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?

@Wallywobbles

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.

Agreed

I've been teaching all along with a mask. One thing I have bought for myself is a voice amplifier. It means I don't have to try to project my voice so much and can breathe less deeply

It is a tragic site to walk into the playground at pickup time and be faced with hundreds of masked children

That won’t be happening in England.

I was teaching in a mask, the exception being classes that had students with hearing impairments or SEN needs where they benefit from seeing my face, and in those classes I wore a visor (not perfect I know but it was the best balancing act).

I have been teaching with a mask since October. It’s been absolutely fine. You just have to get on with it. I would rather teach with one than without at the moment. I have more issues with ventilation and kids/parents moaning that it’s too cold. Some sort of advertising campaign from government would help with this to persuade the students it’s not just me being a cow and wanting them all to freeze.

You should look into small mics that can be worn inside the mask. You may also have to adapt teaching styles slightly, with more emphasis on written directions ( on the board, print-outs, textbooks etc.) to help out kids with hearing issues and deal with the fact that many kids will "miss" little bits here and there. It's OK--they've been teaching in masks right from the start where I am. It beats endless school closures or hybrid learning.

I have done it since September. It’s fine. Change your mask every break time so it doesn’t get soggy and you get a breather. As someone else said, the surgical masks are better than the pretty cloth masks. The children get used to it very quickly and KS3 and above will be doing the same anyway. It is the one thing the government has offered to help make schools safer so I’m grabbing it.

Just watch your voice!!

As professional voice users, teachers are really prone to damaging their voices anyway. But with masks (lack of hydration, drying out the vocal cords and using your voice differently / trying to project more) - you are even more likely to damage and lose your voice.

I hated wearing a mask but now I'm used to it and sometimes I have 14 hour shifts where I wear one all day and change them regularly

This is why people are becoming annoyed with some teachers:

Teachers/unions: "we want masks in all part of the school inc classrooms!!"

Some teachers: "wah, why we do we have to wear masks?"

I have been teaching with a mask since last June. Second nature now.

@Rosehip10

This is why people are becoming annoyed with some teachers:

Teachers/unions: "we want masks in all part of the school inc classrooms!!"

Some teachers: "wah, why we do we have to wear masks?"

Or maybe this is a good example that some people will focus on the smallest thing, just so they can be annoyed at teachers.

Teachers are not one homogeneous mass. They are human beings just like everyone else.

OP, try not to worry. You won’t notice after a while and there have been some good tips on this thread. I’ve had some success with clear masks in class that are designed for those who need to lipread, for example and I use a cloth mask at other times, that fits well.

@Rosehip10

This is why people are becoming annoyed with some teachers:

Teachers/unions: "we want masks in all part of the school inc classrooms!!"

Some teachers: "wah, why we do we have to wear masks?"

Or rather why they are becoming annoyed with teachers unions.

Well tibtom we know that you’re annoyed with the teaching unions because you didn’t want safer schools.

At the FE college where I work we have been wearing masks during lessons since after October half term. @LolaSmiles, I use a clear lip reading mask for my students who are hard of hearing.

If you can adequately distance from students when teaching then a mask is not required. Of course this all depends on the size of the classroom. We have been instructed to stay at the front and not walk around the classroom so masks shouldn't be needed. And if teaching a child who is HoH then masks cannot be worn and a visor should be used instead.

Hi
Sorry in advance if I am wrong but I thought it was only until Easter hopefully, and if you weren’t 2 meters apart from others?

I am sure there are practical issues in terms of teaching effectively, esp for some classes like drama or listening and hearing tests for languages. It’s not easy and you do have my sympathies

But overall, for everyone’s health, it’s good news to have this in place

Visors are just eye protection, nothing more. We use them along with surgical masks for PPE in the NHS. Another option is mask along with goggles, visors on their own are not PPE.

OP, hopefully it won't be too long. A microphone may help you. Do you think a clear mask may help? Thank you for everything you are doing.

I thought it was only until Easter hopefully
The U-turn awaits.

Didn't Saint Boris, with his fetish for U-turns, once say "masks in the classroom would be farcical"?

We started off the year wearing masks only if within 2m of a child but this pretty became obvious it wasn't possible (I teach 5 year olds) even the teachers in the older classes found they needed one for yard duty etc.
.

Before Christmas we were wearing cloth masks all the time and since we returned today we have all been provided with boxes of the higher grade surgical masks.

It did take getting used to and we have very strict regimes. Masks removed and disposed of in a special covered bin. No mask ever ever removed and put back on.
If you find your voice is strained an amplifier is handy.
Now I don't mind it at all.

The new DfE, guidance, effective 8th March says:

"In addition, we now also recommend in those schools, that face coverings should be worn in classrooms or during activities unless social distancing can be maintained.

This does not apply in situations where wearing a face covering would impact on the ability to take part in exercise or strenuous activity, for example in PE lessons.

In primary schools, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and
adult visitors in situations where social distancing between adults is not possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas). Children in
primary school do not need to wear a face covering.

We are taking this additional precautionary measure for a limited time during this
period of high coronavirus (COVID-19) prevalence in the community. These
measures will be in place until Easter. As with all measures, we will keep it under
review and update guidance at that point."

So if you're in Primary you only need to wear a mask if you can't social distance from other adults. In Secondary only if you can't social distance.

I think your head has been over zealous in the application of the guidance and I'd take it back to him/her. I agree you can't teach effectively wearing a mask all day.

I'll be teaching in a mask all day because I can't social distance. The kids' desks are closer than 2m to where I stand at the board.

Secondary teacher here, have worn a mask in the classroom since September. Our head gave us the choice. Not always comfortable, particularly after running between classrooms at opposite ends of the building! Classes haven't had an issue hearing me speak.

@TillyFloss10

If you can adequately distance from students when teaching then a mask is not required. Of course this all depends on the size of the classroom. We have been instructed to stay at the front and not walk around the classroom so masks shouldn't be needed. And if teaching a child who is HoH then masks cannot be worn and a visor should be used instead.

Isn't this pretty much every class by the time various communication difficulties are considered including SENs such as ASD and specific difficulties that affect processing speed.

People often don't realise how much they lipread and use facial cues until they are in a position where they can't.

These children are already amongst the ones more likely to have suffered with access to appropriate education and socialising in the past 2.5 months and through the extensive time out of school last year.

I've been teaching wearing a mask since we went back after Christmas and it's fine. The children (4-5 years old) wear them as well unless they are working at their (distanced) desks. I've adjusted, they've adjusted. It's not ideal but I don't think I'd be comfortable without them at the moment as you can't stay socially distanced all the time with very small children. I do move it off my mouth when demonstrating sounds in phonics though as they need to see my face.