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That's a message children don't want to hear when they really have to go. But it's one that some schoolchildren get — sometimes with dire consequences — especially in schools in which students have used "bathroom breaks" to disrupt classes, cheat on tests or otherwise wreak havoc outside the classroom.
Two attempts this spring to limit students' bathroom breaks have led to shame and controversy. In late April, a sixth-grader in Ohio wet his pants during a standardized test after a teacher refused to let him use the bathroom.
In early May, a California eighth-grader said he urinated into a Gatorade bottle in a classroom corner because his teacher had refused to dismiss him. Sacramento school officials later cleared the teacher, Peter Stanzler, saying the student had acted on his own.
Well, as someone that has worked in schools for a couple of years I can understand not letting kids go constantly to the bathroom. It's like it's catchy... if one gets to go then everyone wants to go and pretty soon everyone is leaving the room one at a time. Some kids goofing off have ruined it for others.
Kids do get breaks between classes to go to the bathroom. What schools need to do is crack down on those they find abusing the bathroom pass instead of punishing everyone.
BUT... My kids will be taught that you ask the teacher and if the teacher says no and you really have to go (emergency, can't hold it until the bell rings type of thing) then they are to walk out of class and go to the bathroom. I will deal with the teacher and school later.
With the right form of classroom managment, the bathroom saying No, or saying yes, can work well. You can sort of weed out who the emergencies are, and who are the kids who just like to get out of anywork and go to the bathroom.
I have 6 year olds, so these are not older children who are able to hold it as well. In the morning they know that when they come in, they can use the bathroom, without asking (we have one in our room and in our new building i'm moving into, it's adjacent). Then right away we do our guided reading/centers and they know that during that hour to hour and a half, as long as it isn't sitting with me for they 15 minutes, they are allowed to use the bathroom at any point. Next we have writing, and for the teaching part, no, they may NOT use the bathroom-they had PLENTY of opportunity to use it beforehand, and they will give me my 15 minutes to get the lesson across without leaving for any part of it. When it goes to the independent work, yes, once again, they may get up for the bathroom. After that we do our spelling which they may not at all get up during, but, they know this, and have learned to use the....what, over 2 hours prior to use it. Then it's lunch. Right after lunch I let every single kid use the bathroom while it's quiet reading time. Then we do math and NO, they may not use it. Each child just got to use it. And, I stress to them to try because I will not let all the kdis go, someone says no, and then 5 minutes later-oh, I have to. The rest of the day I know children don't last so it is a play by ear. Someone has to go fine. Once that person has to go, every hand starts to go up, and then I say no, because I know it is only a copycat motion. So the kids have learned that copycatting is not going to work. They have learned to make the most out of all the bathroom times I give them, and most times, if there's a hand up, I know the kid really has to go-becuase the hand doesn't have to be up much, and I let them.
Now no, I don't let them at all during tests. Especially at this age where soemtimes you have to read them the directions, and then each kid that gets up, you have to stop and wait for them. That's why the children know the rules that there is no bathroom during tests, so if they have to go, they are allowed to go before the test starts.
Now I don't know what I would do if I didn't have a bathroom adjacent. I would probably get a sign out log, and then take notice of who is going too frequently, daily. I mean like once an hour. Then I would (with permission of my principal I hope) send a note home to the parent listing the amount of times that their child goes to the bathroom, how its too frequent and he could be missing, and that I will limit it unless I get a note from their doctor that there is some medial concern.
Parents, I'm a parent too. Make sure you check with the teacher first, if your child says they weren't allowed, before bombarding and accusing her. I had a child, at the end of the day, as we were lined up, the door holder already had the door opened, we were getting ready to walk out the door, and a girl says she has to go to the bathroom. I could not let her, and asked her why she didn't go in the many many opportunities she had right before-and I mean while they were getting packed up they know they can go...they know they cannot go when we're in line because we're leaving. She didn't have an answer, but even if she did, I couldn't let her. We had to leave-buses, car riders...we had to leave. So we left, and yes, she did pee herself, and her mother called fuming. Luckily, my principal listens to the teacher and the parent, and then judges. The principal spoke to me, I told her exactly what I wrote here, and that the rules are not in line because we can't be late...and she agreed that I give ample amount of bathroom time and yes, as you're leaving, you cannot do it in line...and she told the parent this.
Please give your teacher the benefit of the doubt.
6 year olds are pretty young to handle bathroom responsibilities. I was in first grade and my first grade teacher told us we had to hold it til lunchtime if we ever had to go. Guess what happened to me....
Needless to say the teacher reformed her policies after that. Mom had words with the teacher.
6 year olds are pretty young to handle bathroom responsibilities. I was in first grade and my first grade teacher told us we had to hold it til lunchtime if we ever had to go. Guess what happened to me....
