It’s common knowledge that teachers today are stressed, that they feel underappreciated and disrespected, and disillusioned. It’s no wonder they’re ditching the classroom at such high rates—to the point where states from Indiana to Arizona to Kansas are dealing with teacher shortages. Meanwhile, the number of American students who go into teaching is steadily dropping.
A recent survey conducted jointly by the American Federation of Teachers and Badass Teachers Association asked educators about the quality of their worklife, and it got some pretty harrowing feedback. Just 15 percent of the 30,000 respondents, for example, strongly agreed that they’re enthusiastic about the profession. Compare that to the roughly 90 percent percent who strongly agreed that they were enthusiastic about it when they started their career, and it’s clear that something has changed about schools that’s pushing them away. Roughly three in four respondents said they “often” feel stressed by their jobs.
The survey’s results were largely what one would expect. Among the “everyday stressors” in the workplace and classroom, the most-cited were time pressure and mandated curricula, respectively, for example.
But perhaps the biggest takeaway is somewhat buried in the summary report: Of the various everyday workplace stressors educators could check off, one of the most popular was “Lack of opportunity to use restroom.” In fact, a fourth of the respondents—which amounts, presumably, to 7,500 educators—cited the bathroom issue as an everyday stressor, putting it in third place only after time pressure and disciplinary issues. What’s more, roughly one in two teachers reported having inadequate bathroom breaks, while about the same ratio said they’re unable to use the breaks they do get.
The survey results should certainly be taken with some skepticism. As the second-largest education union in the country, the AFT clearly has a vested interest in advocating for better work conditions for educators, as does the Badass Teachers Association, a group that “was created to give voice to every teacher who refuses to be blamed for the failure of our society to erase poverty and inequality through education.” The language used in the summary report wasn’t particularly neutral, suggesting that at least some of the 80 questions included in the survey, which was circulated via email and social media, may have been worded in a way that influenced certain responses. (For instance: “How often do you find your work stressful?”) And certain teachers—particularly women and those who had been treated for anxiety at some point in their careers—were more prone to reporting inadequate bathroom time.
Statistical nuance aside, however, what’s clear from the survey results is that when teachers do list the issues that stress them most, the bathroom issue comes up high on the list. That means one of the most pervasive strains on teachers’ lives at work has little to do (at least directly) with the problems that get the most attention in policy circles and the media—stuff like standardized testing, the onslaught of classroom tech, and pay. Maybe the bathroom issue is too primal to make it into policy discussions. Maybe teachers’ physical discomfort seems tangential when students are underperforming, schools are underfunded, and disadvantaged children are falling further and further behind. Or maybe those teachers are too selfless or too modest or too inured to put the issue on the public’s radar. A campaign to “Reclaim the Promise of Brown v. Board”? Now that’s noble. A campaign for more time to tinkle? Not so much.
But that doesn’t mean the bathroom-break problem isn’t one decision makers and education reformers should be overlooking (which they currently seem to be doing, given the apparent lack of research and dialogue on the issue). Randi Weingarten, the president of the AFT, mentioned the problem only in passing in her keynote speech at the union’s annual TEACH conference earlier this month: “We’ve fought for language in contracts that covers everything from class size to peer-assistance programs to making sure that when a teacher is sick, a substitute is called and those students aren’t just dumped into the class of the person who’s least likely to say ‘no’ to the principal,” she said. “We’ve even fought for time for bathroom breaks.”
Only some teachers contracts explicitly address bathroom breaks, and the policies are often pretty austere. Members of California’s ABC Federation of Teachers and Missouri’s AFT St. Louis, for example, can take one “physical relief break” every three hours or two 15-minute relief breaks during the day, respectively. There isn’t a straightforward federal law protecting workers’ restroom rights, and a number of lawsuits have been filed against companies, such as Nabisco, by employees alleging unjust bathroom policies.
It’s hard to deny the misery that a day without having much, if any, time to relieve oneself might cause—especially when compounded with the other stressors associated with teaching. And inadequate bathroom time can be particularly strenuous for pregnant teachers. Given that roughly three-fourths of teachers are females, and that close to half are under age 40, a significant percentage of classroom educators have likely been subject to that extra strain.
