Teacher limits bathroom visits to 3 times a week (clothes, son, natural)
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Teachers also have to use scheduled breaks. As do many people in certain jobs. Surgeons, factory workers, pilots and captains, etc.
And I cannot state enough that you appeared to not read the article, there was no negative punishment here. If the need to go more often then they go, but the kids who only use the scheduled breaks get a positive reinforcement.
What is wrong with that? Positive reinforcement for desired behavior, ignoring negative. It is a very good solution for their problem.
I'm going to try this next term. I hate to give frivilous extra credit but I'm tired of hands going up during lectures and the question being "Can I go to the bathroom?". I'm going to give each student 3 bathroom passes. The procedure will be, they fill out the pass with name, date and time, set the pass on my desk, take the hall pass and just go. If they have passses left at the end of the term, they're worth 2 points extra credit.
I'm thinking three passes to use during the hour is plenty since I will allow students who come to my class before the bell rings to run to the bathroom quickly (some of them come from across the building and really don't have time just before my class to use the restroom). If you run out of passes, then you will be required to wait until an appropriate time to ask to use the bathroom as the answer will be no during a lecture.
Not being a teacher, all I have is my own experience as a student. In elementary school, we had plenty of chances to use the bathroom that did not disrupt class.
In 4th grade, there was a short period of time when I asked to go after recess (maybe I chose not to go at the previous ok time?) The teacher made a comment after a few days of this, telling me that this was not ideal, so being the goody two shoes I was, I did not ask the next day. This scenario reminds me of how little judgment a kid can have at times: I really had to go, was not going to ask to go, so I thought I could get some relief if I just "let out a little bit." Of course I ended up peeing all over myself, the chair and the floor. I was mortified!
I obviously used every offered opportunity to use the bathroom every day from then on!
But we are talking about 11-12 yos here. The can go before school, during lunch, on the way to special and afterschool. That means at most they are being asked to "wait" 2 hrs or so. For the days they cannot go before school, at lunch, or on the way to the specials, they have the emergency passes. I cannot comprehend why that would cause a UTI in a 12 yo unless they have another medical issue, in which case they should be excused.
Have you ever waited two hours to pee?
Have you ever had a small bladder and waited two hours to pee?
Does being anxious make you have to pee more?
Unless you can answer yes to some of these, then don't even try to make it sound like waiting 2 hours to pee is a walk in the park.
And as some one who has a crappy bladder, I have to go when I have to go and if I don't go then it gets bad quickly, and there is nothing more agnonizing than holding your **** and hoping you don't **** your pants past the age of 5.
Quote:
Originally Posted by golfgal
I invite all of you that are so outraged by this to go sit in the back of your child's classroom for a week and observe what goes on there. I can pretty much bet you will change your minds about unlimited access to the bathroom.
Urinating is a natural function....it should not be limited, solely because it is not something you can check if someone is telling the truth, therefore you cannot punish the majority over the minority with this one.
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Originally Posted by Lucidkitty
My parents told me to simply walk out, and they would deal with the consequences with what happened. Personally i was not going to hold it just because the teacher makes a huge deal about bathroom breaks.
That's what I did too. If I got told no I just went anyways, usually nothing happened and the teachers lightened up when they saw that when I had to go, it was to actually go, not screw around out in the hall.
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Originally Posted by OhioChic
MOST adults (wish I could say all but....) only use the restroom at work when they have to use the restroom. MOST children and again not all use the restroom to goof around or skip class. Big difference.
Doesn't matter, with a subject as sensitive as this one, like I said you cannot punish the majority because of the minority with this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sll3454
Sometimes I'd have a student ask to use the restroom 5 or 10 minutes before recess. He'd agree to wait. Then, as soon as he came in from recess, he'd again ask to go to the restroom. Why didn't he go during recess? "I didn't need to." Actually, the biggest time for restroom requests was always right after recess. Hmm.
However, if they have to go, they have to go. With those who needed to leave often, I'd notify the parents. When they saw that I was going to write in their agendas (and require parents to initial), some kids changed their minds. I figured this would weed out some of the unnecessary requests, while still allowing the valid ones.
The schools I taught at had reasonable schedules that worked for most kids. I've heard that some don't.
(There are times adults must wait, too - on a plane during takeoff, for example.)
Plane take off is what? 5-8 minutes, not even...
Sitting in the SAME classroom all the time, everyday, no switching classes, makes it a bit harder and plus how often is someone enduring a plane taking off.
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Originally Posted by NJGOAT
While it is true there are times adults must wait, my boss at work doesn't limit my right to use the bathroom when needed. No one scorns me for excusing myself from a long meeting to use the restroom, etc.
School is a lot more like work then it is like an airplane taking off.
I can use the bathroom whenever and I have a post I usually have to stay at unless I am doing patrols, I usually try to go when I do a patrol but sometime I am just NOT going to wait another 15-20 minutes and risk pissing down my legs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by golfgal
If you worked in a call center environment, on an assembly line, in retail at a cash register or something like that, your "potty breaks" are very scheduled and you don't just get to excuse yourself to go.
