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!

Ew, no.

I'm a primary school teacher and wouldn't do this. Although for years and years I've made a point to greet each child verbally, by name.

Firstly, a lot of people aren't great with touch.
Secondly, who knows where their hands have been?!

Oh jesus - school policy is now dictated by cute videos on fb. If it comes naturally to you and the students respond well - go ahead. In my experience though the teachers that use these kinds of time wasting tricks generally have very little substance to teach with. There are many other ways of communicating positively with your class and teachers should be allowed to use what works best for them and their kids. This is bloody awful and all your concerns and totally well founded.

I would have been deeply uncomfortable with this and would be now if it happened in the office. I would find it so stressful embarrassing I’d probably go home and cry.

This is the norm in Swiss Schools, read an article about it the other day, some Muslim boys challenged it because the say they arent allowed to touch a females hand.
article, not sure why it came up other day as it is 2 years old
Interestingly when i read article I thought this will end up on MN

What a ridiculous thi g for them to suggest. The children will find this absolutely hilarious. I would have cringed and dreaded entering every class if teachers were doing this when I was at school. Just refuse, what can they do?

"encouraging" autistic students or students with severe social anxiety to make eye contact at the start of every lesson is not helpful.

Eye contact is deeply uncomfortable for this cohort, not just something they can't be arsed with. Avoidant eye contact does not affect listening skills; it is just perceived by the speaker that way. It is only important for NT social communication. Autistic people do it differently, not wrongly. Don't be so dismissive of alternate, non harmful ways of being.

I imagine colds etc will spread like wildfire, you'll need those antiseptic hand gel dispensers in the corridors like you get in hospitals...

not at secondary but at primary at pick up, in one year (possibly more - can't remember) the kids had to go and shake their teacher's hand before rushing off with their mum/granny/childminder/best mate's mum. I think this was a method of not allowing the kids to just hare off and the teacher not be aware they'd been properly collected.

I must say, this sounds like an utter waste of time, but as an aside do kids learn that shaking hands with someone when you are introduced to them is just basic manners?

Ooh no thanks. I would get a punch if I tried this with most of my SEMH kids!

Christ, this is one solid way to spread norovirus! Sounds so twee and ghastly... Most teenagers would hate this.

Christ, this is one solid way to spread norovirus! Sounds so twee and ghastly... Most teenagers would hate this.
They seem to manage in Switzerland. Its the norm there

I would have cringed and dreaded entering every class if teachers were doing this when I was at school.
I feel differently about it than you. It would have been the only positive touch I received in my entire childhood and probably would have meant something to me, even if I knew it was school policy. A bit like if it was school policy to hand out a sweet every Friday afternoon I'd have really liked having my share!

I would have a discussion with all the students and see what they say. It sounds ridiculous.

This is ridiculous. A greeting at the door is fine. You can refuse. They tried this at my school for a short while. I don't think it's any coincidence that this was when the worst ever outbreak of D&V happened and affected attendance dramatically.

I'd have thought it was weird if we'd had this at school. A 'Good morning' and a smile at the door is enough.

snowflakery gives a high five. That's the way it starts. You'll be handing out sweeties soon.

What's wrong with 'Come in, sit down and shut up'. Only joking, untwist your sloggis.

Come in, sit down and shut up'

Lovely greeting! Not to formal. Acknowledges presence. States expectations. Said with a smile it is positively inviting! It's like 'Listen closely, this is good stuff!'.

justasking111 for Pivotal Education Ltd, the returns are within normal timelines. Nothing to write home about from that perspective.

But this is a stupid idea, for the many reasons already stated.

Not RTWT but repetitive strain injuries ?

My secondary school age children in Switzerland shake hands with every teacher at the start and end of every lesson...they also have to shake hands with medical professionals, other children's parents when they visit their houses, extracurricular activity teachers etc

One child has never had a vomiting bug, the other has had 1 in 10 years and both are very rarely ill, so it doesn't seem to cause epidemics...

They learn how to shake hands properly in Kindergarten and by secondary school it's like a reflex. It takes less time than I remember it taking teachers to settle our class down to start a lesson in a uk comp!

I think it is quite a positive thing and helps with maintaining a calm and respectful atmosphere in the classroom. UK teachers should be free to choose if they want to greet their students this way. But suddenly imposing hand shaking on teachers and teenagers who aren't comfortable with this seems wrong.

As a Muslim woman, I'd feel uncomfortable with this. That's at my age now (20s) and when I was younger.

My parents wouldn't have been too happy either. In parent's evenings, for instance, my dad would keep a was of tissue in his hand. When it came time to shake hands with a male/female teacher he'd explain he had a cold, to avoid the touch. The first time he did this, I thought he was being genuine and felt guilty for not knowing and asking him to come!

It's good of you to question this OP, I don't think it's a necessary idea at all!

I also wouldn't like it for its insincerity. If all the teachers are suddenly doing it, I'd realise it was being enforced and then it's not a thoughtful gesture anymore. I've seen the videos too, a long time ago, and felt like it would waste too much time.