Case
Bathroom

I teach at a high school and the new favorite place for couples to meet up is the bathroom. When a child ask to have a pass to the bathroom I often times wonder if that is what they are going to do. I am always conscious of how long they are gone, but it only takes seconds to make out with someone. We have had many students "caught" in the bathroom recently. I would love to hear any solutions for me individually and/or even our school to combat this problem. We do have cameras outside the bathroom, but those are only viewed if a problem arises or questions about students being in their together come up.

Posted on: 03/13/15 | Views: 1200
Solution #1
I would first be observant to see if a student continually wants to leave for the bathroom at the same time each day, I notice that typically means they are trying to meet up with someone....Usually at the restroom as well. As for the students who have been "caught" in the bathroom we had one instance at the beginning of the year and those two students were expelled....We haven't had a another issue since, possibly out of fear?

Yes, I do pay attention to timing. This isn't something that happens much at all, but I did have a student get caught (they weren't doing anything when caught just both in the same bathroom) so they were not expelled. They did get out of school suspended, but he returned. He hasn't asked to go the bathroom since back and he knows I will say no!

That's a good idea. Figure out why the students are leaving so much.

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Solution #2
I, too, teach high school and asking to go to the bathroom is a common request. I give my students a two minute time limit to get down there, take care of business, then come back quickly to whatever we are engaged in at appropriate times. I do not let my students leave at just any time. A few of my coworkers do it differently. One gives a half-sheet of bathroom passes (4 per semester) and once they are used up they are not allowed to leave the room unless they are sick. Another teacher allows her students to go, but requires that they trade her for a 15 minute detention the following day. Students who fail to serve her detention are then given notification by administration they have one more opportunity to serve and failure to serve teacher detention will result in administrative detention. I think we just have to find what works best for our personalities and do our best to identify the students who want to leave to leave. I think I will try the 15 minute detention next year. It's amazing how unimportant going to the bathroom in the middle of class can be when they realize they have to give up some of their social time to serve detention.

Thank you. I use passes as well. I like to have a paper trail of who went where when.

This solution is perfect! It can be used in any classroom with any student and I just love it!

I agree each teacher needs to find ways to work with their class on the bathroom rules. The 15 minute detention seems a little harsh, often there may not be time to use restroom with going to locker and getting to a class that's far away.

Hm, the limit thing is a good idea. I have never heard that before.

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Solution #3
I am not one to deny a student to go to the restroom. I have taught high school for seven years, and this has always been an issue and major concern. Our department started bathroom passes for the first semester, and each pass contained 5 opportunities for students to use the restroom. I would hole-punch the pass each time a student wanted to go to the restroom. I found that this worked until I caught a student in the hallway selling his bathroom pass for $5.00! This semester I decided to use a Pass Log. Anytime a student needs to leave the room (for any type of pass), they must write their name, the date, the time (when they left and when they got back), and their destination. This way I can monitor the amount of times a student is leaving the room and for how long. Unfortunately, if the bathroom passes are limited, students will find ways around the passes. They might ask to "see the counselor," but they may never make it there. Or in my case, the passes were being sold-- I still can't believe it! So far, the Pass Log has worked the best.

No way being sold ... too funny! The things high school students will do.

Right. Being so strict just encourages dishonesty.

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Solution #4
I give students 3 bathroom passes per semester, and if they are worth 5 extra credit points each at the end of the semester. This really discourages students from leaving the classroom unless it's an emergency.

I use passes too. I have not done the extra points, but I am thinking about doing it next year. Thank you for your help.

The extra points is a great idea, the student still gets passes if they need to go to the bathroom, but they get rewarded for planning in advance and using there designated time.

I think that's a bit harsh.

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Solution #5
A solution to this problem is have different times the bathroom pass is open. Students will not be able to leave the class for the first 15 minutes of class and the last 15 minutes of class. That allows you to control student coming into the class and wanting to leave as soon as they get there. If they are doing what they are support to while in transition to another class they have time to utilize the bathroom. Unfortunately, i do not think you can stop students making out! You can control them while in the classroom and when outside the classroom they need to face stiff consequences for their actions.

