if we wanted him. And b) SLT are reasonable and whole staff are free to criticise/take part in the creation of whole school policy.

PM me if you're looking for a new job, I'll let you know if we have any vacancies in your subject area, we're always looking for good maths and science teachers 😊

My school caught Paul Dix from a podcast.

@noblegiraffe you'll need a long course of antibiotics to shake that

As an educator and parent of an autistic child Thankyou for thinking about how difficult it for children in the spectrum with both social and sensory issues.

Ds school spent years helping him manage to stay in a classroom once there. This would set him back not even getting that far!

Kool aid my arse

I had safeguarding training.
We were told the basic thing to remember was Rule 1 - don’t touch the kids. Ever

That's very weird, because my recent (teachers') safeguarding training said nothing of the sort.

The class clowns wanting to do whole secret handshake routines. Students who don't like that lesson, using the greeting as a way to waste time.

If I was still in education and had to do this crap, I would put in all my concerns now, in email, and in September I wouldn't be dissuading pupils to stop doing ridiculous greeting handshakes/fist bump. But would be asking slt how to deal with it, considering we all have to do handshakes etc.

And yes the pisstaking will be bad. Really great way to treat your staff.

I would find this so awkward. Some of the kids would hate it. You should make a point of being off sick every time there is even the hint of a bug in school. Speak to your union.

@DrSeuss
School has spent a fortune on a training package. For those in education, the name brings to mind the episode of Friends where they try to get a sofa upstairs!

Oh Christ, I remember having training with them. What a load of wank.

Nobody can force you to make contact with other people. Your body, your rules. Plus, teenagers are pretty manly. I'm not touching my students. A smile and 'hello' is enough.