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Our local middle school has 4 minute class change times. Not long for wading through the crowds hanging out in the loo and taking care of business, particularly if you're also dealing with classes at distant ends of a large campus. That having been said, I expect teachers would rather have a kid come in three or four minutes late than leave for fifteen in the middle of a chem lab or the beginning of a test.
I agree. One thing I tried was forgiving tardies to try and get kids to go during the break. All they had to do was get to my class before the bell rang and I'd let them go use the bathroom. It's much less of a disruption right at the beginning of class while I'm taking attendance and everyone is doing the bellwork. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to work. I still get my share of hands shooting up 10 minutes into a lecture and the question is "Can I go to the bathroom?" as if the entire class MUST STOP because you couldn't bother to use the bathroom during the break/at the beginning of class.
I agree. One thing I tried was forgiving tardies to try and get kids to go during the break. All they had to do was get to my class before the bell rang and I'd let them go use the bathroom. It's much less of a disruption right at the beginning of class while I'm taking attendance and everyone is doing the bellwork. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to work. I still get my share of hands shooting up 10 minutes into a lecture and the question is "Can I go to the bathroom?" as if the entire class MUST STOP because you couldn't bother to use the bathroom during the break/at the beginning of class.
This thread has been going on forever. Anyway, I also let them go at the beginning of class. When I do this 2/3 of the class wants to go and the restroom area has 20 students around it. Then 10 minutes into class I still get interrupted by students asking to use the restroom. I ask them why they didn't go 10 min ago and they tell me that they didn't have to go 10 minutes ago or they tell me that they did go and now they have to go again. Sometimes a student who just went at the beginning of class will ask me to go again and I'll remind them that they just went and they will say, "oh yeah, I forgot".
I have several observations. The first week of school there are only a few requests to use the restroom. The requests to go to the bathroom build up during the course of the first few weeks of school. Is there a similar increase in intake of liquids? The second thing is that I drink quite a bit of water, 10-15 glasses a day, yet I don't have to use the restroom as much as some of the students. Where are all the liquids these kids are drinking? I see very few of them carrying around water bottles. The last observation is that it's the low kids that want to go to the restroom 3 times a class. The students who typically do well rarely ask to use the restroom.
I work in an elementary school and a few times have limited the times a student can use the restroom in a grading period. Typically I will give them 10 passes for a 6 week period. Whenever I do this I expect the standard e-mail or phone call to the principal's office about why I am regulating bodily functions. Sometimes we exempt a student from this due to parent demands, then they can go whenever they want. These exempt students, which I've only had a handful, typically go every class and spend 5-10 minutes in the restroom.
This thread has been going on forever. Anyway, I also let them go at the beginning of class. When I do this 2/3 of the class wants to go and the restroom area has 20 students around it. Then 10 minutes into class I still get interrupted by students asking to use the restroom. I ask them why they didn't go 10 min ago and they tell me that they didn't have to go 10 minutes ago or they tell me that they did go and now they have to go again. Sometimes a student who just went at the beginning of class will ask me to go again and I'll remind them that they just went and they will say, "oh yeah, I forgot".
I have several observations. The first week of school there are only a few requests to use the restroom. The requests to go to the bathroom build up during the course of the first few weeks of school. Is there a similar increase in intake of liquids? The second thing is that I drink quite a bit of water, 10-15 glasses a day, yet I don't have to use the restroom as much as some of the students. Where are all the liquids these kids are drinking? I see very few of them carrying around water bottles. The last observation is that it's the low kids that want to go to the restroom 3 times a class. The students who typically do well rarely ask to use the restroom.
I work in an elementary school and a few times have limited the times a student can use the restroom in a grading period. Typically I will give them 10 passes for a 6 week period. Whenever I do this I expect the standard e-mail or phone call to the principal's office about why I am regulating bodily functions. Sometimes we exempt a student from this due to parent demands, then they can go whenever they want. These exempt students, which I've only had a handful, typically go every class and spend 5-10 minutes in the restroom.
It boggles the mind how long it takes some students to use the bathroom. I can clear my room, lock it up, walk to the bathroom (only two teacher bathrooms in the building and I'm two halls away from the neareast), wait my turn and get back to my classroom with, at least, a minute to spare on a 5 minute break. IF the teacher bathroom is occupied, I will, sometimes use the student bathroom and there is never a line. Yet, students can't seem to go between classes.
I would love to say NO BATHROOM PASSES, period but I'd see parent complaints. I wish we could monitor whether students really go to the bathroom. One thing I would like to see is tracking of bathroom requests in the attendance software. I'm willing to be the same students who are asking to go, regularly, in my class are asking in others.
A number of years ago we had a VP who published a "No Pass For Any Reason " list which included the restroom.