Teachers can easily end up compromising their health by avoiding hydration—important, of course, for keeping energized, focused, and headache-free—to cope with the limited restroom time. It’s not uncommon for teachers to discuss strategies on resisting the urge to go; it’s even the subject of various threads on Reddit and other online forums. “Do not drink too much,” wrote the Reddit user schaud2013 about a year ago in the thread “How do teachers find time to use the bathroom in the school day?” The user continued: “I was lucky this year to have prep 2nd hour, then lunch 2 hours later and then 3 hours of classes until the end of the day. If I do have to go, I hold it by focusing on something else and walking around class. That seems to help me.”
Another Reddit user, lemonshrk, commented that he or she is like a “well-trained puppy” during the school year. “You get used to the schedule,” the user, who self-identified as a high-school teacher, said, theorizing that the situation is probably different for teachers at other levels. After all, elementary-school teachers responding to the AFT survey were 26 percent less likely than their high-school counterparts to report having an adequate number of bathroom breaks, which makes sense considering the constant attention younger children need.
In another bathroom-break thread, this one on the forum “A to Z Teacher Stuff,” a substitute teacher recalled asking a colleague about restroom policies and emphasized that the inadequate time can amount to much more than an inconvenience:
She told me to call the office because teachers are not allowed to step out of their classrooms, not even to go into the hallway. In this case, to "keep an eye on" a neighboring class. She said that teachers may loose [sic] their license if they are caught doing this …
Anyhow, I have IBS [irritable bowel syndrome], and I will spare everyone the nasty details. I called the office, and asked for coverage for a bathroom break and the receptionist said that she couldn't find and administrator to cover for me because certified office staff cannot cover for certificated employees. To top it off she said, “We don't have extra people floating around for those things.”
Needless to say I waited another 45 minutes feeling nauseous and miserable and questioning whether teaching is really the profession for me.
In a response, a first-grade substitute teacher also pointed to potentially serious health consequences: “Regardless of where I sub I typically can only use the restroom during lunch (and sometimes not even then because I have duty or lunch detention). It’s definitely not healthy, but I don't drink any liquids before or during work.”
Chances are these Internet users aren’t healthcare professionals. And it’s nearly impossible to make conclusions about the health implications of inadequate restroom time given the limited scope of medical research on the topic. (Educators are, moreover, known for their tendency to complain about and perhaps over-exaggerate their stress levels.)
Still, a handful of studies do suggest that the issue should, at the very least, be getting more attention from a public-health perspective. It’s well-known that urinary tract infections are a common side effect of limiting either bathroom usage or hydration (often both). A 1997 International Urogynecology Journal study, “Thirst at work—an occupational hazard?,” appears to contain some of the only existing research specifically focused on the prevalence of UTIs among teachers. The study—which was a response to the growing number of lawsuits and “anecdotal reports by patients,” as well as a concern that “proscriptions against using the toilet during the working day may be contributing” to the prevalence of UTIs—offered compelling, though mixed, conclusions. Of the roughly 800 teachers surveyed, about a fourth said they “voided” (the fancy word for peed or pooped) never or only once daily, while another fourth said they did so four or more times a day; half of the respondents, on the other hand, said they “made a conscious effort” to drink less water during work hours to avoid having to go to the bathroom.
Although the researchers, a urogynecologist and a law professor, didn’t find an association between the number of bathroom visits and UTIs, they did find that, compared to women who drank adequate amounts of water at work, those who didn’t have enough to drink were at more than two times the risk of having a UTI. “If this association holds,” they wrote, “public policy must be changed to allow workers more adequate access to toilet facilities.”
Most conversations about school bathrooms these days focus on policies for students: The Internet is peppered with teachers exchanging tips, analyses of how much kids’ bathroom use should be regulated, news reports on lawsuits filed over draconian restrictions or transgender kids’ rights. One well-known children’s advocate wrote an article in 2001 targeted at kids reminding them that they’re entitled to use the restroom. “Using the bathroom is not a privilege,” she wrote. “It’s your right. YOUR right!” But what about teachers?
