Are handshake greetings good school policy?

NO
They ignore the basics of a healthy school climate

By Pat Christie

The basis of infection control to reduce the spread of disease begins with good hand washing, which is often not available in the classroom nor practiced adequately throughout the day. Even if hand-washing facilities (sink, running water, and soap) are available in the classroom, that is no guarantee they will be used properly. That’s particularly true because the time it takes for students to wash their hands would, by necessity, reduce instructional time. If a hand-sanitizing gel were used, it might reduce the amount of lost time; but, once again, human nature and common sense seem to indicate that gels would not necessarily be used properly. A school that incorporates handshake greetings throughout the school day would seem to undermine guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC advises schools to “work with the local health department to implement effective infection prevention policies and procedures that help limit the spread of influenza at schools in the district (e.g., promotion of hand hygiene, cough/sneeze etiquette).” People tend to cough or sneeze into their hands. Schools that limit hand contact are reducing the risk that illness will be unnecessarily spread in the course of the school day.

It’s also important to remember that the sense of touch is very personal. Some students simply do not want to be touched. What if a student fears that handshake? No matter the reasons behind those feelings, how will the teacher handle a student who doesn’t want to shake hands?

This does not mean that I don’t think it’s important for students to be greeted and welcomed at school. Quite the contrary: I believe greeting students is important and makes each student feel valued. But it can be accomplished in other ways—calling each student by name, acknowledging some work the student has completed or other commendable behavior. The greeting and affirmation of each individual does not have to be a forced or rigid routine at the beginning of each class period. It just needs to be part of the classroom climate. And a general greeting by the teacher to the whole class will take less time from the instructional day. It also will prevent contact with hands that might be contaminated and which could transmit disease as hands then touch the face, mouth, eyes and nose following a handshake or high-five.

For best practice in preventing the spread of infectious disease, I believe we should not shake hands as a matter of course. Avoiding this routine before the start of class will be one way to reduce the spread of infection, and it will provide an opportunity for alternative, more natural and meaningful ways of acknowledging students’ importance in the classroom.

Pat Christie is a school nurse in Aptos, Calif., and member of the AFT school nurse subcommittee.

YES
Germs happen

By Marilyn Lawson

Many schools recognize that fact and are doing something about it. They encourage teachers and staff to greet each and every student in the building with a handshake, high-five or “dap” (closed fists bumped). Indeed, some educational researchers believe that the simple act of a handshake, high-five or similar greeting can contribute to measurable benefits for students in the classroom. It’s a welcome and positive development in schools that have instituted reasonable policies encouraging the practice.

In my duties as a school nurse, I know that physical touch is an automatic response for me. And I’ve seen how the social skill of greeting students each day in every class can have a positive effect on shy or less-confident students.

A handshake greeting is a sign of respect. Students are more accepting, receptive, open-minded—and more responsive and ready for class. This two- to three-second act of kindness invites the students into the classroom and helps them become more acclimated to the school environment. These greetings improve social skills. They are small physical acts that acknowledge and value the students’ presence in the school.

Yes, there are health considerations to consider. Good personal hygiene should be part of everyone’s daily routine. I wash my hands frequently and use a hand sanitizer until I can reach soap and hot water. But hygiene works both ways. I don’t automatically assume that individuals are “unclean.” I also know that all “germs” are not “bad germs.” I’m very careful about not placing my hands in my eyes, mouth or touching food products without first washing.

These concerns notwithstanding, it’s fair to say that, on balance and in general, concern over handshake policies and germs is overstated. Not so the emotional reward of personal touch—this simple human interaction far outweighs any concern of possible contact with germs in the course of the school day. Probably the most important consideration in school handshake policies is a question of individual style and taste. The practice can be encouraged, but it should not become a lockstep mandate; each teacher’s level of comfort with physical touch will vary—and so will each student’s.

A high-five or a handshake is a kind of therapeutic touch. These greetings can build a bond between teacher and student. Failure to acknowledge a handshake or high-five can have a negative impact on the student.

Marilyn Lawson is a school nurse in Houston, Texas, and member of the AFT school nurse subcommittee.