Bathroom Issue

Join Teachers.Net

Chatboards

Recent Groups

HS Teachers

MEMBERS

27 Members

+ Join Group

Pinned Posts

ALLAll Teachers

Teachers.Net LIVE CHAT Support group - Tues eve!

Featured Jobs

Full-timeMontessori Teacher

Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

TemporaryTeachers, rural schools

Peace River North School District

Full-timeHead Teacher: 2nd/3rd Grades – Mills College Children’s School

Mills College

Teaching Jobs on Teachers.Net

Featured Job special only $39!

https://teachers.net/jobs

Become a Teachers.Net sponsor!

High School Teachers Chatboard

Bathroom Issue

by Cat

May 6, 2014

I’m a first year teacher and I’m teaching English at a Catholic girls’ high school. Saturday was my first time supervising Saturday detention. It’s from 8 AM to 12 Noon and they get a bathroom/stretch break from 9:55 to 10:05. That’s the only time they are supposed to be out their seats for the whole 4 hours. I understand all that, but I had a situation on Saturday that I had to deal with.

I had 12 girls on Saturday and it wasn’t 15 minutes after the bathroom break that one of the girls came up to me and asked to go again. Of course, I asked her why she hadn’t gone before when she was supposed to. She didn’t really have an answer for me, but she was insistent that she really did have to go now. She didn’t say it, but somehow I got the impression that she had to go #2 and she didn’t want to do it with 11 other girls in the bathroom at the time. She is a really shy and quiet freshman so I can kind of understand how she was feeling about that. She apparently ...See MoreI’m a first year teacher and I’m teaching English at a Catholic girls’ high school. Saturday was my first time supervising Saturday detention. It’s from 8 AM to 12 Noon and they get a bathroom/stretch break from 9:55 to 10:05. That’s the only time they are supposed to be out their seats for the whole 4 hours. I understand all that, but I had a situation on Saturday that I had to deal with.

I had 12 girls on Saturday and it wasn’t 15 minutes after the bathroom break that one of the girls came up to me and asked to go again. Of course, I asked her why she hadn’t gone before when she was supposed to. She didn’t really have an answer for me, but she was insistent that she really did have to go now. She didn’t say it, but somehow I got the impression that she had to go #2 and she didn’t want to do it with 11 other girls in the bathroom at the time. She is a really shy and quiet freshman so I can kind of understand how she was feeling about that. She apparently had waited in the hopes of being able to go later when she’d have the opportunity to be alone in the girls’ room.

So I let her go even though I wasn’t supposed to. Somebody apparently saw her coming out of the girls’ room at the inappropriate time. Tuesday, I got a letter from my principal reminding me of the rules of Saturday Detention and reiterating specifically that no one was to be out of the room except during the designated bathroom break. OK – I understand all that but what was I supposed to do in this situation? Was I really supposed to tell this girl she couldn’t go to the bathroom when she obviously needed to? Obviously, she should have gone during the bathroom break when she was supposed to. But the fact was that she didn’t. Was I really then supposed to deny her for close to 2 hours and make the poor girl risk soiling herself just to adhere to the rules? I hated teachers that didn’t use common sense in these kinds of situations and I vowed that I’d never become one of those.

Comment

(4)

report post

Don't get it On 5/06/14, Cat wrote:

When schools institute rules that are contrary to human nature, I wonder if my bladder is different than other peoples'. I would have told him that she had gotten her period and she was leaking through her skirt. That will especially shut up a male principal.

I don't get it. When we have faculty meetings I ...See MoreOn 5/06/14, Cat wrote:

When schools institute rules that are contrary to human nature, I wonder if my bladder is different than other peoples'. I would have told him that she had gotten her period and she was leaking through her skirt. That will especially shut up a male principal.

