Should kids talk to teachers like this?

[ComUtoR]

Children going to the toilet is likely to disrupt lessons, go at break time.

What if they wet themselves ? Why not simply treat them like adults and let them go when they need to. Being 'disruptive' is only because the Teachers make such an issue of it.

Hand up, miss can I go to the loo please ?
Yes Peter

He gets up and goes to the loo. There is minimal disruption. Yes they should go during break but they are still human. What if they don't need to go during lunch ? I find myself needing a pee at the most inopportune moment and I'm ... Also, if you were sitting there and needed a pee it becomes a primary motivator. You will think of going to the loo at the exclusion of all else. That is not conducive to learning and potentially more disruptive.

School is not a prison.

 

[najaB]

If they have been at break, there should be no reason they cannot wait.

I'm glad you have such a high degree of control over other people's bodily functions.

 

[Miss lauren92]

Did the child rudely demand to go to the toilet or did they ask, get refused then stated they were on the rag ?

Teaching is difficult and a profession that certainly demands respect from both pupil and parent alike. That respect should still be earned and taking a draconian approach to no breaks whatsoever just leads to conflict. As evidenced in this case. Flat out refusing people the basic need to defecate or urinate or simply attend to their womanly needs is out dated. The intent of the policy isn't to prevent people from the need to go to the toilet, its to prevent disruption and kids using it as an excuse to wander.

Remember we are dealing with 11yr olds. As an adult I am able to go to the loo whenever I wish. Pretty much most employment will let you get up and take a pee when you need. Why then treat kids like they can't ?

Common sense should prevail in all circumstances.

They asked I refused and then said they were on the rag.

It is up to me, the teacher to decide whether a child goes to the toilet during my lesson.

 

[Darandio]

If they have been at break, there should be no reason they cannot wait.

We've been through this, as I already outlined there are reasons why some cannot wait.

Some in this thread seem to believe a blanket restriction on all toilet use during lessons is the right thing, it's not, it's wrong. It's been likened to a prison above, they are children for crying out loud.

 

[ComUtoR]

If they have been at break, there should be no reason they cannot wait.

Not sure about yourself but I can't pee on demand. If I have a drink at 0830 then I'm probably gonna need a pee around 11. If I then have a drink at lunch and still haven't pee'd then I'm going to need one after lunch but before end of school.

 

[Darandio]

It is up to me, the teacher to decide whether a child goes to the toilet during my lesson.

And you seem to really enjoy this power over them. Absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Bayum]

Did the child rudely demand to go to the toilet or did they ask, get refused then stated they were on the rag ?

Teaching is difficult and a profession that certainly demands respect from both pupil and parent alike. That respect should still be earned and taking a draconian approach to no breaks whatsoever just leads to conflict. As evidenced in this case. Flat out refusing people the basic need to defecate or urinate or simply attend to their womanly needs is out dated. The intent of the policy isn't to prevent people from the need to go to the toilet, its to prevent disruption and kids using it as an excuse to wander.

Remember we are dealing with 11yr olds. As an adult I am able to go to the loo whenever I wish. Pretty much most employment will let you get up and take a pee when you need. Why then treat kids like they can't ?

Common sense should prevail in all circumstances.

Going to the toilet in lessons causes lost learning time and disturbance to others. Some children purposefully take their time, other children come back and expect me to teach the first ten minutes again because they've since forgotten how to/had the chance to model it with the class during the time they were at the toilet. We are dealing with children and not adults, yes, adults go to the toilet as and when they want, but whilst children are in school, they follow the class and school rules. If you don't like it, I suggest you take it up with your MP, as being unable to go to the toilet as and when children want to, is more commonplace than you know.

 

[Bayum]

And you seem to really enjoy this power over them. Absolutely ridiculous.

What is it about a teacher not allowing you to go to the toilet when they like that annoys you so much?

 

[Darandio]

What is it about a teacher not allowing you to go to the toilet when they like that annoys you so much?

Read post 3.

