Student Teaching advice

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Long story short I am student teaching and on top of all the things that come with it I keep encountering a situation that I don't know how to handle. I have had multiple young girls come up and just hug me. I sort of half hugged them back & sent them back to class. Basically, because of where I am working (I'm more paranoid due to being @ a parochial school) & the ridiculous conclusions I have heard people come to when it comes to appropriate student-teacher interactions I am beyond paranoid. Just to clarify the children in question initiated the physical contact I never touch kids unless it is to prevent a potential injury.

Thankfully, I haven't experienced anything like this in any of my placements for teacher's college yet. However, it is something that I remember coming up in a class discussion a couple years back.

This is one of those real grey areas, and I think a lot of it comes down to what you're comfortable with. Sadly, too, it makes a difference whether you're male or female - a male teacher is far more likely to run into trouble with this sort of thing. The parochial school component also adds a wrinkle to the situation. As long as they are initiating this, and the school itself doesn't have any rules against it, you should be fine. If you want to be on the safer side, you may consider setting boundaries (whether that be no hugging, a limit on the number of hugs, or whatever would work best for you).

What's your associate teacher like? If you have a good relationship with him/her, your best course of action may be to talk to them, either for suggestions on how to handle it, or to gain a better idea of the school's view/rules on it. If nothing else, this ensures somebody else is aware of what's going on and that you're not initiating anything. That provides a bit of a cushion that could be a big help if somebody were to start making false accusations.

Return the hug coldly so they're unlikely to repeat it? I'm an NT and I'm doing my third round of classroom observation. Never had that situation but I guess that's how I'd react.

I know my son's school has a policy of teaching students to shake hands. (The campus has grades 4 - 6). One of the reasons the school instituted the policy was to avoid the issues surrounding hugging, which is kind of sad, but a required evil in a society that likes to go to court. Perhaps if you presented the handshake as a "grown-up" greeting for school, the students would warm to it? Maybe a high five if a hand shake doesn't work?

While I'm not a teacher I work in the school system and have struggled with this issue. I don't mind giving the kids hugs but sometimes I used to feel a little uncomfortable doing it because of allegations, especially with the poulation of kids that I work with. With certain kids we have been told NO hugs but that's because of sexual issues. For the most part I will return a hug from a kid. Most of the time it'll be a loose hug I give. I have seen some staff suggest a high 5 instead. I'd talk to your supervisor at the school and find out what he/she suggests. Also find out about the policies of the school board. Good luck!

I think you handled it appropriately. If they hug you again I'd just give them a quick pat on the back and send them on their way. Some degree of physical contact and affection is acceptable in schools, though I know it really depends on the setting (I've never been to a parochial school so I don't really know what that's like). I work with young children with special needs so making physical contact is pretty unavoidable, with older kids I'd say as long as you don't encourage it I don't think it will be a problem.