by Reynold Conger

Created on: December 31, 2010   Last Updated: January 02, 2011

The teacher is responsible for managing the classroom.  As manager, the teacher must foresee and prevent potential problems.  For this reason teachers generally allow students to leave the classroom for justifiable reasons.  An example of this is allowing students to go to the bathroom.  Obviously the teacher will want to head off accidents, student embarrassment, and potential health issues, but the timing of when a student may leave to go to the bathroom is the teacher's decision.

There are times when it is not good classroom management to allow a student to leave the room for any reason.  An example would be during testing.  Another example would be during a safety drill or when extremely important information or instructions are being given.  A teacher should also not allow a student to leave the classroom if it will cause a disruption.

Most teachers are pretty lenient about granting permission to go to the bathroom.  The human body does not always comply with class schedules, and there are emergencies such as diarrhea. Nevertheless, leaving the classroom, for any reason, is a privilege and not a right.  When a student goes to the bathroom, that student loses out on valuable education experiences.  To the extent that a trip to the bathroom is necessary, it should be taken at the least disruptive time and keep the student out of the room for as short a time as possible.

Some students abuse the privilege.  I had one student who disappeared with the bathroom pass for 45 minutes, not even returning before the bell rang.  Other students roamed the halls on the pretext of being on the way to or from the bathroom.  Students frequently arrange to meet other students in the bathroom during class.  It is necessary to prevent such abuses.  This may mean making a student wait another few minutes or it may mean placing that student under severe restrictions.

As a result, teachers control the use of the bathroom.  Usually only one student is allowed out of the classroom at a time.  Usually a bathroom pass is employed.  After the one student disappeared for 45 minutes, I started marking the time on the board each time a student left the room.  My class rule was that each student was to return within two minutes.  In practice, I would allow three or four minutes, but after five minutes, I would contact security.  All students knew this and most complied voluntarily.  Those who tried to stretch the time limit found me calling security after the second minute.

Occasionally a student would come to me with a medical problem such as a urinary tract infection or complications of diabetes.  In that case, I would make special rules for that student as long as they did not abuse their special status.  In some cases, the student could quickly and quietly leave the room at any time after they had caught my attention so that I knew they were leaving.  When such a student stood, I would nod my head to let them know they were free to leave.  Such situations were rare but I always granted them to students who could be trusted.

As teacher and manger of the classroom, the teacher is always the final authority.  Thus there were times, as mentioned previously, when the teacher must temporarily suspended all bathroom trips, and there where some students who can only be allowed bathroom visits under the most stringent of restrictions.

Obviously some bathroom use must be allowed, but under the control of the teacher.  The objective of the classroom is for the student to learn.

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