 

[ComUtoR]

They asked I refused and then said they were on the rag.

It is up to me, the teacher to decide whether a child goes to the toilet during my lesson.

It's up to the body to decide when it needs to use the loo. If the young girl was 'on the rag' why would you then force her to sit there menstruating in class. If a child needs the loo and you refuse and they then wet themselves, who is responsible ?

 

[Miss lauren92]

It's up to the body to decide when it needs to use the loo. If the young girl was 'on the rag' why would you then force her to sit there menstruating in class. If a child needs the loo and you refuse and they then wet themselves, who is responsible ?

Taking into account she used such a derogatory phase I doubt she was menstruating.

Unlikely an 10 year old would wet themselves.

 

[Bayum]

Read post 3.

And you believe this happens on a daily basis? I can assure you, that teacher would have been absolutely devastated. It's happened on my watch, and it continues to happen, albeit on an extremely rare basis. Not just to me, but to others colleagues within the school also. As I said in my previous post, it is distracting for all. I'd say 99% of the children who ask to go to the toilet, know their bodies and reconsider when I explain that I'll need some time making up later.

 

[ComUtoR]

but whilst children are in school, they follow the class and school rules. If you don't like it, I suggest you take it up with your MP, as being unable to go to the toilet as and when children want to, is more commonplace than you know.

It's an outdated concept that children should be seen and not heard. To take a rather draconian approach to something as simple as going to the loo shows how much the school system places control of the children above their basic needs. To refuse another person the right to go to the loo is a form of control. To blame it on rules and regulations shows how inflexible Teachers can be and how conflict is caused in class because of that inflexibility and an inability to treat children with common decency and respect.

I have 2 kids in the school system. Neither have such a draconian approach to a toilet break.

 

[najaB]

Unlikely an 10 year old would wet themselves.

Seen it happen.

 

[najaB]

And you believe this happens on a daily basis?

With a school population of approximately 8.5M it's fair to assume that yes, it does happen somewhere every day.

 

[Darandio]

And you believe this happens on a daily basis? I can assure you, that teacher would have been absolutely devastated. It's happened on my watch, and it continues to happen, albeit on an extremely rare basis. Not just to me, but to others colleagues within the school also. As I said in my previous post, it is distracting for all. I'd say 99% of the children who ask to go to the toilet, know their bodies and reconsider when I explain that I'll need some time making up later.

I've no idea to be honest, maybe more in certain schools, maybe more with certain teachers? But you did ask why I was annoyed, this thread has triggered me.

 

[ComUtoR]

Taking into account she used such a derogatory phase I doubt she was menstruating.

You doubt. Are you saying that she was lying and she wasn't then sitting there bleeding in her knickers. What if she was indeed on the rag ? You deliberately prevented her from using the toilet to see to herself.

As to being on the rag as a derogatory phrase. It isn't and I certainly wouldn't expect an 11yr old to state she was menstruating. It's a child using their particular parlance. You took the offence at its usage. I have two kids and half the words and phrases they use I either don't understand or know that they are using slang or a euphemism.

My daughter is 11 and if she was denied going to the loo when she was menstruating, I would be down the school in a shot and making a serious complaint.

 

[Miss lauren92]

With a school population of approximately 8.5M it's fair to assume that yes, it does happen somewhere every day.

Most children can hold a wee for couple of hours.

 

[Bayum]

It's an outdated concept that children should be seen and not heard. To take a rather draconian approach to something as simple as going to the loo shows how much the school system places control of the children above their basic needs. To refuse another person the right to go to the loo is a form of control. To blame it on rules and regulations shows how inflexible Teachers can be and how conflict is caused in class because of that inflexibility and an inability to treat children with common decency and respect.

I have 2 kids in the school system. Neither have such a draconian approach to a toilet break.

Then consider your children to be a rarity. If I did a poll on a teaching group, I'd wager a large percentage of teachers have the same approach. That's before they even get to secondary. To say we're inflexible is quite insulting. This isn't an approach I've put in place for wholly my classroom, it was through discussion and consideration with my KS2 colleagues who both do something very similar. I'd argue that my class and the upper class are far more flexible than the middle class for timings when children are and aren't allowed to the toilet.

