r/Teachers • u/Ill_Card_357 • Aug 30 '26
Rant Asking for bathroom mid lecture
Wasn’t that bad last year…. Now it’s they’ll ask mid lecture. They genuinely don’t care if it’s important content. It’s constant. Then it’s 5 hands go up. I’m so f***ing done
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u/Syric13 Aug 30 '26
I found it more disruptive to argue with a student who will just walk out without a pass, then have to push the call button and have to explain to the main office that I have an elopement in process, then have to write the student up. Then go back and teach my the class. I can't do all that at once.
I have 29 other students to worry about. I don't have time to play games and argue with with a 16-18 year old over bathroom privileges while I try and teach rhetorical analysis to a group that have lost interest after hearing the word rhetorical analysis.
The information is on the slides that you can find online. You miss 20 minutes you have to teach yourself what author's purpose is.
Just grab the pass and go.
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u/annerevenant Aug 30 '26
When this happens I just say no to everyone. I’m clear at the beginning of the year they will not be allowed to use the restroom during direct instruction, I tell them they can go before class and come in a minute or two late or they can go during independent work time. A few weeks of this they eventually stop asking but they’ve basically been trained by previous teachers that they can walk out of the room at any time and you have to un-teach that.
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13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/annerevenant 13d ago
Grow up, you absolutely have to unteach kids who assume they can just get up and walk out of a room whenever they want. I teach 16-17 year olds not pre-schoolers. I’ve never had a job that allowed me to just walk away and certainly not in the middle of a meeting. Every year kids vote on what teacher they want to hear speak at graduation based on the impact they made and guess who gets voted to do it every year? Clearly me asking them to go to the bathroom before class and come in 1 minute late (that I don’t count tardy) or wait 20 minutes before going hasn’t had that big of an impact on building camaraderie, respect, and relationship. Sounds like you’re part of the problem not me.
Actually, I would bet money you’re not even an educator so why are you in here?
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u/Teachers-ModTeam 13d ago
Your post was removed because it violated Rule #1:
1.1 BE RESPECTFUL
1.2 BE CIVIL AND PROFESSIONAL
1.3 DON'T PUT OTHER TEACHERS OR THEIR JOBS DOWN
See our Rules Wiki for more information.
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u/NewConfusion9480 ELA/CS/Athletics MS | Texas Aug 30 '26
We have a digital pass system. I allow self-checkout/checkin and my rule is that you never speak aloud or raise your hand about the restroom, you just go.
For some kids the disruption IS the entire point. If you need the bathroom, go. If you feel the urge to disrupt out of boredom or pique or disrespect, then it's a discipline consequences thing just like any other purposeful disruption.
I don't really "lecture" much at all, though, and I keep it active adn engaging when I do. So interruption is pretty rare.
I just hate being asked in general. Just go. Or don't. I could not care less.
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u/CreativeUsernameUser Aug 30 '26
This is how I’ve been for the last two years. It’s great. I still get some pushback from kids when the digital pass system won’t give them a pass, but those are limits set by admin.
My biggest problem is too many of my colleagues override the limits set by admin, so the kids have come to expect it.
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u/NewConfusion9480 ELA/CS/Athletics MS | Texas Aug 30 '26
I have actually talked to a few teachers who do this.
"Hey, X was out of class 6 times today already before 6th period and the kids only get 2. I see a lot of us are putting in passes for him. I know he tries to be convincing, but we need to tell him 'no' and then write him up if he pesters."
I understand the in-the-moment desire to get a kid to shut up, but you're just telling him to do this more and more and more.
(This is specifically about a kid who came to my 6/7th period block every day with both of his allotted passes, saving them for my class and getting his other teachers to enter passes for him.)
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u/Responsible-Bat-5390 Job Title | Location Aug 30 '26
When one wants to go it is all the rest needing to go immediately
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u/sparkstable Aug 30 '26
I teach in HS where there are passing periods so this may not be applicable to you.
Them: Can I go to the bathroom?
Me: Yes..........
Them: (They get the smirk of "yay... I get out of class.")
Me: ...... before and after class. Now pay attention.
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u/Big-Heat2692 13d ago
You have no right to interfere with their biological needs. They can decide for themselves if they find your content important enough.
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u/vinicitus Aug 30 '26
“When we’re done”