Needless to say the teacher reformed her policies after that. Mom had words with the teacher.
See, I agree too that this is a ridiculous policy. heck, sometimes even I, and I'm an adult, couldn't hold it until lunchtime! I'd have words with the teacher too.
Well, as someone that has worked in schools for a couple of years I can understand not letting kids go constantly to the bathroom. It's like it's catchy... if one gets to go then everyone wants to go and pretty soon everyone is leaving the room one at a time. Some kids goofing off have ruined it for others.
Kids do get breaks between classes to go to the bathroom. What schools need to do is crack down on those they find abusing the bathroom pass instead of punishing everyone.
BUT... My kids will be taught that you ask the teacher and if the teacher says no and you really have to go (emergency, can't hold it until the bell rings type of thing) then they are to walk out of class and go to the bathroom. I will deal with the teacher and school later.
I've told my kids the exact same thing. I walked out of a class in high school during a quiz. It was an hour after lunch and supposedly we had all had "ample" time to go. So here I am walk into class and we get a pop quiz. The quiz was not the problem (aced that stuff) but what I had eaten for some reason got my stomach (heriditary stomach issues in our family, urgh). It went into a knot, goose bumps like always from it and I flew thru the quiz and took it to the teacher and could barely mumble the words to ask to go since I was in pain. I was told no but I kept on going and went to the nearest bathroom. If I would have stayed in that classroom it would have been a health hazard and I guess the teacher would have dealt w/ a pretty stinky room for a LONG time as there were no windows. Both of my kids have the same thing (gee thanks dad) and I know it. We have stopped doing things that were important because one of them or myself HAD TO GO! It comes w/o warning and usually right after finishing lunch or a meal is not enough time for things to "move". An hour later and you better believe that it is get out of my way.
I've been in the schools and filled in during classroom time and all and always have the kids that ask to go. You can usually tell. If they come up asking and smiling and joking around, no. If they get up w/o even saying a word to anyone and come ask and they are not all grins then you know they really do have to go. At my oldest childs elementary school they changed classes for all subjects so on their behavior card they had codes and one was for bathroom passes. If they had gone in every class before you would know they either had something wrong w/ them or they were goofing off.
I can completely understand why teachers have to use discretion when allowing students to get out of class to use the restroom, but at the same time they have to use a little compassion and common sense. If a student is squirming and dancing around the class, do you really think they can wait? No. I know that some kids would do it just to get out of class, but in no way does anyone have the right to stop someone else from using the restroom and then causing that person to go on themselves if they cannot hold it. I have three children and I have already faced this issue personally. My child was not feeling well and had to use the restroom, the teacher told him he had to wait until they went to gym, which was almost 45 minutes away. My son became very uncomfortable to the point that he had to just get up and walk out of class. He went to the bathroom, then walked straight to the principle's office to report the incident and to call me. I was furious. Had my son gotten sick or went to the bathroom in his pants, that teacher and the school would have had a lawsuit on their hands. Come one, just use a little compassion. I'm sure that if one of them were sitting there and had to go, they would not squirm around or wait till "break time", sometimes it just isn't possible.
Hurray for schools that have bathrooms in between two classrooms!
Hurray for teachers who have lessons that make kids want to be in the class instead of in the bathroom!
Hurray for school staff and teachers who treat students as they want to be treated!
Hurray for teachers who nurture honesty and trust in their classrooms, so if a child says he or she needs to go to the restroom, it is an honest statement!
And, I have to say, hurray for parents who communticate with their children's teacher about their child's restroom needs (esp. medical requirements) and don't send that child to school in difficult clothing like overalls that sometimes cause accidents!
Boo to all the parents, staff and teachers who have forgotten what it was like to be little with little bladders, and boo to those who have failed to develop the level of trust between adults and children where children are honest and can be trusted!
Kids do get breaks between classes to go to the bathroom. What schools need to do is crack down on those they find abusing the bathroom pass instead of punishing everyone.
Some schools though, you get a 4 minute break or so between class. You just don't have time to go then.
I remember one time in like, 5th grade...we had a substitute teacher and I had a bad cold or something. I felt miserable all day, it had kicked in around an hour after I got to school. She wouldn't let me go to the office to call my mom to take me home, and she also wouldn't let anyone in the room go to the bathroom. She said that we just didn't want to do the work and we would not be allowed to leave the room and "goof off". I tried to go at lunch, but we have to ask permission to go even there! I was told no there as well because I didn't eat the other half of my sandwich. I eventually got to go at like 2pm that day when we went to separate classes for science.
Miserable day. I'm still shocked that I didn't wet my pants.
