I did once have an assistant principal who gave a long presentation about how to curb misbehavior in the classroom during a faculty meeting. At one point she said that we weren't allowed to turn our backs on our students at any time or for any reason because she had once turned around to answer her classroom phone and a fight had broken out.
She didn't really have a response when one teacher asked her how we were supposed to write anything on the board if we couldn't turn around to face it.
I once had a student sell donuts when I turned my back to write on the board. No joke. I caught it only when I had to tape my class for grad school.
It was impressive. People would pass him money, then he would wait until I turned again and would pass the donuts. He had quite the operation.
Good point. And funny #. But overall I think that these basic human rights should be allowed for everyone. But I also think that teachers shouldn't expect to be able to go pee outside of their scheduled breaks except in an emergency. The normal routine should be fine for most People
And I have colitis. I get it.
siiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh... No, you don't get it. When I was student teaching I developed a bladder infection from not being able to pee. It was just part of a list of things that told me that I wasn't meant for teaching.
I do get it. We had a class that talked about peoples needs and the hierarchy of needs. Being able to eat and pee were at the top. Seemed so simple. But the best way to get good people is to provide basic human needs. In all jobs. My dad worked at a garden centre when he was on strike a mioon years ago. They had to punch in and out. If you weren't in your seat, your Pay was docked. If he had to get up at the wrong time to pee, pay was docked. That seems so wrong to me. One day, I called to my coworker, 'just going to the bathroom'. My customer heard me. She said 'oh sorry. Quick question' then she spent 5 of the longest minutes of my life asking me a million questions. The peeing thing isn't unique to teachers. And I get the #teachersbladdeematter is the point of this post and not 'but people are starving in xyz country'
Post by irishbride2 on Jul 28, 2015 9:07:21 GMT -5
It is also rough when I have my heavy flow days. Switching to the diva cup helps. Now with that and a super heavy pad I can make it two hours. But before that, I couldn't make it.
siiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh... No, you don't get it. When I was student teaching I developed a bladder infection from not being able to pee. It was just part of a list of things that told me that I wasn't meant for teaching.
I do get it. We had a class that talked about peoples needs and the hierarchy of needs. Being able to eat and pee were at the top. Seemed so simple. But the best way to get good people is to provide basic human needs. In all jobs. My dad worked at a garden centre when he was on strike a mioon years ago. They had to punch in and out. If you weren't in your seat, your Pay was docked. If he had to get up at the wrong time to pee, pay was docked. That seems so wrong to me. One day, I called to my coworker, 'just going to the bathroom'. My customer heard me. She said 'oh sorry. Quick question' then she spent 5 of the longest minutes of my life asking me a million questions. The peeing thing isn't unique to teachers. And I get the #teachersbladdeematter is the point of this post and not 'but people are starving in xyz country'
Why are you having such a hard time staying on topic? Does it offend you that teachers are complaining about yet another thing that makes their job difficult?
:-P It's an article about teachers. I don't think they are claiming that every other job ob earth has perfect break policies.
Good point. And funny #. But overall I think that these basic human rights should be allowed for everyone. But I also think that teachers shouldn't expect to be able to go pee outside of their scheduled breaks except in an emergency. The normal routine should be fine for most People
And I have colitis. I get it.
Except "regularly scheduled breaks" for teachers is a misnomer. Teachers get one prep and one lunch. That prep might be taken up by covering for other teachers, and since it's supposed to be prep tine, it's not actually a break.
That leaves lunch. When not doing duty or covering for other teachers, there's a generous 40 minutes, but if you have lunch/recess duty, you get 20 minutes to eat,tidy your room, and use the restroom. That's if you're not called on to cover for absent teachers who don't have a sub.
If i get lucky i get to go to the bathroom twice a day and that's only because my day is split between two schools so I have a tiny bit of travel time. In my end of the hall there is 1 stall....shared between students, teachers and the education service center. Once I had to go soo bad so waited in line and was late for class. Of course this was a day the principal was walking down my hall. Now i try to limit my watervdrinking during the day.
I did once have an assistant principal who gave a long presentation about how to curb misbehavior in the classroom during a faculty meeting. At one point she said that we weren't allowed to turn our backs on our students at any time or for any reason because she had once turned around to answer her classroom phone and a fight had broken out.
She didn't really have a response when one teacher asked her how we were supposed to write anything on the board if we couldn't turn around to face it.
I once had a student sell donuts when I turned my back to write on the board. No joke. I caught it only when I had to tape my class for grad school.
