How Do You Handle Restroom Passes?
A reader left this comment on last week’s post, “Top Ten Things I Learned about Teaching This Year.”
I learned from watching other teachers that children who go to the “restroom” hardly EVER really need to relieve their bladders. It seems that the restroom is the place to meet friends, exchange cell phones, listen to music, make out with the opposite sex, or fight. Teachers should be very careful about sending students to the “restroom” unescorted and untimed.
When I taught, many horrible things happened when I gave out a restroom pass. I learned from my mistakes and came up with this system:
- Never refuse a restroom pass. Sometimes I asked a kid to stay until I finished giving instructions or until she’d finished her test, but I never denied a restroom pass, even though I’d been burned on them before. Why? I never wanted to have to defend to my principal or a parent why I kept a kid who had a genuine bathroom need or emergency from leaving class.
- Set restroom time limits. My limit was five minutes in the restroom. At seven minutes, I sent a search party. If the search party reported back that no one was in the nearest restroom, I called the office to report a missing student. Students who spent too long out of class wouldn’t be able to use the pass for a week or two.
- The classroom pass. My last two schools both had classroom passes that had the teacher’s name on one side and a sign out sheet on the other side. It was a great way to keep a record of which students left, where they were going, and what time the students came and went. The classroom pass is only effective if the teacher monitors it regularly. Make sure to keep it under your control and to verify student names, destinations, and times are correct. It’s very easy for students to “lose” the pass log, write their names and destinations illegibly, or fudge the times. Being vigilant and double-checking students will ensure that the pass record is correct. If someone lost the pass, I didn’t give out passes until the classroom pass turned up again.
- Talk about abuses on an individual basis. Sami took the restroom pass every day during work time. Photocopied the pass log and highlighted her name. Sami and I had a quiet conversation about why she left class every day at 2:35. She said she needed a break from the crowd and a little bit of peace and quiet. Even though it appeared that she was abusing the pass, really Sami was self advocating. So I built more movement into my lessons to help students who needed to move continue to focus. For Sami, I gave her a quiet classroom chore to complete every day at the beginning of work time. She stayed in class, my white board was clean, and we were both happy.
- Don’t let it disrupt class. I decided that the restroom pass was not going to be something that interfered with teaching and learning. I posted the class schedule on the board and instructed my students that they should not request the pass during whole-group instruction. Work time was the perfect time to ask for the pass. However, if an emergency arose, the student should point to the door and wait for my eye contact and nod before taking the pass.
- Only one student out at a time. I had one pass, which is a self limiting thing. When another student had the pass, no one else could use it. And no, I’m not going to put myself in charge of who goes next and settle arguments about skipping someone.
My system’s not perfect. Sure, students still abused the restroom pass. However, most students were pretty respectful of the rules because I applied them uniformly to every student every time.
I knew teachers who issued each student two restroom passes to be used at will during the semester or quarter. That method limited disruptions and students using the restroom every day during fourth period, but it still doesn’t address the issue of the parent/principal phone call about why a kid who needed the restroom couldn’t go.
I also knew teachers who refused all restroom requests. Our high school was on the block schedule, so students had a seven-minute passing time between 84-minute classes. Teachers considered the passing time enough of a break for students to take care of restroom issues.
Of course, there are many ways to handle the restroom pass. If you have a good method, or even a so-so method, share it in the comments! Have you had trouble with the restroom pass? Yeah. Me, too. Share those troubles in the comments! Maybe we can come up with a solution.
Next week: Passes to other school destinations
10 comments ↓
lf
06.14.10 at 3:06 am
The teacher who never let the students use the restroom was obviously a man.
Diane
06.14.10 at 3:21 am
I think that's pretty harsh, commenter. I mean, I've taught with many women who forbid the restroom pass.
Vanessa Scott
06.14.10 at 8:01 am
We use agendas at Surry County High for restroom passes and they work just fine. That way we have documentation of the time the student was signed out and back in, and how many other teachers signed them out before us. Agendas are a good tracking system. They allow other teachers who are hall monitors to verify where the student is supposed to be.
