Going Back to School: The New Norm

Our governor recently released the guidelines for returning to school in the Fall.  Most of them were things I expected, considering the talk circulating over the recent weeks and months.  Much of it sounds improbable, but staff are going to do all they can to make things work.  I came to terms with the fact that I would be wearing a face mask for 7 hours each day.  I have a very soft voice, so I'm concerned about being heard through my mask.  I'm going to end up straining my voice by trying to amplify while I teach.  I also drink a lot of water throughout the day.  That may have to change.  

I work in a self-contained unit for students with emotional disturbance and behavior disorders.  In layman's terms, there are four adults in the classroom for twelve children.  We often have to go hands-on with the students and sometimes must physically restrain them for safety reasons.  We have all been trained and certified to handle these situations.  Our students spit and bite, but we typically keep emotions under control so that this rarely happens.  I fear that their knowledge of the virus will cause them to spit more frequently, because they realize the power their bodily fluids now possess.  

The students in my class are also runners.  If something doesn't go their way, they are likely to get up and bolt out of the classroom.  Last year was a record year for me.  I took to wearing athletic shoes because I was running so often.  We even had a student get out of the building once.  (Well, he was already out of the building because he began running right from the school bus.)  Going hands-on with a student I'm supposed to stay six feet from is not something I'm looking forward to doing.  My coworkers and I have already discussed that we will likely allow the students more freedom to "have a meltdown" without intervention, but they will be removed to online instruction following such an event.  Our goal is for no physical restraints this year.  

It's surely not going to be ideal, but it's something we all must accept.  It's the new normal.  Another new norm is how the major cities of our state have recently mandated face masks in public.  Our small town has not yet gotten to that point, but I'm sure it will happen.  It's no change for me because I always wear one in public; it's for the safety of others.  An article I read said that they expect the change to occur like banning smoking in public places.  It was easy to enforce because it came with the threat of civil punishment.  Personally, I think it's very unfair to expect police officers to enforce another, very controversial issue in these times of turmoil.  People who oppose masks may become hostile if a police officer tells them they must wear one in public.  Once again, these guys need defended, not defunded. 

I'd love to hear the thoughts of others, especially school employees and parents, of how the return to school looks in your district.  Please comment if you have something to say!