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I can't believe what a "hot button" issue bathroom needs and bathroom passes are for most people.
If you really want to have unmet "bathroom needs" try being an elementary school teacher.
If you have a half day without a special class you can easily be forced to wait from 9AM to Noon or 1PM until 4PM without the opportunity to leave the classroom. You can't ask for the bathroom pass or even use the restroom if you take your entire class there. In a real, real, real emergency you can call the office and have the principal come to cover your class but most teachers would rather risk wetting their pants than do that. It is a big secret but I know several teachers who wear "urine pads" on those long days without breaks "just in case".
Years ago I read an article that explained the large amount of urinary tract infections in female teachers as being not able to use the restroom when they needed to go. Imagine working in an office or another professional job and not being allowed to use the restroom when you need to go.
Back to the OPs question. IMHO probably 95% of all teachers are very reasonable about bathroom needs and far, far less than 1% are unreasonable jerks about bathroom breaks. So. somewhere in your school career you may have one or two teachers who have a problem with reasonable bathroom breaks but it is very unusual.
I provide plenty of opportunities for my students to use the restroom. I don't keep kids from going to the bathroom if they need to go, they go. If it happens too often, they might find themselves walking back into a room involved in a fun game. Life goes on when you leave a room!
Is it really that difficult for students to pee between classes? It's not like they aren't given the opportunity to pee at times other than class time. I, seriously, doubt any of my students don't walk by a bathroom at least twice a day when moving from class to class and if they don't, I'll bet they pass within 20 feet of one. If they leave class, they have to walk to the bathroom, use it and then walk back. One of my rooms is nowhere near a bathroom (for some strange reason, there are no bathrooms in the science wing).
5 minutes out of my class is 10% of the period lost (we already lost 17% of our class period when we went from 60 minutes to 50 to accomodate a 7 period day which gives the kids one more 5 minute passing time per day when they could pee.). 5 minutes out of a lab that was designed for 60 minutes and crammed into 50 may mean not finishing or rushing to the point learning opportunties are lost. 5 minutes out of a 20 minute lecture is 25% of the material covered that day. Now mulitply by 30 students in the class.... So, yes, it's that difficult...and I'd hazard a guess that, at least, half the time the student doesn't have to use the bathroom and of those who do, I'd bet few couldn't wait until class is over (seriously, I have not left class, during class, to pee in two years). They just want out of class or are meeting someone. It is rare for me to release a student right when they ask for this reason. Many of them will not have to use the bathroom 10 minutes later. Imagine that.... I had three this week who asked to use the bathroom, I told them to wait until we were finished with what we were doing and when I told them they could go, they told me they didn't need to use the bathroom. Funny how that works.
Depends on how big your school is, where the bathrooms are located and how far a student must traverse between classes. Sometimes its enough time, sometimes not. Again, I'm fairly positive it's not that difficult to note the students in class who just like to go for walk vs. those who truly have to go.
I taught school for 30 years, mostly elementary. I was a music teacher, so I had all grades. I would let no more than two go in a 50 minute class. If another asked, I would say no, but I would watch them carefully. If they appeared to really need to go, I would discreetly tell them to go ahead. That system worked pretty well over the years.
Kinders were a different story. I let them go if they asked, unless I could tell a trend was developing.
I know my high school going in between classes was almost impossible we were 4 floors, 5 if you were a freshman and your lockers were in the basement, and you couldn't bring you backpack to class so you had to locker at least every couple of classes, it was usually impossible to find the time when you had a class on the second floor had to run to your locker on the third floor and then get to class on the fourth floor all in 5 minutes so that you wouldn't be late and get a detention. Most of the teachers were good about letting you go we actually had to get signed out in our planners to use the bathroom you would just walk up to the teacher with the time filled out and he/she would sign it and those were used as passes.
I can't believe what a "hot button" issue bathroom needs and bathroom passes are for most people.
If you really want to have unmet "bathroom needs" try being an elementary school teacher.
