School, Students and Washing Hands

                                    How to Wash Your Hands Song

                                     (To the tune of Frere  Jacques)

                                                                                                     

                                            Scrub your palms.                                 

                                             Between the fingers

                                             Wash the back

                                             Twirl the tips around 

                                              Twirl the tips around

                                              Thumb attack

                                              Thumb attack

      Who would have thought that washing your hands would come to be so crucial. Of course this use to be a no brainer. You are expected to wash your hand after using the bathroom, before eating. As teachers, parents and caregivers we expected this from our children as we tell them to wash their hands all the time.

   But with Covid 19 washing hands has taken on a new meaning and is emphatically emphasized as being crucial to keep Covid away. Children must now be closely monitored both at school and home to make sure that they are not just washing their hands, but they are washing their hands rigorously. Therefore they are told to sing or count in order to make sure they are washing their hands correctly.

   Teachers and school administrative boards are already over worked and under paid but in these times their work load has tripled. In order to keep both themselves safe and their students safe they must go beyond and above to perform ritually cleaning of the classroom and school environment.Parents are also stressed out with children returning to school and they must also pay critical attention to symptoms as well as washing routines. While this takes a toll it is obviously necessary. But as I have said before we are stronger together.

    I have found that in the few weeks that school has opened I have been running around like a chicken without a head. Getting the children at school to wash hands, to follow up with going to bathroom, keeping the masks on, to stay in their group.To use the sanitizer after each activity, School life has a different look this calendar year and definitely a different routine. As educators we must do all that we can in oder to survive.

   Children learn repetition, rhymes and rhythm. Therefore as I started the blog with singing a song, it is about getting children to do what we need them to do during this time. Singing and dancing gets children moving and this works at any age. Adding music to your daily class room tasks will get your students moving. They will be happy to go and wash their hands, use the sanitizer etc. They will not see it as a chore but more as a game or an activity.

To fight Covid we definitely need the children we are trying to protect involved. So how do we get them involved? 

1. Teachers as many of you have done already I am sure. Get your children involve to help with keeping on their masks and social distancing, as well as washing hands etc. children are very good at keeping each other accountable

2.Let children be a part of the cleaning process within their classroom to an extent.Tasks can be delegated based on their age.

3.Give them wipes to wipe down certain ares as assigned, eg books, toys etc. Children like to feel as if they are apart of something. Getting them involved makes them feel grown up. Telling them that even though they are small they are doing their part in contributing to prevent Covid. This makes them feel special.

4.Place them in groups and assign each group a leadership roles or goals. Example one set of students can be in charge of sanitizing the books and wipe them down, or one group 0f students each day get to demonstrate  to the class how to wear masks correctly, or how to social distance during school etc

5.Get children to write and make up their own songs and poems for washing hands, social distancing and wearing masks. The songs can be to the tune of other songs from different genre. These can be displayed in the classroom and they can also be presented to the class and the class take turns to learn the song or recite the poem to the class. Children are naturally creative and by getting them to create their own songs to the very activities they must now perform daily. It gets them into the present stage of acting upon what is expected therefore it becomes a part of them. So having a song in their mind or singing while washing your their hands. This gets into them in forming a habit while having fun at the same time.

   During this school year as teachers we have had to program an entire different existence inside the classroom, and learning has taking on a different narrative.These are some of the activities I have used during the learning process this year.If you have different creative ideas that you are using inside your classrooms I would love to hear from you. These ideas can also be used by parents at home on a different scale as you can challenge children to pen their own songs or poems for the family to follow for Covid 19 guidelines.

Have a great week and let us continue to care for each other and most of all be safe.