I do not think that we should ever withhold bathroom from high school students, as we know many problems can arise. Students must have the understanding that they will not be permitted to go whenever they want to and will be given a time of three minutes to return. I would also tell students unless it is an emergency they will have to wait until I am done instructing the class.

That's true. The time frame idea is a good one.

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Solution #6
I am currently interning at a High School, what my CT does is give students a limited number of bathroom brakes per month. She also gives the students a tie limit of how long the students can be one for before me or an assistant teacher goes to get them.
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Solution #7
As a fresh out of high school student, four bathroom breaks for a 9 week school period is way too little! High schools can be huge, and going from one class, to your locker, and making to a class across the school can be too much to handle. Also, waiting to go to the bathroom at a lunch period could be five periods into our daily schedule! I think having limited passes for the semester is a great solution but there should be at least two bathroom breaks a week pass, and a time limit. Just because one student is not trusted doesn't mean you should hinder a natural body function for the rest of the student body.
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Solution #8
Hmmm...a tough one. This is increasingly becoming a problem for many high schools I believe. The main advice and solution that I can see is to not allow any children the opportunity to go to the bathroom during class time unless they have written excuses for "bladder issues" or etc. This sounds harsh and I am not sure if it is even doable (per students' rights) but certainly a way to stop the temptation. Students at this age should be allowed to go to the restroom in between classes and it should be mandated.
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Solution #9
I would give the students a certain amount of time to run to the bathroom and be back by. I would become aware and see who continues to run to bathroom frequently and try and follow up why. There is not much as the teacher you can do but maybe as a school they can have other teachers/students monitor the bathrooms and tell if something becomes unusually.
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Solution #10
I know that at some schools there are teachers and others who are occasionally patrolling the halls. When I was in school I remember we had to carry our planners with us because there were two columns for bathroom passes, and each time we would go our teacher would have to initial it. They would also set time limits on how long we could be gone. There are also schools where the bathroom plan is open enough so the sinks area could be seen to anyone walking by, however, the stalls for use can't always be seen. Add to that the hallway patrollers that may be seen on occasion and it might be hard to meet there.
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Solution #11
I see this happen in the middle school I am currently interning at, and I remember it happening when I was in high school myself. I think that limiting the students to a certain amount of bathroom passes is effective. When I was in middle school, my teacher gave us (I can't remember exactly but this is for example) ten bathroom passes for the semester because it is expected that we use the restroom during passing time. If we had any bathroom passes left over at the semester we could turn them in for extra credit points. This strategy was a good incentive.
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Solution #12
You could try allowing bathroom breaks only at the beginning of the period (before the bell, if possible) and monitor the students in the hall. It depends on visibility of the bathrooms from the classroom.
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Solution #13
I would stop allowing students to go to the bathroom all together. Let them know ahead of time that this is the new rule and tell them why. There has to be a consequence. They need to use the bathroom between classes or on their own time.
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Solution #14
I do like the ideas of limitation, but you have to take into consideration different people and their bodies. When I was an athlete in high school, I was constantly drinking water, and always had to go to the bathroom. I don't think the entire class should be limited on bathroom breaks. Sometimes you just have to go. If you notice the same person repeatively always wanting to go to the bathroom at a specific time, or stays in the bathroom entirely too long then they should have restrictions on the bathroom because they are abusing the bathroom. Leaving the class for the bathroom should be a rule and spoken about at the beginning of the year. Maybe they can only use the bathroom on their own individual class time, and not during lectures or exams.
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Solution #15
I believe students should be monitored immensely if this is a problem in a school. Maybe the school can designate a volunteer or teacher to monitor the bathrooms during the day.
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Solution #16
I too have used short teacher detentions in the past, in hopes of limiting the students from going to the bathroom during class. My philosophy is that if the students are going to take away from my instructional time, I will take away from their personal time.

That is taking it way too far.

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