“Can I Go to the Bathroom?”

• Selena Ryan
• Posted 8/15/22
• 0 comments

Why Bathroom Breaks Do Not Have to Slow Down Music Class

Students leaving class to use the bathroom can quickly derail any lesson! Missing content and disrupting the teaching flow is why teachers struggle with this question. There are even teachers who punish students for leaving to use the bathroom during class time.

I do not believe that it is fair to punish students for needing to go to the bathroom, as it is just a normal and necessary bodily function. While every teacher is entitled to their own policy, opinions, and procedures, this article will outline my general philosophy of allowing students to use the bathroom during class time.

Consider why students might not have been able to go outside of class time. Maybe there was a long line before school or during recess, or their guardian drove them to school late. Perhaps a school bully was inside the bathroom, and they did not feel safe. Or the student did not need to go during recess and breaks. If they are making a habit of going at the same time or only going during certain activities, they may be using it to escape class.

In my school, classroom teachers expect students to utilize class breaks or recess time to use the bathroom and enforce consequences if students ask to leave during class. While it is true that they had an opportunity to go before coming to my room, I try to consider all of the reasons that they might need to go again during my class. Adults are responsible for the content that we miss if we leave a meeting to use the restroom. Shouldn’t we extend that freedom to our students?

My philosophy on letting students go to the bathroom is quite simply this: nothing that I am teaching is more important than students needing to take care of a natural function of their bodies. If they miss three minutes of instruction, I will find a way to bridge the content gap, but that three minutes out could change a student’s entire day.

Sometimes students just need a quick minute out, and giving them that opportunity to walk and refresh could result in a better day at school. Of course, some students will try to take advantage of my leniency, and if I see patterns starting to form, I may not let that individual leave as frequently. I never want to feel like I am controlling my students, and there are far more critical things to police and enforce than students needing to use the bathroom.

To avoid constant disruptions, I use American Sign Language for my restroom signal. To ask, my students silently shake, forming the letter R in front of their hearts. If they can go, I will sign back “yes” by shaking my fist as if I am knocking on a door. If they cannot go, I will sign back “no” by tapping my index finger, middle finger, and thumb together. This way, I don’t have to stop talking to answer a student and not lose momentum for students to ask verbally.

To summarize, I am a firm believer that students should always be allowed to use the restroom during class. While they must ask to leave the room, students should not feel guilty for taking care of their bodies’ needs. In the grand scheme of everything we are teaching, we can relinquish this control for students to have a more comfortable and productive day!

This article was originally published by Music ConstructED on November 30, 2021.

Contributor

Selena Ryan

Hi there! My name is Selena Ryan and I am an Arizona-based music educator, composer, and performer. I work as a middle school band director, private clarinet instructor, marching band visual head, and freelance composer and performer. I am…

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