Ok we have all been there, Its the middle of the day and all the breaks the students/teachers get like while the kids are at PE, art, w/e have been used up. Now we as a teacher have to go the bathroom really bad and can't hold it till 3pm. What do ya'll do when you really have to go to the bathroom during class? I would just ask a teacher next door or across the hall to Please kinda listen out for my class so I can quickly go to the bathroom, but I was wondering what does everyone else do?
I just tell the kids I am leaving and I go. It is about 10 feet from my classroom. Most of the year, I would come back and they were fine. I do this when they are all engaged in centers or something, obviously not while I am actually standing there teaching a lesson! For most of the year they were little "angels" and I would return and they would still be playing their games or something. However in the spring this year, their little halos broke, and every time I left I would come in to find something had happened. I think it was more about hormones in the case of my fourth graders, because it was always something sort of "naughty" like saying a "bad" word (crap, sucks, etc.) or one time the boys started drawing "ladies." I was more careful about only leaving if I REALLY had to. But I leave a lot of the time to use the copier with the kids to publish their books. It's outside the classroom, but I can't see in the room or anything. They all know if they want their books published, they better behave while I am gone. I also spent the last few weeks of school making videos with the kids. This required me to be in the next room where it was quiet, and my students had to be so quiet a pin could drop, as there are only sliding doors dividing us. I stopped production a few times. The video production quality clearly shows who was later to shoot and who was first. I picked the groups according to who best managed themselves while I was away. THAT WAS TOUGH.
That's what I do. Also, I put the kid most likely to tattle "in charge" and ask for a report upon my return. Fortunately, we arein a "pod"- four classrooms around an ELA (open space) with three bathrooms, so I don't have far to go!
I call the office & ask someone to come down. One of the secretaries will cover for that amount of time.
I called our resource officer to watch the kids...they were horrible, and there was no way in h3ll that I could leave them alone.
I just go..I say I'll be right back and walk out. Again I have hs, I do wait until the lecture/notes is over with. One time, I had to go so bad my eyes were watering...I got out of the hallway and a student was following me wanting to ask a question. I said look, I REALLY have to go to the restroom, can you wait 5 minutes? He laughed and said sure Ms A! Then as I was still walking another asked can I go to the RR I said yes Im going to I'll tell the teacher on duty that I'm your 'note'. (due to problems with smoking, all teachers take a turn each week or every other during planning to sit and 'watch'-the students need a note or a signed agenda book to get in) I barely let the student ask I was just like, YES Whatever but if I don't go right now, we are in trouble. They just laughed. They don't say much, they know teachers are human and have to go like they do
I was in a portable. If I had to use the restroom, I had to call the front office and they'd send someone out on a golf cart. It was a major ordeal. Needless to say, I've only taken advantage of that offer once. My new school has bathrooms right in the classrooms, even in senior high!
Being of Irish descent, I can go unusually long times without going to the bathroom. However, there have been occasions where I've needed to leave the room for a minute or two. I'll tell the kids they are "glued to their seats." Meaning no getting up, no matter what. No pencil sharpening (first graders will ask "what if ..." My response is always "You just sit there.") I'll employ a tattle or use a video camera to monitor them. I figure that as long as they are physically planted in their seats, they can do little or no damage to themselves or others. One more thing. I believe (insert warning about "barracks lawyers") that needing to go to the bathroom has been successfully used as a defense in civil liability cases regarding teachers who needed to leave the room. I'm sure that all other options would need to be exhausted first, however.
How many other jobs does a person have a major problem when they have to use the restroom.In my school we have to ask the teacher across from us to keep an eye on our class. Be careful if you leave them unattended and someone gets hurt, you could be in big trouble.
I have a two step strategy. Ask the person across the hall, and have a tattler watch the class. Between both methods, usually everything is okay. I am lucky to have someone come in my room a couple of times a day, and she always lets me go.
I take the class with me. Our teacher bathroom is across the hall from the student bathrooms. So if anyone else needs to go they also have an opprotunity. I'm too afraid to leave my class alone because one time I came back and two of my students got in a huge fight.
We're not allowed to leave our kiddos unattended in my district. It's one of those things that will get you fired. I ask the teacher next door to keep an eye on mine. Usually he'll stand in the hallway with both doors propped open so that he can see into both rooms at the same time.