If you have a half day without a special class you can easily be forced to wait from 9AM to Noon or 1PM until 4PM without the opportunity to leave the classroom. You can't ask for the bathroom pass or even use the restroom if you take your entire class there. In a real, real, real emergency you can call the office and have the principal come to cover your class but most teachers would rather risk wetting their pants than do that. It is a big secret but I know several teachers who wear "urine pads" on those long days without breaks "just in case".
Years ago I read an article that explained the large amount of urinary tract infections in female teachers as being not able to use the restroom when they needed to go. Imagine working in an office or another professional job and not being allowed to use the restroom when you need to go.
Back to the OPs question. IMHO probably 95% of all teachers are very reasonable about bathroom needs and far, far less than 1% are unreasonable jerks about bathroom breaks. So. somewhere in your school career you may have one or two teachers who have a problem with reasonable bathroom breaks but it is very unusual.
You are very right. I wait until my prep to use the bathroom. If my prep is in the afternoon, I don't drink coffee or water before lunch (never thought of urine pads....not a bad idea ). Students have far more flexibility for using the bathroom than teachers do. As a high school teacher, I can risk leaving my class out in the hallway and run to the bathroom between classes but let that happen too many times and it goes on your PR.
Our school has a three strikes tardy policy. Students can be late for every class twice, every semester, before something happens and our school is small. There really isn't cause to need to leave the class once you get there. However, my policy is, get to my class, tell me you need to go, take the pass and go. I'd rather they take care of this at the beginning of class while I'm taking attendance and before I've started explaining the bellwork. I also don't have an issue letting kids go during work time but it bugs me when it's during a lab or lecture. We're pressed for time on labs as it is and you can miss a lot of material in 5 minutes during a lecture.
You are very right. I wait until my prep to use the bathroom. If my prep is in the afternoon, I don't drink coffee or water before lunch (never thought of urine pads....not a bad idea ). Students have far more flexibility for using the bathroom than teachers do. As a high school teacher, I can risk leaving my class out in the hallway and run to the bathroom between classes but let that happen too many times and it goes on your PR.
Our school has a three strikes tardy policy. Students can be late for every class twice, every semester, before something happens and our school is small. There really isn't cause to need to leave the class once you get there. However, my policy is, get to my class, tell me you need to go, take the pass and go. I'd rather they take care of this at the beginning of class while I'm taking attendance and before I've started explaining the bellwork. I also don't have an issue letting kids go during work time but it bugs me when it's during a lab or lecture. We're pressed for time on labs as it is and you can miss a lot of material in 5 minutes during a lecture.
I don't see how students have more flexiabilty. Considering that some only have 3 minute between classes.
I know my high school going in between classes was almost impossible we were 4 floors, 5 if you were a freshman and your lockers were in the basement, and you couldn't bring you backpack to class so you had to locker at least every couple of classes, it was usually impossible to find the time when you had a class on the second floor had to run to your locker on the third floor and then get to class on the fourth floor all in 5 minutes so that you wouldn't be late and get a detention. Most of the teachers were good about letting you go we actually had to get signed out in our planners to use the bathroom you would just walk up to the teacher with the time filled out and he/she would sign it and those were used as passes.
In a case like this, I could understand there being an issue. The school where I teach is small. I travel between classes. I don't have time to use the rest room only because I have to be the last person out of the classroom I leave so any dawdling students cut into my passing time. If I could just leave when the bell rang, I'd have plenty of time to stop and use the restroom along the way.
I don't see how students have more flexiabilty. Considering that some only have 3 minute between classes.
Our students have 5 which is plenty of time to go to the bathroom while en route from A to B. Whether 3 minutes is enough depends on the size and layout of the school. It really only takes about 30 seconds to pee. Time yourself next time.
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I had three this week who asked to use the bathroom, I told them to wait until we were finished with what we were doing and when I told them they could go, they told me they didn't need to use the bathroom. Funny how that works.
). Students have far more flexibility for using the bathroom than teachers do. As a high school teacher, I can risk leaving my class out in the hallway and run to the bathroom between classes but let that happen too many times and it goes on your PR.