If its bad enough your about to **** yourself you can do whatever you need to do to prevent it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJGOAT
If I was at the point of whizzing myself or going to the bathroom, I could go to the bathroom. If they disciplined me for it, I'd have a heck of a lawsuit. If I made a habit out of it, the supervisor would have a discussion with me, not issue a "no bathroom" policy or hand out "potty vouchers".
I hate how using the bathroom is seen as a privilege more than it is a right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cc0789
really, we're comparing work with fifth graders? Its obviously a problem in this classroom. If the cashiers at my supermarket routinely left their cash registers to go to the restroom in the middle of ringing up a customer's order, and then the cashier next to them said, "oh, me too", and also went, DAY AFTER DAY, I highly doubt they would keep their employment.
NJGoat, if you had daily meetings, and excused yourself DAILY while your boss was informing you of your day's duties, along with 4 other coworkers doing the same... he would be ok with that?? I think not.
One of my supervisors at walmart had a problem with me using the bathroom and told me no using the bathroom unless it was my break time, this did not sit very well with me. I have a pretty set bathroom schedule of my own UNLESS I drink lots of fluids, which I do when I am at work to keep my self hydrated, I would drink ALL THE TIME at work and would end up having to pee before my next break time.
You know, we're all so focused on having some sort of image as a business, molding employee behavior to go against what nature wants our bodies to do, all in the name of keeping an image and gaining profit, we forget to treat students, employees etc like people and not just workers.
I invite all of you that are so outraged by this to go sit in the back of your child's classroom for a week and observe what goes on there. I can pretty much bet you will change your minds about unlimited access to the bathroom.
--good post--in my experience the parents with the ability to evaluate kids (especially theirs)will change their minds and those that do not and tend to rationalize their kids irresponsible behaviors will be the ones with the kids abusing bathroom time the most(a non medically necessary trip)
I'm not a teacher, but this thread easily clearly shows why teachers can't do their jobs properly, because children feel entitled because parents foolishly make issues of the most minor things. I can't believe someone said there is nothing wrong with going to the bathroom when you are bored. But that same parent will wonder why their child can't keep up with the material and blame the teacher for not teaching it.
Instead of responding to each post individually that I wanted to, I'll just post a general observation...
First off, some of this is very age dependent. Some of the people talking about planned "potty breaks" are obviously referring to younger kids. The kids in this case are 5th graders and I certainly don't remember having "potty breaks" in 5th grade. You were in the same room with the same teacher all day and the only exception was lunch and recess. You raised your hand if you had to go. Sometimes the teacher would ask if you could wait 10 minutes until the lesson was done, sometimes they let you go right away. If you said you couldn't wait, you got to go.
Then we have an issue of the overall situation and school schedule. I remember when I hit high school that my school went to shorter combined periods and a more chopped up day. You had 25 minutes for lunch, you had maybe 3 minutes to change classes, you had maybe 4 minutes to dress/undress for gym. All of the consolidation in the scheduling made it impossible to just stop by the bathroom when you needed to or you would be late to class or not really have a chance to eat lunch. Given, that was high school, but I remember a lot of people complaining about it, especially the girls. A lot of the teachers were sympathetic to the situation and made some allowances to let people leave class a few minutes early if they needed to go. Others were less sympathetic and would just say, go next period or go between classes. Well, my next class is on the opposite end of the building on the third floor and I have 3 minutes to get there and I kind of need to go now.
The reactions from people who said they were teachers is exactly what I expected, little sympathy, because they view it as people taking advantage of them. Well, if as one person put it, the same group of kids are doing it all the time, then we don't have an issue with the bathroom, we have an issue with a certain group of kids. Is it not more productive to deal with that kids particular issue then institute some draconian policy about when people are allowed to go to the bathroom? If the issue is institutional, like it was in my high school, then the teachers should advocate to have that changed. If it's just that certain kids are causing an issue, then it should be addressed with those kids.
I think a lot of this falls into generalizations on both sides. I think teachers should be accomodating of kids who need to go. There is never a reason that a teacher should tell a kid who legitimately needs to go that they can't. On the other hand, it isn't fair to the teachers to deal with constant disruptions and people who abuse the right. There is a place in the middle that we can all meet, but where that is depends on a lot more information than we have about this particular situation.
I for one don't care what the teacher thinks if my kid has to go, they have to go. If they abuse that right just to goof off, then it's a different issue and I would support the teacher in helping resolve it. If there is some institutional reason that means my kid ends up having to go during their class, then I would lobby to change it, but would expect the teachers support.
Exactly.
A teacher has no idea what is going on in a fifth grader's home life - and bluntly it is none of their business.
In the lower grades in parochial school we were given 'potty breaks' - ever tried to go when you are in the middle of the 'line' (last name began with "M"), there are three stools and 40 kids? The teachers are rushing kids, and a sudden gripping gut that needs a bowel evacuation takes longer than three minutes, especially when you spend half of that time in line. Heaven help you if the other classes are in line to 'go' too! You're likely to never even see the stool - and if you do, and take the time to use it, you are penalized for being late.
