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!

Works with my youngest children, not sure it would with Secondary kids (I'm a Nursery/Primary school teacher. It's about greeting, making eye contact and showing you're pleased to see them. We should all do that anyway, in our own way. It should also be about CHOICE. Not something to be enforced by Management. Grrrrr.

*wad of tissue

As people have already commented, it’s the norm for children at private prep schools to shake their teachers hand at the beginning/end of the day. It therefore bemuses me that there are primary school teachers on here saying that there is no way they would do it. It’s basic good manners and excellent preparation for adult life.

Send an email expressing all the points you've raised here! Say that you already greet them all by name but that physical contact is inappropriate.

I should add that I wouldn't do this. I have an intolerance to certain foods, try to avoid them but not always possible and it evidences in itchy scaly skin on my hands. Shaking severely hands several times a day would aggravate it and cause me discomfort!

Dear God. Are we taxpayers subsidising this nonsense?

This is why I ate beans for a decade to send my DC to the local prep school. The state school I taught at only started this sort nonsense when the political regime changed and state education started to fall off a cliff.

Once, when I was faced with the SM team trying it on I went to my GP and got an opt out through a doctor’s note.

Still had to retire early though through stress. Best decision I ever made and I suggest the OP does the same and gets a post anywhere doing anything except Education.

Maybe have something to hand to each child individually at the beginning of every lesson as they come in instead - it would be worth the extra time and money on photocopying. I would have hated this as a pupil and a teacher.

My sons school do this - eye contact and a handshake - but they e been doing it since they were 7 so it’s normal to them. I think the head would collapse at a fist-bump.
I think that to learn how to walk into a room and greet others with a decent handshake and confident eye-contact is really really important. I cannot see the point of training them for fist bumps and high fives AT ALL!
Perhaps do some role play of job interviews etc - how to enter a room, first impressions count etc so that they understand why.
I think it sets the tone of a calm respectful environment and I applaud your SLT for its introduction but not the high fives and fist bumps!

When I was at school we'd all file into the classroom, go to our desks and the teacher would say "Good morning children". We would all reply "Good morning Mrs teacher'sname" and that was that.

Nothing wrong in that at all.

This idea of shaking hands with everybody and welcoming them into the classroom is cobblers and puts the pupils on an equal footing with the teacher. We don't want that. The teacher is supposed to be in a position of authority - kids need to learn that there is a hierarchy and their place in it.

My secondary unfortunately adopted the Pivotal approach this year with its 30 second interventions and restorative conversations saving the world. As a school we said we were not going to shake hands but we’d greet the kids as they came into class. That’s enough. We got tacky wristbands to wear with our Pivotal Pledge written on. We’ve supposedly signed up for 18 months so we’re 10 months into this bullshit. They must be making a mint from reading how many schools on this thread have bought them in.

The state school I taught at only started this sort nonsense when the political regime changed

This is nothing to do with the political regime. Much as I hate the Tories, they hired Tom Bennett as their behaviour tsar and I’m pretty sure he’d think this is gimmicky jazz-hands bullshit.

I don’t really know why it has started taking off now. It’s certainly part of some progressive backlash against the more authoritarian route that some schools are taking, but everything else in education seemed to be moving in a more evidence-based and sensible way.

6 times a day, everyday with dirty teenagers. Get your union to risk assess this. This is not going to help attendance figures.

We got tacky wristbands to wear with our Pivotal Pledge written on.

Oh ffs, you are professionals, not 12 year olds at summer camp.

Shaking hands, like wearing a tie , are out-dated and inappropriate for children.
This is American shit, like using bathroom for toilets, principal for head and students for pupils. And wtf is a fist bump?

Introduce another option - a nod of the head type greeting.
Explain you are teaching your pupils they have the option to decide who touches them, when and where.
It is not a good lesson to tell pupils they must accept physical contact.

*Teacher22

Dear God. Are we taxpayers subsidising this nonsense?

This is why I ate beans for a decade to send my DC to the local prep school. The state school I taught at only started this sort nonsense when the political regime changed and state education started to fall off a cliff

Teacher -I don’t understand your post - are you saying that you sent your son to prep because this is the norm (which it is in any decent prep) but that it’s not ok or appropriate for state?
I’m not being obtuse, I genuinely don’t get your point.

we’re 10 months into this bullshit.

And when the adults changed, did everything change? I’ve heard a lot of teachers slating it, I’ve not heard any say it has genuinely turned their school around (which I have heard about Ready to Learn-type policies).

I would greet them all by name but not touch them. Gross.

It’s not a Muslim thing, it’s misogynistic thing. Not a single one of the Muslims I have known in my life would refuse to shake hands with the opposite sex and many of them are very devout. I get where you are coming from but I think you may have it the wrong way round. The majority of the children wontreally benefit from it and many will have reasons for not wanting to do it but at the same time it’s is an important part of being a functional adult and it will be beneficial to the students who have issues to help them get used to it.

Secondary school teacher here!
I once worked in a school that tried to implement this policy. SLT liked to implement lots of ridiculous policies with zero consultation with colleagues. All I’d say is get out now. Teaching is a profession and all colleagues should be given the respect and autonomy to make professional decisions.

I haven't read the full thread However this was put in place in the Secondary school my son was in until 6th form a few years ago with a new headteacher..

this was the pre concern

Noro virus report post handshake policy (apologies for DM link but Times link wanted money to read the full article)

DS said the 1 teacher who did fist bumps was the most popular the boys hated it.

AS far as I know it is still in place (Ds went to different school for 6th form)

Definitely no need for this new fangled rubbish. Have the authorities forgotten why children go to school.

I honestly can’t see anything has changed except for a few new posters around the place. Ready, respectful, safe. Familiar anyone??

Get your union involved. They should write a letter to SLT pointing out all the health issues, including the fact that someone with a severe peanut allergy could die from getting peanut residue on their skin, point out all the social and Send issues and issues around personal space. End by stating that all colleagues will comply provided they are issued with a box of 100 vinyl gloves each week to wear during the greeting ceremony. You could also ask if they have consulted Ofsted and parents about thr reduction in teaching time this will cause. It is beyond stupid, so glad I'm no longer in teaching.

I would not be high fiving, fist bumping or anything of the like. It's a classroom, not a bloody baskeyball court!