This year we switched classes every 45 minutes, so I would try to wait to go then. The previous year title one didn't have a classroom, and the teacher set up shop in the hallway right outside of my door. So I would ask her to step in if I had to go.
The teacher across the hall can see into both classrooms from the middle of the hallway, so we'll cover for each other. I'm next door to the assistant principal's office, too, so I've asked him to watch them as well. The only time I've ever left the kids unattanded was when I got hit by a nasty stomach bug and ran to the bathroom before I threw up in the middle of class. Two kids came to check on me, one went to the office for help, and one "kept order" in the classroom.
My classroom is right between the P's offices and the registrar's office. I would just pop my head out the door and somebody would inevitably be passing and could keep an eye on my kids for a minute or two. Thank God the training that comes with being single mommy of three active boys includes "how to pee in under 30 seconds".
I guess that I was lucky last year for two reasons. 1. I had a full time assistant, so I could just go when needed, and 2. I had a bathroom in my classroom (although only used it if I really needed to.) This coming year will be different, because I will be changing grades and will not have a full time assistant. I will still have a bathroom in my new room so I can still use that when needed (and I can hear through the nice thin wall).
I use the same bogus excuse that kids use, "I have a weak kidney and must NEVER hold it" (nevermind that I have to go cuz I just chugged a 20 oz Dr. Pepper, but kids do the same thing) I just go, if there is ever an issue, I'll take the letter in my file and then file a grievance within the hour. I'm still relatively young and I'm in great health so usually, I don't have an issue, but if nature calls, I answer. I also have a restroom in the class, but not every classroom I've had at my school is like that. My previous room, the bathroom was 10 feet away.
good point, we wouldn't be held liable if we were "ill" (like a stomach bug making us barf) so all I'll say IF the worst case scenario occurs (a kid gets hurt while I'm in the bathroom and I'm taking heat for it) ... I felt ill and had to run to the bathroom to avoid problems in class, I didn't have time to say anything to anyone.... (when you read "ill" comprehend "had to go to the bathroom")
See, that would drive me nuts because I always feel that if I can hear you, you can hear me (derivative of the "if I can see you, you can see me" rule). Well, last year as I student teacher, I had a cooperative student teacher for one class period, so I could step out as needed. The rest of the time, I would just wait for my mentor teacher who would pop her head in every other period to make sure world war III hadn't ensued and she would take over for a few so I could run for a pit stop. I don't know what I'll do next year though because I'm going to a completely new school and I don't know what classroom I'll have, where the bathrooms are or how the school is set up. I'm pretty sure I won't have an assistant though (what?! The newbie doesn't need any help! She'll be fine) :lol:
One of the things I learned in my credential program was to never, ever leave students unattended in my classroom. When I'm in charge of them, I'm responsible every single second they're with me. If anything happened to them, I'd be fired. My first year I was very lucky to have the perfect schedule, one period teaching, one on break, two periods teaching, lunch, then two periods teaching and then the end of the day. This past year was harder. No break period. There were several times when I wasn't feeling well, or had toooooo much coffee and had to call for security to sit in my class while I used the restroom.
I was right next to the lounge and also pretty close to the bathroom. I would peek into the lounge and ask whoever was in there to watch the class for me. My classroom will not be near the lounge or the bathrooms next year so I'll need a new solution.
I would take the class with me. We could all go and be so quiet, they can use the restroom and then I'd sneak in like I'm checking on the girls and then use it real quick. Then they can all get a drink. We sneak back to class. It works.
I would open the door to my neighboring teacher's classroom and have her watch my class while I was gone.
I'll get a tour next month during new teacher orientation which also probably when I'll find out what room I'm teaching in. I've only been to the school once, when I did my actual interview. They gave me a quick tour of the LOTE wing, but I was more interested in the classrooms, I didn't see a restroom and I didn't think to ask.
My culinary arts department has an attached bathroom for staff. If I need to use the bathroom, one of my assistant managers will take over.
The teacher that was next door to me, didn't like for me to disturb her, so I looked for any warm body coming down the hall. I have UC so I went frequently, especially in the mornings, it couldn't be helped. If I can't find anyone, the class lines up in the hall with me. I take them when I'm done. I have left them for about 2 minutes when no one else could be found. The bathroom is right across the hall from my classroom. This is a problem for me, and I had a severe flareup for the last half of school...frequent trips across the hall! I have also placed a student at the classroom door, left open, to stand watch until I returned if I couldn't find an adult.