Ultimately, this seems to be one of the rare education problems whose solution is simple, free of cost, and, apolitical. As long as safeguards are put in place—asking a colleague to watch over a classroom, for example—ensuring teachers get the few extra minutes they need to do their business shouldn’t do much, if anything, to kids’ learning experience. In fact, it could even enhance it. It’s clear that uncomfortably full bladders (or y’know) are among the key issues contributing to teachers’ day-to-day stress—and that can surely take a toll on the quality of their instruction.
Part of teaching is being able to adapt and make sacrifices. As the University of Chicago professor Philip W. Jackson wrote in his book Life in Classrooms, “School is school, no matter where it happens.” Sometimes, however, it should matter: when teachers have to do their business, at the very least.
I have the tiniest bladder ever and a sensitive stomach. I find this sort of...barbaric? I guess is the right word. I'm surprised this article didn't get into menstruation and TSS risk. That has to be an issue, one would think.
Also, in high school, I had teachers that did not allow restroom use during class. Ever. They expected you to use the restroom between classes. The problem was that I went to an extremely large high school and with the bustle of 3200 students getting from class to class, it often took the entire 5 (or maybe 7?) minutes between classes to get from one end of the building to the other. It was impossible to do and I remember feeling really stressed about changing my tampon at school.
I have IBD and this is one of the reasons I left teaching. We had 20 minute lunches (during which I had to pick the kids up and drop off in the cafe). I had one 40-minute planning period a week. We could not leave the kids alone ever. The bathroom for teachers was 2 floors away. I could only go prior to students arriving for the day and after dismissal. It was hell. I basically didn't eat or drink until I went home.
tacokick that sucks! And the 20 minute "lunch break" is the biggest joke in teaching. Oh yeah, I can get 22 5 year olds upstairs, through the lunch line, all seated, then eat my lunch, use the restroom and check my email (because HEAVEN FORBID) you glance at your email while the kids are working on something, and get back upstairs to get them. And when I was trying to pump breastmilk (while eating and checking my email in a bathroom! Whee!) that time was even less reasonable.
It's a good thing I left teaching. Just thinking about this is raising my blood pressure. I loved the kids and the ACTUAL teaching, but the other bullshit was ridiculous.
I know! I taught in large city schools so the cafe was 4 floors away. By the time I got back to my room, I had maybe five minutes before I had to dash back to get them.
Also, in high school, I had teachers that did not allow restroom use during class. Ever. They expected you to use the restroom between classes. The problem was that I went to an extremely large high school and with the bustle of 3200 students getting from class to class, it often took the entire 5 (or maybe 7?) minutes between classes to get from one end of the building to the other. It was impossible to do and I remember feeling really stressed about changing my tampon at school.
Same here. We had some teachers who were total dicks about it too. "6 minutes is plenty of time to get from one end of the building to the other, and use the bathroom!" No, its not. especially when half of the bathroom stalls were kids smoking. I am still mad about it, almost 20 years later.
I have the tiniest bladder ever and a sensitive stomach. I find this sort of...barbaric? I guess is the right word. I'm surprised this article didn't get into menstruation and TSS risk. That has to be an issue, one would think.
Also, in high school, I had teachers that did not allow restroom use during class. Ever. They expected you to use the restroom between classes. The problem was that I went to an extremely large high school and with the bustle of 3200 students getting from class to class, it often took the entire 5 (or maybe 7?) minutes between classes to get from one end of the building to the other. It was impossible to do and I remember feeling really stressed about changing my tampon at school.
I once walked out of class b/c a teacher refused to let me go and I was having an monthly emergency leak. She tried to get me in trouble but my mom went up and talked to the principal and she backed down and changed her policy. I get if there is a legitimate reason ( safety, lockdown, individual student issue ect) for me not going but to just outright ban it is ridiculous especially since at out school hall bathrooms were locked and you had to go the office. Other teachers gave passes and the fact that she didn't was crazy. When I told my mom, my mom told me if I had to go- to go.
