I Don't Get It

When I was teaching, I did so many things that I wasn't expected to do.  Things that other teachers didn't.

On the first day of school (both at West Central and at Ivy Tech) I met the students at the door and introduced myself to them, which prompted them to introduce themselves to me.  This tended to confuse a few students who were a little 'slow on the uptake' because I would receive puzzled looks and a few "But Mrs. Siemens----I live down the road from you" from students I already knew well.  But this gave me a chance to make that first contact, lead them to their assigned seats in my high school classroom, and welcome them to my class at Ivy Tech.

After that I most likely could be found standing in my doorway, or to the side of the door, between classes.  I did this outside of my classroom at WC and I did it often at Ivy Tech, depending on if students needed to ask questions before class.

Two weeks ago I drove to Rensselaer for my dentist appointment.  When I walked in, wearing my mask, the receptionist checked me in, verified my address and insurance, then stood, leaned over the counter toward me, and held a thermometer in front of my forehead to check my temperature, which was normal.  She did the same with two other patients, one of whom was with his mother, as they entered.    The entire process of temperature taking was quick, maybe 5 seconds. 

This brings me to a new request of teachers in some schools for the fall.  Since temp is one clue to being infected with the COVID 19 virus, teachers in some corporations are being asked to check the temps of their students.  Some students will be checked as they enter the building, others as they exit the buses, many as they enter classrooms.

Some teachers are rebelling against being involved in this process in their classrooms.  One reason - not in their job description to check student temperatures.  Another - this will take away precious time for instruction during the class period.

While I agree that both of those could be valid arguments, I know I wouldn't attach myself to either of them.

As I said, I spent much of passing period in the hallways.  In fact my principal required us to monitor the halls during passing periods unless we were answering student questions before or after class.  Since I experienced the process at Hillcrest Dental, I know that it can be quick.  Standing at the door, asking the student to stop and placing the thermometer in front of the student's forehead, checking the temp, then telling him/her to enter or go to the nurse's office---shouldn't be a problem.  I could do it.  I stood in my doorway before most of my classes anyway.  I chatted with students in the first few minuts of class time too.  All time that wasn't really taking away from my instructional time.

I remember when we had to log student attendance online instead of putting out attendance slips for an office runner to collect.  Teachers fussed about that, saying that it would take too much time away from teaching.  The same thing happened at Ivy Tech when we were asked to click on class attendance on Blackboard and check off those students who were absent or late.  I would most often have an assignment on the screen, or be ready for the newspaper scavenger hunt, or have a note on the board about what was happening (such as "Be sure to submit your final draft through Blackboard by 9:05) so that some of those small time-consuming activities could be taken care of before I began the new instruction.  How is taking temperatures of students different than those beginning activities, which could still be going on concurrently??

Not in my job description?  My workday was from 8 until 3:30 when I was teaching high school.  How much time did I spend after school hours completing lesson plans, grading papers, or being sure everything was ready for the next day?  How many times did I stay over my office hours at Ivy Tech to pack the bag for Rochester and be sure everything was stacked on the table in my office to just pick up and go to the classroom when I returned from teaching dual credit?

This time of year would find me buying extra pencils, pens, and folders during Back to School sales so that I would have them on hand for students who were not fortunate enough to have parents or funds to purchase their own.  Not in my job description, but I did it.  Ditto for the stacks of construction paper, markers, crayons, and other items for projects I assigned to my students as part of the follow-up activities for a lesson.

How many times did I fill in for a teacher who needed to run to the next building to watch her son or daughter perform during an elementary project or program?  Why would Chuck appear at my door and ask me to take a new teacher under my wing and be sure he/she felt comfortable and welcomed? Those monthly Student Council Breakfasts with the Principal?  Not in my job description, but I arranged for them and attended them so that the students could have a better communication for their administrator and he would know what the students were planning.  Weekend camping trip with Explore 5 times?  I was told so many times that I was crazy to do that, that there was no  way he/she would do the same thing, and why would I want my weekend to be ruined by being with students.  Definitely NOT part of my job description.  But all of those things made me a better teacher and created more learning opportunities for my students.  And I wasn't alone.  Many of my colleagues either did the same and never complained.

My point?  If taking the students' temperatures before my class will create a healthier environment  for them AND for me, then I will do it.  I will make it work.  I will plan to take temps at the door, chat with them while I do it, and put a smile on my face.

I don't care if it is in my job description or not.  I don't care if it takes a few extra minutes to complete the screenings. What I DO care about is not being exposed to a student who has a fever, keeping my students AND myself healthy, and being able to stay in school that much longer.

Isn't it worth it?

I think so.