to tom

Posted on 10/30/09

You are right, Tom. My kids do give me a break - I only have one class
that I don't dare even take my eye off of them for even one second! And
those "long" days are usually my own fault because when I do have a
moment, I get distracted by a student or a teacher who needs me to do
something for them.... and I end up forgetting.... yep. Sadly, I do
sometimes forget that I have to pottie.

I was also speaking with a little bit of tongue in my cheek. Like any
teacher, there are the kids who don't abuse that privilege and then
those that have betrayed my trust just one too many times. I get a LOT
of reports from my little spies that high schoolers use their phones in
the bathroom. I sometimes check pockets of those who all of a sudden
need to go, as if they just got a text they need to answer.... I've not
yet denied bathroom privileges to someone who has ended up embarrassing
themselves.

On 10/30/09, Tom wrote:
> I would go during passing periods and breaks, making sure to lock
> the classroom door. That way, if I return late, the kids are
> waiting outside, and not inside.
>
> That said, there were a few times when I was taking some powerful
> antibiotics (and drinking a lot of water), when I had to excuse
> myself - leaving the students to responsibly carry on without me
> for a few minutes. Luckily, I expected and coached my students to
> be self-disciplined and socially responsible, so leaving them alone
> was not a problem. (Now, if one of them had a heart attack while I
> was out, that would have been a problem. But had I chosen to stay
> and "hold it," the damage to my own innards would have been far
> more likely. When you gotta go, you gotta go!)
>
> Another option would be to contact another staff member (with no
> students at the moment) to stand in for you while you go. If you
> can't call them, you could send a student to them with a note.
>
> Desperate times call for desperate measures.
>
> :-)
>
> Tom

Share This Post | Report This Post

Next Post >>

Posts on this thread, including this one