Teacher - told to teach wearing a mask

[redroses86]

I’m hoping for any advice or opinions on the above really.
My Head has just announced that we must wear a mask at all times in school, including during teaching.
This was not the case before this lockdown. We wore masks in corridors and busy spaces etc.
I’m worried about wearing a mask for 8+ hours a day. I don’t think I’ll be able to effectively teach a group of 33 kids in sometimes large classrooms whilst wearing one. Visors are banned.
Has anyone experienced this?

Why would you need to? Boris Johnson has assured the nation that schools are safe places and that teachers do not need to be immunised ahead of their age group priority

DH has had this supervising KW kids in school throughout this lockdown. Everyone in masks in classrooms. He's obviously only been supervising not teaching but it's all been fine. Visors not allowed either.

I don't think schools can win. Teachers (generalising - not aimed at you) complain they can't wear masks and they don't feel safe at school, and then others complain when they're offered something that provides more protection. I think you'll just have to lump it for now and hope it doesn't last long.

I think it's going to be the norm as we return to schools. We've been told we must wear one unless we're behind our perspex screens or two metres distanced from the kids - impossible in my classroom! Visors banned here too.

I shall be doing a lot from behind my screen!

Do you not listen/watch the news?

Many people wear masks all day, for their jobs. If you don't wear glasses I recommend the NEQI ones. Top of which report & very comfortable, but no nose bar so hopeless with glasses (steam up)

You'll get used to it

Wasn't this announced last week by Boris that all secondary pupils need to wear masks in classrooms, it makes sense that teachers would have to as well.

I appreciate it will make things more difficult but it's one of the mitigation steps that many teachers on here have been shouting for as a condition of reopening schools to everyone.

It's manageable unless you have some kind of underlying condition - I've done it.

Just say you're exempt.

I taught in a mask before Christmas (wasn’t supposed to). I quickly got used to it so I think you will be fine. Teaching and learning do suffer though, I think, and I have nice sensible classes. They have been learning better online.

I have two jobs. One an MDS - we're all wearing masks and none of us have experienced problems with children understanding us. My other job, I wear a mask all day unless eating/drinking - I do a lot of talking, it's not great, but you get used to it. I used to remove my mask immediately on leaving work, but now I've got used to it I forget and leave it on. Nursing staff wear them for 12 hour shifts in warm areas, so I don't think we can complain.

I teach piano at home. In the autumn before lockdown I wore a mask for all my teaching and the children did the same. I was often teaching in a mask for 5-6 hours on the trot, and was further away from the children than you will be. It feels a bit hot and annoying but you get used to it and no children had trouble understanding me.

You’ll have a bit of a dry throat by the end of the day; drink lots.

Why are visors banned, just interested?

I think you should try before deciding you can't.

If one of your pupils said they couldn't do something before they'd tried it, what would you say to them?

@Restawhile

Why are visors banned, just interested?

Because they have been proven to be ineffective.

You’re upset about the wrong thing.

In your shoes I’d be kicking off the get the vaccine before they expect me to return to frontline work

You get used to it very quickly. I wear one for 13 hours a day.

We have been wearing masks and visors since October half term (I’m primary). You get used to is to be honest as do the kids.

Precautionary measure? Better safe than sorry?

@Itslidesacrossthefloor

Just say you're exempt.

This is the attitude that's landed us where we are today

Going by the threads on here for the last year this is exactly what teachers wanted.

DH is going to double mask and stay behind the tape at all times. Yea, teaching will suffer. Not as much as if he was in ICU though 🤷🏼‍♀️

I feel for you OP. You’ll get lots of posters piling on saying masks are no issue and you’ll quickly get used to them, but as a former teacher with perennial rhinitis and a naturally quiet voice I’m so glad I’m not having to teach under these circumstances - I’m very prone to voice strain/laryngitis at the best of times and prolonged mask-wearing would have been a huge issue for me. I’d almost inevitably have been off sick in no time, and not with covid.

I think we also need to be pragmatic and accept that communication/quality of learning will be affected to at least some degree. To some extent I can see why schools are wanting to impose these measures at the current time, but the pretence that masks pose no problems and will have no knock-on effects really irritates me.

I think it's a good thing. Most teachers have been bemoaning the lack of ppe in schools and I think pupils deserve protection too.

There may be minor issues, but these pale into insignificance in the face of covid. Once vaccinations are rolled out to all then they should become unnecessary I would think.

@Restawhile

Why are visors banned, just interested?

Because worn on their own they are pretty much pointless regarding covid. If worn they should be worn with a mask.

Surely you should be happy to wear a mask when you are in your workplace?

Those of us who've had no choice but to be at work throughout this year have worn masks for 9 hours a day every day.

It's really not a major hardship unless of course you have a medical condition. Get on with it

After returning from a few weeks off after covid I wore a mask all day at school, including when teaching. The only time I didn't was when stood at the front, more than 2m away, when teaching phonics when the shape of my mouth when talking was needed.

You get used to it very quickly.
I found I quickly learnt to make adjustments such as raising my voice slightly and making sure I spoke more,clearly and perhaps slightly slower with the younger children.

It was perfectly fine and very much doable, even when teaching infant school age children.
Oh, and the children weren't bothered in the slightest.