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?

You do get used t them. We have to wear goggles now as well which are a total nightmare (nhs) so i would be happy to only wear a mask. Also kids do get used to them, it's surprising how much communication we do with our eyes 👀!!

@HerrenaHarridan

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

Like everyone else working front line? Oh no wait.

I don't understand. Last time schools reopened all the complaints on mumsnet were about kids and teachers not having to wear masks?

We’ve been teaching in masks since we returned after the first lockdown. It’s fine, really not an issue. Just find masks that are comfortable. You’ll get to have a break. The only thing I noticed was my lips were dry so I stuck some carmex in my bag. It’s really no big deal.

I think it's overkill but equally that you aren't going to win this one.

You can get masks with 'windows' in, think for lip reading. Would that be better?

You do get used to wearing them but you need a few as I find they get damp (yuck).

I’m not a school teacher but a university lecturer- last semester we had to teach in masks. As much as I hate the waste, I found the disposable ones much easier to teach in and after a while not too problematic at all.

@HerrenaHarridan

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

Kick off to who? The JCVI? They have made their decision based on speed and ability to get the vaccine out quickly. You cannot get the vaccine privately so kicking off is going to achieve precisely nothing.

I am not teacher bashing, but they wanted to wear masks and were told no, now they can wear masks and some don't want to, and people suggest they kick off about a vaccine.

You could ask her for evidence that there is any benefit to them. She won't be able to find any...

Thank you for those helpful comments.
I’m sure I will get used it.

I was not ‘upset’ or ‘bemoaning’. I was questioning whether I’d be able to TEACH effectively. Will the students at the back be able to hear?
Any tips?
For the record I’ve been happy to teach throughout. I haven’t complained and disagreed with the Union stance.
Judging by the comments I feel some of you would be the first to complain if my teaching wasn’t good enough!

If this is the rule I would follow it but I strongly disagree with it. The transmission rate has fallen, children are being tested the government is not following a zero Covid policy . Children and teenagers have lived in this bizarre situation which is totally confusing - they need proper interaction

In addition the masks will not worn correctly by children, they are not washed after each use or destroyed they are taken on and off . The use of them in this situation gives the impression of safety not the reality

@redroses86

Thank you for those helpful comments. I’m sure I will get used it.

I was not ‘upset’ or ‘bemoaning’. I was questioning whether I’d be able to TEACH effectively. Will the students at the back be able to hear?
Any tips?
For the record I’ve been happy to teach throughout. I haven’t complained and disagreed with the Union stance.
Judging by the comments I feel some of you would be the first to complain if my teaching wasn’t good enough!

We have been teaching with masks at my university. In our smaller rooms (which are the same size or slightly bigger than school classrooms) you can hear fine. You can always get a lapel mic to amplify yourself as well. Some colleagues were teaching students spread out in huge lecture theatres, and there were audibility issues there; the lecturer had a microphone, but could not hear students (and they could not hear each other).

I'm in France. Been teaching in a mask for 9 months when we've been Face to face. It's fine really. Makes me thirsty and I change my mask between classes.

It's weird there such a think in the Uk about masks - kids have been wearing them in primary and secondary classes since September with no problems and no exceptions. In fact as far as I'm aware there are no exceptions for mask wearing ever.

@redroses86

Thank you for those helpful comments. I’m sure I will get used it.

I was not ‘upset’ or ‘bemoaning’. I was questioning whether I’d be able to TEACH effectively. Will the students at the back be able to hear?
Any tips?
For the record I’ve been happy to teach throughout. I haven’t complained and disagreed with the Union stance.
Judging by the comments I feel some of you would be the first to complain if my teaching wasn’t good enough!

Yes, you'll be able to teach, like all other teachers wearing masks have been able to. It will take you a day or so to get used to it. The kids will be fine. They'll hear you. Your school will give guidelines about which masks are accepted. Most want FFP2 or surgical, not a piece of cloth you've sewn or bought from Joules. If you have hearing impaired students provision will be made.

DH has been teaching in a mask since last April.
He uses home-made ones, bought fabric and disposable ones.

Just make sure you have a pile of spares, once you manage to make them damp they get uncomfortable.

Any tips?

Radio mike. A teacher on here said she had one under her mask and it worked well. twitter.com/miss_mcinerney/status/1364166046287020032?s=21

Reduce group and pair work for the kids, use mini whiteboards or diagnostic questions (multiple choice - hands up if you got A etc) to reduce the need for the kids to speak.

We are doing this at the secondary I work in. I have worn a mask in corridors since September and in busy areas. It was hard at first as I wear glasses and struggled with them steaming up. You do get used to it though.

In terms of teaching, it may be tricky at first but I am planning on having notes available to support the lesson/use of video etc. Fingers crossed it will be ok.

Remember, everyone is in the same boat, so, although it may not be perfect, it will be the same all across the country.

That said, if all social distancing ends as planned in June, I am so hoping schools can just be normal in September!

once you manage to make them damp they get uncomfortable

I find that is the issue. I started wearing them more in class in December when things were kicking off. I only didn't wear one when I was teaching from the front of the room. Primary. It's the dampness that's the issue - makes your face sore. I'm going to go for disposables this time, but not actually dispose of them. Two a day, bag and leave for 3 days, use on rotation until they fall apart.

I’m with you OP, I fucking hate them and also hate the fact my DC (in France) have to wear them all day everyday with only a break for 15 minutes while they eat their lunch. And guess where their masks are while they eat their lunch? Under their chairs on the floor! How hygienic!

I refuse to believe that anyone in a school environment is anymore protected by these dehumanising and wasteful pieces of plastic, that 99% of kids fiddle with 100’s of times a day, than if they were just allowed to be normal kids and interact as normal kids do.
A school is an environment where 99.9% of contacts will be perfectly fine, including the vast majority of teachers and their parents at home. We’ve lived with this thing long enough to be able to isolate ourselves when actually ill. Why all this masking of perfectly healthy people? Care homes and hospital wards full of very sick people - yes, schools full of very young and middle aged people - no.

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants

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

They’re not necessarily talking almost constantly, though.

Happy to teach wearing one and don’t mind the discomfort if it’s keeping us all safe. But it’s when the kids start disrupting because they can’t hear properly that it’s going to become an issue

@Restawhile

Why are visors banned, just interested?

I wore a visor (I don’t care what people say - I’ve had kids sneeze spit over my face). I prefer a mask to a visor simply because the visor creates an echo effect around your ears. Your own voice is so much louder.

dehumanising and wasteful pieces of plastic

Everything is dehumanising these days. Think you mean ‘inconvenient’ or ‘slightly uncomfortable’

Do they not have washable masks in France?

@FamilyOfAliens

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

I think the rationale for why vaccinations are continuing via age was explained clearly, as was the stats on teachers and hospitalisations. The rate the vaccinations are being given, it shouldn’t be long now.

I've been teaching with one since September, barely noticed after a few days (even with glasses). I think it's long overdue and am delighted everyone can now as I've changed jobs and previously they weren't allowed at new one. I wore mask whilst doing my teaching interview lesson. I teach science and the benefits to reducing disease are proven. Why wouldn't I?

My 17 year old DD wears one for her shifts at McDonalds are copes fine and has had a few direct conversions with her peers who are making a fuss about masks. lol

Kids in France are only allowed to wear disposable surgical type masks. They do accept one specific type of fabric mask but they are hard to find in child sizes.

And I do mean dehumanising. It is a tragic site to walk into the playground at pickup time and be faced with hundreds of masked children, parents and teachers. Just feels wrong and totally unnatural to me.