I don't get it. When we have faculty meetings I go to the bathroom before the meeting starts but that doesn't mean that I won't be told by my bladder to get up and go an hour later.

that > I’m a first year teacher and I’m teaching English at a > Catholic girls’ high school. Saturday was my first time > supervising Saturday detention. It’s from 8 AM to 12 Noon > and they get a bathroom/stretch break from 9:55 to 10:05. > That’s the only time they are supposed to be out their > seats for the whole 4 hours. I understand all that, but I > had a situation on Saturday that I had to deal with. > > I had 12 girls on Saturday and it wasn’t 15 minutes > after the bathroom break that one of the girls came up to > me and asked to go again. Of course, I asked her why she > hadn’t gone before when she was supposed to. She didn’t > really have an answer for me, but she was insistent that > she really did have to go now. She didn’t say it, but > somehow I got the impression that she had to go #2 and she > didn’t want to do it with 11 other girls in the bathroom at > the time. She is a really shy and quiet freshman so I can > kind of understand how she was feeling about that. She > apparently had waited in the hopes of being able to go > later when she’d have the opportunity to be alone in the > girls’ room. > > So I let her go even though I wasn’t supposed to. > Somebody apparently saw her coming out of the girls’ room > at the inappropriate time. Tuesday, I got a letter from my > principal reminding me of the rules of Saturday Detention > and reiterating specifically that no one was to be out of > the room except during the designated bathroom break. OK – > I understand all that but what was I supposed to do in this > situation? Was I really supposed to tell this girl she > couldn’t go to the bathroom when she obviously needed to? > Obviously, she should have gone during the bathroom break > when she was supposed to. But the fact was that she didn’t. > Was I really then supposed to deny her for close to 2 hours > and make the poor girl risk soiling herself just to adhere > to the rules? I hated teachers that didn’t use common sense > in these kinds of situations and I vowed that I’d never > become one of those. >

May 6, 2014

report post

Tori On 5/06/14, Cat wrote: > I’m a first year teacher and I’m teaching English at a > Catholic girls’ high school. Saturday was my first time > supervising Saturday detention. It’s from 8 AM to 12 Noon > and they get a bathroom/stretch break from 9:55 to 10:05. > That’s the only time they are supposed to be out their > seats...See MoreOn 5/06/14, Cat wrote: > I’m a first year teacher and I’m teaching English at a > Catholic girls’ high school. Saturday was my first time > supervising Saturday detention. It’s from 8 AM to 12 Noon > and they get a bathroom/stretch break from 9:55 to 10:05. > That’s the only time they are supposed to be out their > seats for the whole 4 hours. I understand all that, but I > had a situation on Saturday that I had to deal with. > > I had 12 girls on Saturday and it wasn’t 15 minutes > after the bathroom break that one of the girls came up to > me and asked to go again. Of course, I asked her why she > hadn’t gone before when she was supposed to. She didn’t > really have an answer for me, but she was insistent that > she really did have to go now. She didn’t say it, but > somehow I got the impression that she had to go #2 and she > didn’t want to do it with 11 other girls in the bathroom at > the time. She is a really shy and quiet freshman so I can > kind of understand how she was feeling about that. She > apparently had waited in the hopes of being able to go > later when she’d have the opportunity to be alone in the > girls’ room. > > So I let her go even though I wasn’t supposed to. > Somebody apparently saw her coming out of the girls’ room > at the inappropriate time. Tuesday, I got a letter from my > principal reminding me of the rules of Saturday Detention > and reiterating specifically that no one was to be out of > the room except during the designated bathroom break. OK – > I understand all that but what was I supposed to do in this > situation? Was I really supposed to tell this girl she > couldn’t go to the bathroom when she obviously needed to? > Obviously, she should have gone during the bathroom break > when she was supposed to. But the fact was that she didn’t. > Was I really then supposed to deny her for close to 2 hours > and make the poor girl risk soiling herself just to adhere > to the rules? I hated teachers that didn’t use common sense > in these kinds of situations and I vowed that I’d never > become one of those. >

I'm curious how this issue resolved. Did you explain your side of it to the principal? To me it's pretty obvious you did the right thing in this situation and I think any responsible administrator would agree with you if he knew specifically what had happened.

I think the biggest problem you had was not so much the possibiility of that poor girl having an accident. I can't believe that any girl in high school would just sit there and let that happen to her. I think your biggest problem would have been that eventually the girl would have just gotten up and gone to the girls' room without your permission. Probably she'd have tried to hold it in for as long as she could but once she realized that she wasn't going to make it until detention was over, she'd have just gotten up and gone to the girls' room anyway. I have to believe she would have done that rather than going in her pants right there.