Now, I have to tell you a funny story about bathrooms -- and teaching. When I first came to this school, I was horrified to find out they didn't have a single "adult sized" bathroom. Yes, the teacher's room restroom was an old kindergarten toilet -- about 10 inches off the floor! So was the restroom in the office. I'm disabled, and I couldn't use any of the restrooms in my school! I hadn't thought to ask about it when I was hired for that school (I already worked for the district.) I mean, who has ever heard of a public builiding like a school without a single accessible restroom? There wasn't a single adult sized restroom in the entire building, much less an accessible one! My principal was great, and arranged for the restroom nearest me to be made handicap-accessible -- but it took 4 months to complete. (He'd been trying to get it done for years, but it wasn't until I came along and they legally HAD to do it that he could get it done!) Until it was finished, when I needed to use the restroom, I had to leave the building, get in my car, drive about 1/2 a mile to the Wendy's, and use their handicap-accessible restroom! Talk about a difficult situation!!! Needless to say, I got really good at "holding it!" I can't tell you how many times I came so close to "having an accident!" It was a tough 4 months. Now, we have a nice HUGE accessible restroom (one single stall), and the pregnant teachers really, really appreciate it!!!!! Now if only they'd fix the rest of them -- because one single adult restroom in a school with over 70 adults leads to very long lines sometimes. Of course, many teachers who are able, use the kids bathrooms -- out of necessity.
I buzz the office and ask them to listen to my class while I step out for a minute. We're required to do so, it keeps us safe from legal liability issues.
I forgot to add, that if this year is like last year, I have an intervention specialist in my room for 3 out of the 6 teaching periods, so I can go then. Usually, by my planning period which starts around 950 I have to go if not I go during lunch which is at 1120, however, by 6th period which is 115 I really have to go then luckily my IS is there and I can go. My bladder was on schedule to go 4th and 6th periods, when she wasn't there..I went anyway. We've never been told not to leave the students, obviously we can't leave them for a long period of time but a few minutes to run to the copier or the bathroom is okay, that takes less than 5 minutes
[/COLOR][/U] In my area we can't go during lunch seeing as we have to be with the children in the lunchroom. We are not lucky enough like some areas where they hire lunchroom monitors.
Isn't this amazing? How many other professions could hold such a long discussion on this topic. Just another fringe benefit of being a teacher. Surprisingly they never covered this topic in my college methods courses.
I read somewhere that teachers and nurses have the highest rates of bladder infections because they hold it for so long. I just try to make myself go any time I have a break. If I'm in the classroom, there is usually one (if not two) other teachers with me, so it's no big deal. I just wait until they're all occupied and go quickly. If I'm in a room at naptime alone, and all the kids are asleep, I'll ask a teacher in an adjoining room to stand in the doorway for a minute while I go. I used to teach in an infant room with no other adults, and I had a director who would huff and puff if I asked her to step into my room so I could pee. In those cases, I'd get all the kids to sleep, lock the door to the outside (it was an old house & my room was the "master" bedroom, so I had a bathroom in there), and go as quickly as possible. When I taught Kinder, I co-taught, and we had a (tiny) bathroom in our room. We went whenever we want, albeit on a toilet that was 10 inches off the ground! Here's a funny one: in our kids bathroom, we have LOTS of tiny stalls. We only have one grown-up bathroom. One time a mom had to go so desperately, that she used the kids potties... and didn't realize that any person walking by could see right down into the bathroom! Um, did I mention a dad walked by at the time? Ah, memories.
I like this idea! I usually quickly step across the hall or next door and ask someone to listen. I don't even tell the kids I'm leaving so hopefully they'll just keep on working.
I have a funny story to tell here too! Normally I just tell my class I am going to use the restroom and assign a student to be the class monitor. Well, last year I was not feeling well and excused myself to the restroom. I have a medical condition and after using the restroom I realized as that I was truly ill. I went into a neighboring classroom and told my lead teacher that I was ill and she had to find someone to cover my classroom as I had to go to the nurse and almost ended up in an ambulance. Well my poor class was traumatized after that and were always afraid that if I left to go to the bathroom I would not come back. I would always tell them I am feeling fine, and would be right back!