It was impressive. People would pass him money, then he would wait until I turned again and would pass the donuts. He had quite the operation.
This is seriously impressive! How were the other kids hiding all the donuts, though?
I did once have an assistant principal who gave a long presentation about how to curb misbehavior in the classroom during a faculty meeting. At one point she said that we weren't allowed to turn our backs on our students at any time or for any reason because she had once turned around to answer her classroom phone and a fight had broken out.
She didn't really have a response when one teacher asked her how we were supposed to write anything on the board if we couldn't turn around to face it.
I once had a student sell donuts when I turned my back to write on the board. No joke. I caught it only when I had to tape my class for grad school.
It was impressive. People would pass him money, then he would wait until I turned again and would pass the donuts. He had quite the operation.
siiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh... No, you don't get it. When I was student teaching I developed a bladder infection from not being able to pee. It was just part of a list of things that told me that I wasn't meant for teaching.
I do get it. We had a class that talked about peoples needs and the hierarchy of needs. Being able to eat and pee were at the top. Seemed so simple. But the best way to get good people is to provide basic human needs. In all jobs. My dad worked at a garden centre when he was on strike a mioon years ago. They had to punch in and out. If you weren't in your seat, your Pay was docked. If he had to get up at the wrong time to pee, pay was docked. That seems so wrong to me. One day, I called to my coworker, 'just going to the bathroom'. My customer heard me. She said 'oh sorry. Quick question' then she spent 5 of the longest minutes of my life asking me a million questions. The peeing thing isn't unique to teachers. And I get the #teachersbladdeematter is the point of this post and not 'but people are starving in xyz country'
The difference is that in those scenarios you still have the option of taking the hit and going if it's an emergency/necessary. Teachers' don't really have that same option (or at least not to the same degree) so the stress of it is greater, especially for early ed where leaving 25+ 6 yr olds is not a remote possibility and getting someone to watch them means imposing on a co-worker and interfering with their class as well.
Good point. And funny #. But overall I think that these basic human rights should be allowed for everyone. But I also think that teachers shouldn't expect to be able to go pee outside of their scheduled breaks except in an emergency. The normal routine should be fine for most People
And I have colitis. I get it.
Except "regularly scheduled breaks" for teachers is a misnomer. Teachers get one prep and one lunch. That prep might be taken up by covering for other teachers, and since it's supposed to be prep tine, it's not actually a break.
That leaves lunch. When not doing duty or covering for other teachers, there's a generous 40 minutes, but if you have lunch/recess duty, you get 20 minutes to eat,tidy your room, and use the restroom. That's if you're not called on to cover for absent teachers who don't have a sub.
I teach an extra class so I have no prep. I get a 15 minute break and a 30 minute lunch. But, every 4 weeks I'm on duty for one of those two for the entire length of the break/lunch.
I once had a student sell donuts when I turned my back to write on the board. No joke. I caught it only when I had to tape my class for grad school.
It was impressive. People would pass him money, then he would wait until I turned again and would pass the donuts. He had quite the operation.
This is seriously impressive! How were the other kids hiding all the donuts, though?
That particular class had about 35 students (more on roll but about 35 that showed up). He didn't sell many at a time so the few that had them each day would hide them under notebooks and such.
Our campus was on block schedule. They were searching for more ways to get a cushion of instructional minutes (which was bull shit, by the way). One of the options proposed was to take away break for students, and teachers, and serve a later lunch. So that meant from 8:00 am - 1:30pm or 2:00 pm, no one would get a break bathroom, snack, or otherwise. Admin really thought that was a sustainable solution. Good thing staff did not, and it was voted down.
This is seriously impressive! How were the other kids hiding all the donuts, though?
That particular class had about 35 students (more on roll but about 35 that showed up). He didn't sell many at a time so the few that had them each day would hide them under notebooks and such.
I was a rookie. I learned a lot from that, lol.
Please tell me you got in on the action and had a daily donut as your cut for letting him be the donut mafioso.
And really, everyone, teachers shouldn't complain about these kinds of things. You can pee whenever you want during your three month summer vacation. Sheesh. :::eye roll:::
Except "regularly scheduled breaks" for teachers is a misnomer. Teachers get one prep and one lunch. That prep might be taken up by covering for other teachers, and since it's supposed to be prep tine, it's not actually a break.
