When I see, hear and read about plans to reopen our schools across the country, I am often left dumbfounded.
As a teacher of preschool and elementary age children for almost 25 years, I cannot fathom teaching children in a mask, much less teaching a child who is wearing a mask. When social distancing is discussed and plans are shared for how to achieve it, my stomach turns — just as I know it does for many other parents and teachers in this world right now. How do I know? Because my phone is ringing off the hook with those seeking alternative education models to what they fear will be the “new normal” when their child returns to the classroom.
I have been a teacher for nearly three decades and own a school in the Santa Ynez Valley. I’ve witnessed firsthand the incredible responsibilities that come with educating children. School, at any age, is not only about learning the classroom work at hand. A teacher’s relationship with children cannot happen at a six-foot distance. Students cannot read a teacher’s non-verbal cues when his/her face is covered by a mask. A face shield is another barrier to educating. The teacher/child relationship in the best scenario cannot be exclusively about academics.