How do you handle bathroom breaks as a teacher? I was in a 1st grade classroom today and the classrooms didn't have connecting doors. My prep was early in the day so I didn't have a break from 11:30 until the end of the day. I couldn't find another teacher to watch my class so I thought I would just take the whole class down before we went out to recess at the end of the day. The staff bathrooms are right next to the student bathrooms so I told students to line up if they aren't using the bathroom. The second I went inside I heard kids talking and laughing. It took time to settle the kids and a teacher had to come out to talk to them. Ugh!!! Is there anything I should have done differently?
I would get another teacher nearby to come stand in their doorway where they could have a visual on my class and theirs.
I really wanted to do this but that teacher's door was closed/it seemed like she was doing something with her whole class. She also wasn't in her room for part of it and I didn't see anyone else I could ask. I'm glad I am going to be a middle school teacher so we can go between classes.
If you regularly have long blocks (i.e. more than 2 hours, or a length of time during which you feel like this kind of situation might arise), I'd develop a plan either with your principal or fellow teachers. It'd probably look like mentioned: having another teacher keep an eye on your classroom while you go....but could be an aide, or principal, or someone else doing that, as well.
Call the office Ask the teacher across the hall or next door to 'straddle' both rooms Flag down an adult walking in hallway
I just get the kids busy and I go. I asked about coverage early on the year and was told there wasn't any. I kept the email so I have proof I did my due diligence.
If I'm ever really desperate, I get them independent reading and start grading papers at my back table. About three minutes after I start, I can sneak out and sneak back in without them even realizing I left! Failing that, I have special ed coverage at a timely part of the day, and can usually get a neighbor to stand in the middle of our classes and see inside both.
As others have said, try to grab someone to watch your class or call down to the office. You also learn to be very, very quick!
I call the office and someone will come to watch the class. Personally, I don't like leaving the class unattended in case something happens, you never know, sometimes things can happen just like that. I also don't like asking another teacher to watch my class In addition to their own for the same reason. If something happens, it puts that teacher in a bad position.
Quickly! How you get the time to step foot in the restroom is best addressed above. Just remember, at some point someone will ask you for the same favor in return.
We aren't even allowed to let groups work in the hall unless we are stationed at the door to watch the kids in the room while also watching the ones in the hall. It only takes a split second for something to happen and you will NEVER be in the right if you left your students unattended. Drink less water until you can figure out a system. Seriously, I know it's bad to not drink water frequently but this is the nature of our job unfortunately. I just make sure to hydrate like crazy when I get out of work. (Of course I'm up during the night though!)
At my school we have 5 minutes passing period, but kids start walking in, so I don't really want to use the restroom then. So it's kinda the same as at the last school. There's a 12 minute break around 10ish, then lunch around 12:30, and we finish by 2:40. So I have 2 hour blocks, which is not bad at all. Occasionally I don't want to wait, in that case I can call the office, and they send someone. At my current school I just step out of my classroom and there are 2 secretaries up front, someone can watch my class for 2 minutes.
I have a medical need to drink lots of water. I go into shock and am at death's door if I am even mildly dehydrated. I've got the four ambulance rides and six hospital stays to prove it.
Luckily I teach 2nd grade so we take frequent restroom breaks so I go every time they do so about 6-7x through the day
As teachers, I think we need to drink water since we talk so much abs especially if there is a medical condition like you have described above. I'm shocked that your admin doesn't have a workaround for teachers at your school. I think all teachers should have rooms with connecting doors so they can take a break whenever they need. I personally will continue to drink as much water as I would like to during the day!
Or this is when some teachers copy worksheets for the day and take 10-15 minutes, then ask another teacher next door and repeat the process for another 10-15 minutes.
You did the right thing. Calling the office doesn't work for me. The times I've called I've never had a relief person sent down. I usually stand at my door and flag down a passing teacher assistant.
Several years ago my classroom was a portable located quite some distance from the main campus, like in the middle of the sports fields. There were no bathrooms out there, so we had to go inside the main building for that. The problem with that, aside from the 4-5 minute walk one way, was that the exterior doors to the main building were always locked as part of the security protocols (with only the front entrance doors remaining unlocked during the school day). Admin at the time didn't allow any teachers except coaches to have exterior door keys, and that applied even to the handful of us out in those portables. It was terrible.
