Managing Students During Scheduled Restroom Breaks
Thu, 07/29/2010 - 08:52 — jkohm
Here's a tough question posed by a Y2 participant:
"How do you keep kids occupied and not loud at bathroom break times without yelling?"
At my school, the entire
At my school, the entire class makes a line and sits down on the floor outside the bathroom. Only 3 students are allowed in the bathroom at a time. Teachers make sure that there is an activity for students to do while they are waiting for their turn. I've seen teachers working on math facts, students making up different patterns, silent reading, etc...
Bathroom Monitors
Bathroom breaks for the opposite gender of the teacher becomes difficult. Being female, I feel comfortable to pop my head in by the door and see who's standing around socializing, who's playing with the soap/paper towels, etc. However, I tend to voice comments into the boys bathroom like "John, I can hear you yelling in there".
This last year, I have found it helpful to have a "secret agent" in the classroom. This person is secretly assigned the job of watching for inappropriate behavior. You can have a secret agent while having a substitute or when the students go to specials. They will then report to you any behavior. The kids respond well because it's not "tattling", it's secret agent reporting.
You may also assign the job of bathroom monitor. One boy-one girl per week that reports any misbehavior and lets you know when the bathroom is clear of students.