That leaves lunch. When not doing duty or covering for other teachers, there's a generous 40 minutes, but if you have lunch/recess duty, you get 20 minutes to eat,tidy your room, and use the restroom. That's if you're not called on to cover for absent teachers who don't have a sub.
I get what point @hannymaren may be trying to make but I think this is the key counterpoint. Presumably someone on the assembly line at GM gets a regularly scheduled break. Maybe every 2 hours or whatever.
Most teachers don't have that. It's "pee during lunch" and too bad so sad if you don't get a chance to eat because you had to priortize using the restroom.
I think about this a lot when I see the daycare teachers (which I know is a different set up clearly) rush to the bathroom when the director is there "relieving" them lol. During the mornings and afternoons there is sometimes only one teacher so they either can't leave, or if there are two and one leaves and a parent comes to get their kid they start screaming about ratios (which are important, obviously, but let the teacher pee!!)
I worked retail for years, both as an associate and as a manager. So yes, sometimes peeing was more complicated than it had to be for coverage reasons and its always annoying to have to tell someone that you need to pee so can they take over for a minute.
But really, it wasn't like being a teacher.
YES for the love all that is holy. THIS right here is the problem. My last year of teaching, I had one 20 minute "break" for eating, peeing, calling back parents, scheduling IEPs, trying to talk to a fellow teacher about an issue with a student, and planning. That was it. Everything not done in those 20 minutes either took place before school or after school. And 7:10 to 3:15 is a long damn time to go with no bathroom break.
Post by hopecounts on Jul 28, 2015 10:16:08 GMT -5
And that's the other thing teacher 'breaks' aren't real breaks it simply kid free time to do the other crap that they need to do but can't do with the kids (return calls/e-mails, meet with other teachers/etc) so completely different from a factory worker's break which is actually an opportunity to eat/use the bathroom/chit chat.
And really, everyone, teachers shouldn't complain about these kinds of things. You can pee whenever you want during your three month summer vacation. Sheesh. :::eye roll:::
Not going to lie, I was so lucky I was already admin when I got pregnant. I also only ever taught grades 4 and up and we would always have a neighbouring teacher watch our class so we could run to the bathroom. We also would get excited if we scored a room near the bathroom. That and the copier. This is what teachers get excited about.
In middle school they instituted this policy about how only 2 people could go to the bathroom at once, INCLUDING DURING LUNCH. Which is all of 30 minutes for an entire grade level.
When I was smaller, I had bladder surgery and some issues with not knowing when I had to go to the bathroom until I REALLY had to go to the bathroom. So my mom was all, "Oh hell no!" and instructed the school that I was to be able to go to the bathroom without a pass any time I needed to do it.
Obviously I'm not a teacher, but schools and the regimented bathroom control are the suck.
In middle school they instituted this policy about how only 2 people could go to the bathroom at once, INCLUDING DURING LUNCH. Which is all of 30 minutes for an entire grade level.
When I was smaller, I had bladder surgery and some issues with not knowing when I had to go to the bathroom until I REALLY had to go to the bathroom. So my mom was all, "Oh hell no!" and instructed the school that I was to be able to go to the bathroom without a pass any time I needed to do it.
So, we kind of have this rule too, because 2x34 classes = 68 kids. There are only 3 bathrooms (but multiple stalls). But our breaks are 80-90 minutes and kids can go during class too. If we didn't have this rule we ended up with too many kids in the bathroom at the same time screwing around during break times.
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 28, 2015 10:31:38 GMT -5
Using the restroom is an issue, one I see in my own school. I am VERY fortunate that one of the women's bathrooms is just a few doors down from my room. So if I have to go, I can usually run there and back during the 4-minute passing period between classes. Administration constantly tells us to be in the hall monitoring between classes and I try when I can, but I also think it would probably be good to not pee my pants during class, too, yes? So I try to go then if possible. But there are days I take my class to the library or computer lab or somewhere not by a bathroom and I don't have time to go between classes. I also have many colleagues whose classrooms are nowhere near a bathroom, so it is a big issue for them too.
I frankly think passing periods need to be longer. That may be a start. And I know this would not help elementary teachers who don't have passing periods at all; just thinking of a solution for my own school. It would lengthen the school day, but I think both teachers AND students could benefit from more time between classes. During final exams, they give 10 min. passing periods and it's wonderful.