Diane
06.14.10 at 8:03 am
You know, Guest, that's really smart to use agendas for restroom passes. I love leaving a paper trail for other teachers to view.
What happens when a student misplaces her agenda, though?
Helen
06.15.10 at 6:35 pm
I have a podium near the door on which I put two clip boards. One is for tardys and the other is for hall passes, including guidance, discipline and bathroom. The hall pass one has a column for date, name, destination, time out and time in. The tardy one has columns for date, time, name, reason and pass (y or n). On the wall above the podium is a clock and the passes, one for the bathroom, one for the media center and one for emergency. My students know that only one person is allowed out at a time and that no one goes out during other lunches. They do what they have to do and are usually back within 5 minutes. The problem arises when the bathrooms are locked and they have to go looking for open ones.
KB
06.15.10 at 7:01 pm
I use a points system for all student-initiated hall passes. At the beginning of the semester, each student is given 100 bonus points in the “bank.” If a student needs to use a hall pass, I deduct 25 points. I then fill out a slip that contains their name, the date, the time, the location, and my signature or initials. I write this in green or purple ink. If a student has points left in the bank at the end of the semester, I add the bonus points to their 18 weeks grade.Keep the passes for verification. If I need to send a student on an errand, no points are deducted, and he/she will let me know if they need to go somewhere else while out of the class. Time limit: 5 mins.
Diane
06.16.10 at 2:30 am
Your restrooms are sometimes locked? Why?
Amy
10.28.10 at 12:47 pm
Long response (If you want to read the short response, in answer to your question skip down to the last paragraph).
You should know I'm biased about this topic because I was a voider as a child and now I'm a sophmore in highschool with a clogged colon which puts pressure on my bladder and inturn makes me go A LOT. Since my colon is clogged, I have to take Miralax everday and I have to restrict my diet to only high fiber foods. I also have a nurse's pass, which you teachers know that you cannot deny me access to the restroom. My school has 5 minutes of passing time and 53 minute classes and we have 3 floors. This semester my classes are really close together which is AWESOME!
5 minutes is enough if you don't have the monthly thing, you don't have to do #2, and if your class is close to your other class. I forgot to mention if the restroom isn't full also (which it is during 2,4,and 5). I sincerely hope you teachers have common sense about students. If a student is responsible with their work and shows respect to students and to you, then I would just let them go. It's weird to deny someone to use the restroom just for the purpose of getting extra credit. Two of my teachers this year do the same thing: give 5 passes to go the restroom and locker and in the end if there are any remaining, you get extra credit; if you run out you cannot use the restroom or locker. I would have run out my 1st week of school. Despite thinking the system as weird, I do agree with it-somewhat. Since I go about every hour, I see many students doing their hair and texting. Hey I have a phone and I can't see texting as part of my education. In my point of view, honors students in my honor classes are mor responsible and respectful. Students in regular classes abuse passes 9/10 times I've been there, but honors students they don't even usually ever use the restroom even without the 5 passes. (I'm sorry if I'm rambling). I had problems with substitute teachers in the pass so I usually just ask to go to the school nurse so I can use the restroom there to avoid problems and I say that I'm not feeling well and will be back in a little while.
In school, teachers can make their own policies reguarding the bathroom as in restrict students access, but all students are required to have a pass while in the hallway. We get 80 passes a year in our student planner (which all are required to have). We have to fill in today's date, time out/in, destination, and have a teacher's signature. If a student runs out, then they have to buy a new planner which is about $7. Students are NOT allowed to share planners, but many do anyway. I would say use: common sense.
Diane
10.29.10 at 8:56 am
Thank you, Guest, for the student perspective. Your point about students in the restroom is why teachers want to restrict restroom passes.
I'm glad that you've worked out a solution with your teachers so that you can have access to the restroom when you need it. It sounds like you're a very responsible young woman.
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