I had a cheerleader who had to go one day, she was also Number 1 on the list. She demanded, I reminded her about being in hack (as a note she and I got along very well so it wasn't a power struggle kind of thing) and she then left the room. I, of course had to report to the VP who gave her a dentention. The parents came in raising holy Hell about it and the VP's response was (and this is the direct quote) "Well the No-Pass list is just advisory and it's up to the teacher's discretion". He then tried to leave the conference but stayed when I reminded him that a couple days before the incident he had interupted another of my classes to berate me, in front of the students, for writing a pass for a kid on the list he had called to his (the VP's) office.
The games administrators play.
To thePR; we aren't ignoring you, we're just not saying what you want to hear.
Our local middle school has 4 minute class change times. Not long for wading through the crowds hanging out in the loo and taking care of business, particularly if you're also dealing with classes at distant ends of a large campus. That having been said, I expect teachers would rather have a kid come in three or four minutes late than leave for fifteen in the middle of a chem lab or the beginning of a test.
Our school has a 20/20 policy. No student may leave class for the first or last twenty minutes of any class period. I would prefer to be able to excuse tardies, but that's not allowed either.
I really think that our administration would be happier if students didn't have biological needs--food, water, excretion. One principal in particular didn't want the students to anything other than test preparation. He really resented any time spent on anything other than test-related academics.
What I will go back to is what I used when he was there to be able to document any student who had to leave class. I had a clipboard by the door. The students were to sign out--name, time, destination--and then sign back in when they returned. I did tardies the same way. It's part of the CYA style of teaching that comes with harsh and punitive administrations. When administrators tell you straight out not to let anyone out for any reason, it makes documentation for violating a direct instruction even more important. Sometimes we have to buzz the office and tell the the name of any student who requests permission to go to the restroom.
Our school has a 20/20 policy. No student may leave class for the first or last twenty minutes of any class period. I would prefer to be able to excuse tardies, but that's not allowed either.
I really think that our administration would be happier if students didn't have biological needs--food, water, excretion. One principal in particular didn't want the students to anything other than test preparation. He really resented any time spent on anything other than test-related academics.
What I will go back to is what I used when he was there to be able to document any student who had to leave class. I had a clipboard by the door. The students were to sign out--name, time, destination--and then sign back in when they returned. I did tardies the same way. It's part of the CYA style of teaching that comes with harsh and punitiveadministrations. When administrators tell you straight out not to let anyone out for any reason, it makes documentation for violating a direct instruction even more important. Sometimes we have to buzz the office and tell the the name of any student who requests permission to go to the restroom.
Yep. I once jokingly told the VP/Scheduler that what he should try to do is schedule the kids in the same room all day and have the teachers move from room to room. The dumbass spent 3 months trying to figure out how to do that and actually produced a schedule that had 90% of the teachers doing it.
Yep, nothing more to say.
Yep, on 'No-Pass" days and select other times. Our's have the trick of not letting us know when those times are. They'll decide it in their morning meeting but no one will announce it.
Yep. I once jokingly told the VP/Scheduler that what he should try to do is schedule the kids in the same room all day and have the teachers move from room to room. The dumbass spent 3 months trying to figure out how to do that and actually produced a schedule that had 90% of the teachers doing it.
Yep, nothing more to say.
Yep, on 'No-Pass" days and select other times. Our's have the trick of not letting us know when those times are. They'll decide it in their morning meeting but no one will announce it.
They do this in other countries, quite successfully. It would be a PITA for me with demonstrations. Not that I do as many as I'd like but they'd become nearly impossible if I had to move rooms.
What kind of ****ing world are we living in which children are being treated like damn prisoners? Who gives one iota of a **** if a few kids use bathroom breaks to skip class? You do not punish everyone else for it. I typically refer to primary education as being a glorified daycare, but it is sounding more and more like a glorified prison.
I have a child with IBD-an actual medical problem.When she is flaring she has to go -sometimes immediately. We have a 504 plan in place and doctors notes to accomadate her and I email each teacher every year just to remind them.
I would say 90% abide by the 504 plan but we always have 1 or 2 a year that tell my child no. When shes feeling well she will go months without having to use the bathroom so it is not an abuse thing.
I have told my child if they say no and she cant hold it to just leave. I will deal with them later. She worries about doing that. Like she needs something else to worry about! As it is my child is shy and embarassed about her condition. This will always be a struggle for her and is so horrible. I hope teachers posting on here are not talking about kids with medical problems and that they take it seriously.
Just wondering what any teachers on here's opinions are ?
Medical reasons are different and you have a 504 in place. Good for you for letting the teachers know, many times we don't have a clue because nobody's told us.
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Yet, students can't seem to go between classes.