Oh and re: student bathroom use. I let them go whenever (for the most part. Obviously ,during lockdowns is a no. If two best friends who never want to stop talking both ask to go together-NO. One can go when one comes back, etc). If it comes to my attention that a student is misusing the pass (just standing in the bathroom texting or wandering the halls), then that one student and I need to have a chat and discuss that and maybe that one student has more limited bathroom breaks, but by and large that is never an issue for me. And if I really don't trust a kid, I can stand in my doorway and watch them walk the three doors down to the RR, so I at least know that's where they went.
In middle school they instituted this policy about how only 2 people could go to the bathroom at once, INCLUDING DURING LUNCH. Which is all of 30 minutes for an entire grade level.
When I was smaller, I had bladder surgery and some issues with not knowing when I had to go to the bathroom until I REALLY had to go to the bathroom. So my mom was all, "Oh hell no!" and instructed the school that I was to be able to go to the bathroom without a pass any time I needed to do it.
So, we kind of have this rule too, because 2x34 classes = 68 kids. There are only 3 bathrooms (but multiple stalls). But our breaks are 80-90 minutes and kids can go during class too. If we didn't have this rule we ended up with too many kids in the bathroom at the same time screwing around during break times.
Oh, it was definitely to keep kids from screwing around in the bathroom. It was just hard for kids with medical issues, like myself. And while the school did give me a medical accommodation, girls take longer in the rest room than boys (biology), and this was when we were all 10/11/12, so first getting your period and figuring out how to navigate that.
So, we kind of have this rule too, because 2x34 classes = 68 kids. There are only 3 bathrooms (but multiple stalls). But our breaks are 80-90 minutes and kids can go during class too. If we didn't have this rule we ended up with too many kids in the bathroom at the same time screwing around during break times.
Oh, it was definitely to keep kids from screwing around in the bathroom. It was just hard for kids with medical issues, like myself. And while the school did give me a medical accommodation, girls take longer in the rest room than boys (biology), and this was when we were all 10/11/12, so first getting your period and figuring out how to navigate that.
Oh, none of those rules apply to kids with medical issue or even emergencies. During break kids should have a hall pass, two passes per class...but trust, exceptions were made all of the time. I totally get your point. But dealing with vandalism, clogged toilets and kids using the bathroom like a jungle gym gets exhausting.
Post by downtoearth on Jul 28, 2015 10:39:41 GMT -5
My mom complained about this her whole career - just retired this year at age 65. She even got extra teachers bathrooms put in while she was union president b/c it was a big issue - especially in elementary schools where there was typically one teacher bathroom for all the teachers and sometimes far from the classrooms.
But she also is a PE teacher and for the last 10 years of her 30+ year career finally had a bathroom in her main classroom that she could dart off to before the teachers came to deliver kids and then they would dart into after her.
When I subbed, I realized pretty quickly that you don't drink water during the day.
Post by cookiemdough on Jul 28, 2015 10:57:41 GMT -5
It really is sad that we hinge educational success on cramming every minute of the day with instruction that things like peeing and eating can't be taken into account. It is not even working. This is such a stupid problem for teachers and student s to have to face. Why can't we do better???
Post by dropitlikeitshott on Jul 28, 2015 11:19:28 GMT -5
Stuff like this makes me sooo thankful for my school. I am currently pregnant and before summer the teacher rand me we're awesome. I told them I was pregnant and would have to go to either throw up or pee and they did a great job of watching my kids for me. I am moving to a new grade and room when we go back and am worried about the bathroom since I will be the only classroom teacher in my pod and the bathroom is far away. I know I will be able to figure something out. Our principal is known for watching classes for teachers to pee.
I also have a hand signal for bathroom breaks for the kids (3rd and now 2nd). At my school we only teach in 20 minute blocks, which they know if I am up front teaching not to ask unless it's an emergency, but during small group work time they use the signal and I let them go one at a time. I think it's unfair to expect anyone regardless of their age or when you have breaks to not use the restroom when they have to. My students also know that the bathrooms are news the classroom(every pod which is four classes has a student bathroom) so I tell them they have three minutes before I will come check.
I never thought about this before but it sounds awful! I feel so bad for these teachers.
Our local elementary school has a single stall bathroom in each classroom, I just asked my son and he said the teachers use it too. Schools should think about this for future design. It seems like it would make it easier to slip away for a second and pee.
When I taught K my morning went from 7:50 until 12:25. Then I had lunch and prep back to back. So I could pee all I wanted then but the 4 1/2 hrs before my "break" we're looong with no chance to pee!!
I had never had a UTI until I started teaching when I had 4 during my first year - the dr called it Teachers Syndrome. I have had 0 UTIs since I left teaching.