CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When school resumes, school districts have mandated that masks be worn in class both by students and teachers. But will masks work for younger kids?
Let’s face it, anyone that has ever set foot in a classroom knows that teacher-student instruction differs wildly between teacher and certainly between grade level. Take Kindergarten for example, how will wearing a mask work? And, should there be flexibility for the mask to be substituted for a face shield if teachers want?
Halle Torockio is a Kindergarten Teacher with twenty-two years on the job. Teaching sounds and letters helps children learn to read better she says and those are building blocks of a solid educational foundation started at a very young age.
"If I have a face shield on, the kids can’t see my mouth when I make an “s” sound or a “th” sound. See, when I put my mask on, you can’t see my mouth and neither can they to see how I make those letter sounds," Torockio said.
So, can face shields be a better option? When it comes to COVID-19 will face shields offer the same comfort and if you want, the same protection? Many Doctors agree droplets fall to the ground. And, Coronavirus can be spread through the eyes if they are left unprotected. It’s shaping up to be an interesting debate, but for Teachers like Halle Torockio, it’s more of a workplace necessity. But she doesn’t get to make the decision.
There are many options for face shields, some are homemade, some are now big business to meet current needs. Makers of the Trophy face shield say theirs is anti-fog and eco-friendly.
Doug Smith adds “also a shield is where you can have room for people who wear glasses, and another point to bring up is the fact that these are 100% recyclable. When this is over, there will be a lot of garbage, so why not have something that will be friendly to the environment?”
At this point, the mask requirement in many districts still stands. Face shields can be worn with a mask, but not in lieu of the mask, it has to be there.
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