In public school, we simply left our seats and quietly went to the restroom whenever we had to. If we were gone more than a few minutes, the teacher would call the principal and someone would go find us - the school nurse, whomever. The trailer classrooms were a mixed blessing - they had easily accessible bathrooms off of the back of the classroom, but if you had an 'explosive' incident, everyone knew. As children entered puberty, they were allotted a little more time, especially the girls.
The whole thing about 'being able to go as adults while at work' makes me laugh. I have worked in places where it simply wasn't feasible to just walk off and go to the bathroom, due to the workload and the responsibilities. Have you ever stood at a cash register in a big box store for hours, unable to go to the bathroom all the way across the store, because to do so you had to call a manager to come and lock your drawer - and they were always too busy to come over? Have you ever sat for hours at a desk in a cubicle, trying to get someone else to answer the phone for a few minutes because you had to go - and no one would or could? Ever been on a emergency medical call or fire that lasted for hours, taking care of other peoples' problems while your own gut was screaming for release?
Point is that everyone who has to go should be able to go - not 'allowed' or 'permitted' to go. Treat everyone as human beings who know what their body needs, and knock off the authoritarian power plays.
I'm not a teacher, but this thread easily clearly shows why teachers can't do their jobs properly, because children feel entitled because parents foolishly make issues of the most minor things. I can't believe someone said there is nothing wrong with going to the bathroom when you are bored. But that same parent will wonder why their child can't keep up with the material and blame the teacher for not teaching it.
There really isn't anything wrong with it.
If I have been sitting for too long at work, then I get up and walk around inside the building. Can't honestly expect a person to sit ass planted for hours upon hours focusing on tedious work.
I used to do that in school all the time. If I felt myself getting antsy, I would go to the bathroom, sometime I had to pee as well, but I would stretch and just take a breather. I would be gone maybe 5 minutes or so and it helped a lot.
Much better than me fidgeting in class or stretching at my desk and popping my back on the chair and moving around in my seat.
I think the same goes for a lot of kids who do that as well, it helps break it up a little bit and you can focus a bit better when you get back.
A teacher has no idea what is going on in a fifth grader's home life - and bluntly it is none of their business.
In the lower grades in parochial school we were given 'potty breaks' - ever tried to go when you are in the middle of the 'line' (last name began with "M"), there are three stools and 40 kids? The teachers are rushing kids, and a sudden gripping gut that needs a bowel evacuation takes longer than three minutes, especially when you spend half of that time in line. Heaven help you if the other classes are in line to 'go' too! You're likely to never even see the stool - and if you do, and take the time to use it, you are penalized for being late.
In public school, we simply left our seats and quietly went to the restroom whenever we had to. If we were gone more than a few minutes, the teacher would call the principal and someone would go find us - the school nurse, whomever. The trailer classrooms were a mixed blessing - they had easily accessible bathrooms off of the back of the classroom, but if you had an 'explosive' incident, everyone knew. As children entered puberty, they were allotted a little more time, especially the girls.
The whole thing about 'being able to go as adults while at work' makes me laugh. I have worked in places where it simply wasn't feasible to just walk off and go to the bathroom, due to the workload and the responsibilities. Have you ever stood at a cash register in a big box store for hours, unable to go to the bathroom all the way across the store, because to do so you had to call a manager to come and lock your drawer - and they were always too busy to come over? Have you ever sat for hours at a desk in a cubicle, trying to get someone else to answer the phone for a few minutes because you had to go - and no one would or could? Ever been on a emergency medical call or fire that lasted for hours, taking care of other peoples' problems while your own gut was screaming for release?
Point is that everyone who has to go should be able to go - not 'allowed' or 'permitted' to go. Treat everyone as human beings who know what their body needs, and knock off the authoritarian power plays.
Yeah actually a motorcycle vs deer. We all peed on a tree, me included. The officer I was with went and peed and then several firefighters took their turns, I hesitated for a bit but then realised we'd be on the call much longer than I thought and I ended up going as well and I am female.
Trust me in your last scenario, since most cops are male, its pretty feasible to slip off for a minute and whip it out and go.
But we are talking about 11-12 yos here. The can go before school, during lunch, on the way to special and afterschool. That means at most they are being asked to "wait" 2 hrs or so. For the days they cannot go before school, at lunch, or on the way to the specials, they have the emergency passes. I cannot comprehend why that would cause a UTI in a 12 yo unless they have another medical issue, in which case they should be excused.
Seeing as how the medical profession did not discover why I had frequent urination until I was in my 30s . . . my parents had no way of explaining to anyone why I had to go urinate frequently, or ended up w/ bladder and kidney infections. Took a lot of expensive imaging to determine my congenital problems, wh/ are multiple.
A child who is otherwise a good student should not have to beg to go to the bathroom nor should he/she be shamed or punished.
Any teacher who is that hung up on "rules" re: bodily functions obviously has trouble controlling her classroom. I mean . . . really.
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