I could not imagine being a teacher and pregnant between bladder issues and MS. I had bad MS when I was teaching college and once had to leave my hour long class twice ( before I said F- it- Class dismissed)
Also, in high school, I had teachers that did not allow restroom use during class. Ever. They expected you to use the restroom between classes. The problem was that I went to an extremely large high school and with the bustle of 3200 students getting from class to class, it often took the entire 5 (or maybe 7?) minutes between classes to get from one end of the building to the other. It was impossible to do and I remember feeling really stressed about changing my tampon at school.
Same here. We had some teachers who were total dicks about it too. "6 minutes is plenty of time to get from one end of the building to the other, and use the bathroom!" No, its not. especially when half of the bathroom stalls were kids smoking. I am still mad about it, almost 20 years later.
My 9th grade bio teacher gave you detention on your third tardy. And she also handed out X number of restroom passes at the beginning of the semester and once you were out, you couldn't go to the bathroom during class for the rest of the semester. It took me the ENTIRE passing period to make it through the crush of students from the opposite corner of the building. And I had her class about 2 hours after lunch, which is prime peeing time. I'm still bitter about getting motherfucking detention because I had to stop to pee on my way to class since I was out of bathroom passes.
I have the tiniest bladder ever and a sensitive stomach. I find this sort of...barbaric? I guess is the right word. I'm surprised this article didn't get into menstruation and TSS risk. That has to be an issue, one would think.
Also, in high school, I had teachers that did not allow restroom use during class. Ever. They expected you to use the restroom between classes. The problem was that I went to an extremely large high school and with the bustle of 3200 students getting from class to class, it often took the entire 5 (or maybe 7?) minutes between classes to get from one end of the building to the other. It was impossible to do and I remember feeling really stressed about changing my tampon at school.
I once walked out of class b/c a teacher refused to let me go and I was having an monthly emergency leak. She tried to get me in trouble but my mom went up and talked to the principal and she backed down and changed her policy. I get if there is a legitimate reason ( safety, lockdown, individual student issue ect) for me not going but to just outright ban it is ridiculous especially since at out school hall bathrooms were locked and you had to go the office. Other teachers gave passes and the fact that she didn't was crazy. When I told my mom, my mom told me if I had to go- to go.
I could not imagine being a teacher and pregnant between bladder issues and MS. I had bad MS when I was teaching college and once had to leave my hour long class twice ( before I said F- it- Class dismissed)
What's silly is that my HS was set up in "pods" so in 90% of the classrooms, you could look out the glass door and SEE the restroom doors. So it's not like I could just make a break for it *eye roll* They could see student walk into the restroom and walk out three minutes later.
I finally had a teacher my junior year who was like "Most of you are mere months away from being legal adults. If you need to go, just go. Don't ask, just go." I had SO much respect for him.
Post by fancynewbeesly on Jul 28, 2015 7:51:01 GMT -5
There are many days where I just don't go to the bathroom all day. There is just no time. I have my 40 minute prep first period so I don't even have to go then.
Post by irishbride2 on Jul 28, 2015 7:56:06 GMT -5
When I was in my thrid trimester I thought I would die. Technically I have a break a small break of some sort every two hours. But when my ten pounder kid was sitting on my bladder, it was hard to make it 45 minutes.
One time I caved and left my class. I was not far away. OF COURSE we had a fire drill right as I started to pee. The kids waited for me. lol. THey thought they were being so good quietly waiting for me to get back. COME ON! 14 year olds! Leave the building! What if it had been a real fire?
This isn't specific to teachers. The guy on the line at GM can't just leave in the middle. He has to wait for his break. You punch in and out and you are docked if you are one minute late. I am lucky that I have overlap staff but most pharmacists don't drink coffee because there is no break.
When I was in my thrid trimester I thought I would die. Technically I have a break a small break of some sort every two hours. But when my ten pounder kid was sitting on my bladder, it was hard to make it 45 minutes.
One time I caved and left my class. I was not far away. OF COURSE we had a fire drill right as I started to pee. The kids waited for me. lol. THey thought they were being so good quietly waiting for me to get back. COME ON! 14 year olds! Leave the building! What if it had been a real fire?