With the right form of classroom managment, the bathroom saying No, or saying yes, can work well. You can sort of weed out who the emergencies are, and who are the kids who just like to get out of anywork and go to the bathroom.
I have 6 year olds, so these are not older children who are able to hold it as well. In the morning they know that when they come in, they can use the bathroom, without asking (we have one in our room and in our new building i'm moving into, it's adjacent). Then right away we do our guided reading/centers and they know that during that hour to hour and a half, as long as it isn't sitting with me for they 15 minutes, they are allowed to use the bathroom at any point. Next we have writing, and for the teaching part, no, they may NOT use the bathroom-they had PLENTY of opportunity to use it beforehand, and they will give me my 15 minutes to get the lesson across without leaving for any part of it. When it goes to the independent work, yes, once again, they may get up for the bathroom. After that we do our spelling which they may not at all get up during, but, they know this, and have learned to use the....what, over 2 hours prior to use it. Then it's lunch. Right after lunch I let every single kid use the bathroom while it's quiet reading time. Then we do math and NO, they may not use it. Each child just got to use it. And, I stress to them to try because I will not let all the kdis go, someone says no, and then 5 minutes later-oh, I have to. The rest of the day I know children don't last so it is a play by ear. Someone has to go fine. Once that person has to go, every hand starts to go up, and then I say no, because I know it is only a copycat motion. So the kids have learned that copycatting is not going to work. They have learned to make the most out of all the bathroom times I give them, and most times, if there's a hand up, I know the kid really has to go-becuase the hand doesn't have to be up much, and I let them.
Now no, I don't let them at all during tests. Especially at this age where soemtimes you have to read them the directions, and then each kid that gets up, you have to stop and wait for them. That's why the children know the rules that there is no bathroom during tests, so if they have to go, they are allowed to go before the test starts.
Now I don't know what I would do if I didn't have a bathroom adjacent. I would probably get a sign out log, and then take notice of who is going too frequently, daily. I mean like once an hour. Then I would (with permission of my principal I hope) send a note home to the parent listing the amount of times that their child goes to the bathroom, how its too frequent and he could be missing, and that I will limit it unless I get a note from their doctor that there is some medial concern.
Parents, I'm a parent too. Make sure you check with the teacher first, if your child says they weren't allowed, before bombarding and accusing her. I had a child, at the end of the day, as we were lined up, the door holder already had the door opened, we were getting ready to walk out the door, and a girl says she has to go to the bathroom. I could not let her, and asked her why she didn't go in the many many opportunities she had right before-and I mean while they were getting packed up they know they can go...they know they cannot go when we're in line because we're leaving. She didn't have an answer, but even if she did, I couldn't let her. We had to leave-buses, car riders...we had to leave. So we left, and yes, she did pee herself, and her mother called fuming. Luckily, my principal listens to the teacher and the parent, and then judges. The principal spoke to me, I told her exactly what I wrote here, and that the rules are not in line because we can't be late...and she agreed that I give ample amount of bathroom time and yes, as you're leaving, you cannot do it in line...and she told the parent this.
Please give your teacher the benefit of the doubt.
Sounds like you use common sense, but you still state no at times, period, according to your post. I believe if you reseach it you will find the courts have repeatly held no one has the right to deny use of the restroom to those under them, schools, employers, etc...food for thought. If one of my children had an "accident" due to the lack of permission, I would rain a legal storm down on the teacher personally. An "accident" is one of the worst forms of humiliation that there is. As a teacher you should strive to make sure none of your little guys ever suffer this emotional distress. Classroom management
is not much of a defence.IMO
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). Then right away we do our guided reading/centers and they know that during that hour to hour and a half, as long as it isn't sitting with me for they 15 minutes, they are allowed to use the bathroom at any point. Next we have writing, and for the teaching part, no, they may NOT use the bathroom-they had PLENTY of opportunity to use it beforehand, and they will give me my 15 minutes to get the lesson across without leaving for any part of it. When it goes to the independent work, yes, once again, they may get up for the bathroom. After that we do our spelling which they may not at all get up during, but, they know this, and have learned to use the....what, over 2 hours prior to use it. Then it's lunch. Right after lunch I let every single kid use the bathroom while it's quiet reading time. Then we do math and NO, they may not use it. Each child just got to use it. And, I stress to them to try because I will not let all the kdis go, someone says no, and then 5 minutes later-oh, I have to. The rest of the day I know children don't last so it is a play by ear. Someone has to go fine. Once that person has to go, every hand starts to go up, and then I say no, because I know it is only a copycat motion. So the kids have learned that copycatting is not going to work. They have learned to make the most out of all the bathroom times I give them, and most times, if there's a hand up, I know the kid really has to go-becuase the hand doesn't have to be up much, and I let them.
