Restroom Breaks for Teachers

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Classroom Management Chatboard

Restroom Breaks for Teachers

by happyteachermom

Oct 6, 2013

Hello! I wondered if you had any tips/tricks for finding time to take a restroom break. I don't want to leave students unattended. So far, the only solution has been to limit fluid intake, but that makes me have headaches. It's not the end of the world, but it would be nice to be able to drink water throughout the day and not have to worry about when I'll be able to use the restroom next. Any suggestions?

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Teacher Options:

1. Working at a school that has a door between classrooms, so the neighbor teacher can stand between the 2 rooms & supervise. This works as long as you & your neighbor get along

2. A colleague RSP teacher helping between her groups

3. A yard duty coming & covering at the end of her morning or beginnin...See MoreOptions:

1. Working at a school that has a door between classrooms, so the neighbor teacher can stand between the 2 rooms & supervise. This works as long as you & your neighbor get along

2. A colleague RSP teacher helping between her groups

3. A yard duty coming & covering at the end of her morning or beginning of lunch shift.

4. A para who is in the room already with a mainstreamed special ed child covers for the 3-5 min

5. A para covers the class between their groups

6. If you can get it, a prep teacher or intervention teacher job might work because you can run to the restroom between groups

7. If your doors are close enough together & depending on the age of your students, a colleague can "float" between the rooms while you run to the restroom. All that said, I'll be honest- most of these options depend on the good will of your colleagues, which is not a given.

For myself, I find high school teaching is easier (& returned to it after several years of struggle at the elementary school level) because we get a passing period between classes every 50 minutes and I don't have to deal with being vulnerable to colleagues who say it's not in their job description to help.

Honestly, if you're already in teaching, & need this career, you can make it work, but there can be ugliness about this issue. If you're not a teacher already & you know you will have difficulty with a job only offering restroom every 2 hours or more, please consider a different kind of career, maybe still with kids, but that will just give you what you need without relying on "favors" or having to fight for it. It's awful that a basic human right is in question.

10/06/13, happyteachermom wrote: > Hello! I wondered if you had any tips/tricks for finding > time to take a restroom break. I don't want to leave > students unattended. So far, the only solution has been to > limit fluid intake, but that makes me have headaches. It's > not the end of the world, but it would be nice to be able > to drink water throughout the day and not have to worry > about when I'll be able to use the restroom next. Any > suggestions?

Sep 26, 2014

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Kent Not going to the bathroom is not good for your health. Somehow your principal needs to work it out so all teachers get a restroom break. It is a sad commentary when a professional cannot even go to the bathroom. How many other professions do you suppose are having this conversation. If the principal has to come and watch your class while you go to ...See More

Sep 26, 2014

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whomever What grade level do you teach?

If you have a door you can close and your students are moving from one classroom to the next, just tell your students to line up in the hallway and wait for you to get back. Go to the RR at the beginning of passing period and if you are a few seconds late getting back, I guarantee your students will understan...See More

Sep 26, 2014

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S I have an agreement with a teacher next door. When I of us has to go, we tell the other by tapping on the wall. She will stand in the hallway where she can see both classrooms. It is usually only two minutes, but definitely worth it.

Our principal has advised to call him when needed, but so far he has not been required in our classes. On ...See More

Sep 26, 2014

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