And then what do YOU do? Now you're in charge of a detention where your authority was sucessfully challenged. Do you punish someone whose only crime was an obviously needed trip to the bathroom or do you allow that challenge to your authority to stand?

Mar 17, 2015

report post

scienceteacher Bathroom is the biggest challenge in a classroom. I place a sign on the bulletin board when it is an appropriate time to go to the bathroom. I only put it up when I am not going over directions or reviewing notes.

Regardless of how much they complain, I remain consistent about being in control of bathroom. It seems to work for me. If they...See More

Mar 30, 2015

report post

my two sense On 3/17/15, Tori wrote: > On 5/06/14, Cat wrote: >> I’m a first year teacher and I’m teaching English at a >> Catholic girls’ high school. Saturday was my first time >> supervising Saturday detention. It’s from 8 AM to 12 Noon >> and they get a bathroom/stretch break from 9:55 to 10:05. >> That’s the only ...See MoreOn 3/17/15, Tori wrote: > On 5/06/14, Cat wrote: >> I’m a first year teacher and I’m teaching English at a >> Catholic girls’ high school. Saturday was my first time >> supervising Saturday detention. It’s from 8 AM to 12 Noon >> and they get a bathroom/stretch break from 9:55 to 10:05. >> That’s the only time they are supposed to be out their >> seats for the whole 4 hours. I understand all that, but I >> had a situation on Saturday that I had to deal with. >> >> I had 12 girls on Saturday and it wasn’t 15 minutes >> after the bathroom break that one of the girls came up to >> me and asked to go again. Of course, I asked her why she >> hadn’t gone before when she was supposed to. She didn’t >> really have an answer for me, but she was insistent that >> she really did have to go now. She didn’t say it, but >> somehow I got the impression that she had to go #2 and she >> didn’t want to do it with 11 other girls in the bathroom at >> the time. She is a really shy and quiet freshman so I can >> kind of understand how she was feeling about that. She >> apparently had waited in the hopes of being able to go >> later when she’d have the opportunity to be alone in the >> girls’ room. >> >> So I let her go even though I wasn’t supposed to. >> Somebody apparently saw her coming out of the girls’ room >> at the inappropriate time. Tuesday, I got a letter from my >> principal reminding me of the rules of Saturday Detention >> and reiterating specifically that no one was to be out of >> the room except during the designated bathroom break. OK – >> I understand all that but what was I supposed to do in this >> situation? Was I really supposed to tell this girl she >> couldn’t go to the bathroom when she obviously needed to? >> Obviously, she should have gone during the bathroom break >> when she was supposed to. But the fact was that she didn’t. >> Was I really then supposed to deny her for close to 2 hours >> and make the poor girl risk soiling herself just to adhere >> to the rules? I hated teachers that didn’t use common sense >> in these kinds of situations and I vowed that I’d never >> become one of those. >> > > I'm curious how this issue resolved. Did you explain your > side of it to the principal? To me it's pretty obvious you > did the right thing in this situation and I think any > responsible administrator would agree with you if he knew > specifically what had happened. > > I think the biggest problem you had was not so much the > possibiility of that poor girl having an accident. I can't > believe that any girl in high school would just sit there and > let that happen to her. I think your biggest problem would > have been that eventually the girl would have just gotten up > and gone to the girls' room without your permission. Probably > she'd have tried to hold it in for as long as she could but > once she realized that she wasn't going to make it until > detention was over, she'd have just gotten up and gone to the > girls' room anyway. I have to believe she would have done > that rather than going in her pants right there. > > And then what do YOU do? Now you're in charge of a detention > where your authority was sucessfully challenged. Do you > punish someone whose only crime was an obviously needed trip > to the bathroom or do you allow that challenge to your > authority to stand?

You are speculating on why the student had to go. Since you chose to break the rules and make an exception for one student, if I had been in your shoes I would have said something like, "I will have to make an exception to the rule if I let you go. If you must leave the room, I will add the minutes you are gone to the end of this detention. If you have an emergency, please go and return as soon as possible." Then, I would have stopped. The student would have gone, if it was an emergency, or would have decided to sit back down. Chances are, if they went, they would have returned within five minutes anyway. This way, it was fair for all concerned.

Apr 9, 2015

report post