Sigh.
I left a couple times during the third tri also. Fortunately the bathroom was right next door
Post by penguingrrl on Jul 28, 2015 8:20:26 GMT -5
I'm not surprised to read this. The year I got married I subbed almost daily and loved working with the kids. But most of my memories of subbing, especially after getting pregnant, revolve around needing to pee so badly and not being able to.
"Educators, moreover, are known for their tendency to complain about and perhaps over-exaggerate their stress levels."
What is this crap right here?
I would guess it's a hangover from those silly women always being hysterical and crazy about stuff. It just got pushed into the realm of educators because of the higher proportion of women in the field.
Between this and the whole "can't rape your wife" thing, I'm pretty stabby this morning.
Also, in high school, I had teachers that did not allow restroom use during class. Ever. They expected you to use the restroom between classes. The problem was that I went to an extremely large high school and with the bustle of 3200 students getting from class to class, it often took the entire 5 (or maybe 7?) minutes between classes to get from one end of the building to the other. It was impossible to do and I remember feeling really stressed about changing my tampon at school.
Same here. We had some teachers who were total dicks about it too. "6 minutes is plenty of time to get from one end of the building to the other, and use the bathroom!" No, its not. especially when half of the bathroom stalls were kids smoking. I am still mad about it, almost 20 years later.
This is why my DH doesn't even require his high school students to ask to go to the bathroom. He has a wooden bathroom pass and if you have to go, GO! He warns them day one that if one student screws it up, he will take the pass away and make them ask, but the peer pressure usually keeps them in line.
He did this for his own sanity too; high school girls are strange about communicating bathroom needs when they are menstruating. First year teaching exchange:
Nervous female student: "Mr. X. I have to leave." DH: "huh? Why?" Nervous female student: "I just have to" DH: "I can't just let you leave. Where are you going?" Other female student: "Mr. X! Girl problems!" DH: [bright red] "Go!"
"Educators, moreover, are known for their tendency to complain about and perhaps over-exaggerate their stress levels."
What is this crap right here?
People say that all the time. I'm pretty sure I've seen it on this board. Even in this thread, we have an example of how other employees outside of education have it just as bad.
This is one of the perks of teaching high school. We have breaks every 85 minutes. Also, a lot of Us team teach, so there's someone else there to cover. Also, you can ask another two teacher classroom to help you out if you're alone.
But that is not the norm everywhere. When I was pregnant with C I taught a majority of AP kids. I just left them alone sometimes. They are trustworthy and it wasn't long. Can't do that with younger kids though.
Agreed. I was incredibly lucky that during both of my pregnancies I had groups of very responsible AP students. I knew I could leave them alone for 5 minutes, run to the bathroom, and not come back to something set on fire. It's a bit scary now that we've moved so far from my only teaching job to realize that I don't know what the local regs are about things like planning time and lunch duty. I really need to do some research before I start applying just so I'm not caught off guard.
Post by irishbride2 on Jul 28, 2015 8:48:14 GMT -5
Hell H has an extremely flexible, cushy job. But even once and awhile he gets stuck in a long client meeting and really has to pee. So yes, every profession has this at times. But thats not the point!
This isn't specific to teachers. The guy on the line at GM can't just leave in the middle. He has to wait for his break. You punch in and out and you are docked if you are one minute late. I am lucky that I have overlap staff but most pharmacists don't drink coffee because there is no break.
#allbladdersmatter
:-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
This isn't specific to teachers. The guy on the line at GM can't just leave in the middle. He has to wait for his break. You punch in and out and you are docked if you are one minute late. I am lucky that I have overlap staff but most pharmacists don't drink coffee because there is no break.
#allbladdersmatter
:-P It's an article about teachers. I don't think they are claiming that every other job ob earth has perfect break policies.
They are claiming that it is a top-cited reason for the stress of the job.
:-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.
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 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.
Yep, it was one of my Mom's main complaints about teaching and why she got her 6 yr and moved to the counselor position. It also leads to a higher number of teacher's needing a bladder tack surgery later in life.
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.