 

[ComUtoR]

Unlikely an 10 year old would wet themselves.

Unless they were denied access to the toilet. Unlikely is just a failure to accept that it can happen and that the cause of them wetting themselves is because they were denied access to a toilet

 

[najaB]

Most children can hold a wee for couple of hours.

'Most' is, what: 98%? That leaves over 150,000 who can't. Did you qualify in medicine before teaching to be able to tell the difference?

 

[Cowley]

Miss lauren92 I have teenage kids and I certainly have some sympathy for teachers of that age group.
Indeed if I found out that our children had talked to a teacher the way that some of them have talked to you there would be consequences (I think Darandio pretty much summed up how I feel in one of his first posts).

I have to ask though - Why did you choose to post about it on this forum? Being a railway/transport forum and all that...
There are people on here that are teachers but also have an interest in all kinds of other areas that the forum covers.
The reason I ask is partly because of the link Yorkie provided that shows a previous and similar discussion now showing up on a Google search.
My other half is a registered childminder and there are lots of different forums for people that work in that field and I assume there must be the same thing for teachers of that age group?

It's not that I want you to stop posting as I'm finding it an interesting thread.
Just curious to know why you chose little old us to share it with?

 

[Antman]

What if they wet themselves ? Why not simply treat them like adults and let them go when they need to. Being 'disruptive' is only because the Teachers make such an issue of it.

Hand up, miss can I go to the loo please ?
Yes Peter

He gets up and goes to the loo. There is minimal disruption. Yes they should go during break but they are still human. What if they don't need to go during lunch ? I find myself needing a pee at the most inopportune moment and I'm ... Also, if you were sitting there and needed a pee it becomes a primary motivator. You will think of going to the loo at the exclusion of all else. That is not conducive to learning and potentially more disruptive.

School is not a prison.

If they can't manage a lesson of an hour or so without needing the loo they obviously have a medical problem.

 

[Miss lauren92]

You doubt. Are you saying that she was lying and she wasn't then sitting there bleeding in her knickers. What if she was indeed on the rag ? You deliberately prevented her from using the toilet to see to herself.

As to being on the rag as a derogatory phrase. It isn't and I certainly wouldn't expect an 11yr old to state she was menstruating. It's a child using their particular parlance. You took the offence at its usage. I have two kids and half the words and phrases they use I either don't understand or know that they are using slang or a euphemism.

My daughter is 11 and if she was denied going to the loo when she was menstruating, I would be down the school in a shot and making a serious complaint.

Well considering her mum didn't complain she was probably not bleeding in her knickers, if she was she should have been more polite, not my problem.

Unless they were denied access to the toilet. Unlikely is just a failure to accept that it can happen and that the cause of them wetting themselves is because they were denied access to a toilet

Not happened in my class yet and I can't begin to imagine how many times I have said no.

 

[yorkie]

'Most' is, what: 98%? That leaves over 150,000 who can't. Did you qualify in medicine before teaching to be able to tell the difference?

It's not up to a class teacher if someone should have a toilet pass or not. That would be a matter for the Year Leader, and I'm sure they'd involve the parents in any decision. The child doesn't even need to say anything when they want to go; they could simply show the pass. This system does actually work.

 

[Miss lauren92]

You doubt. Are you saying that she was lying and she wasn't then sitting there bleeding in her knickers. What if she was indeed on the rag ? You deliberately prevented her from using the toilet to see to herself.

As to being on the rag as a derogatory phrase. It isn't and I certainly wouldn't expect an 11yr old to state she was menstruating. It's a child using their particular parlance. You took the offence at its usage. I have two kids and half the words and phrases they use I either don't understand or know that they are using slang or a euphemism.

My daughter is 11 and if she was denied going to the loo when she was menstruating, I would be down the school in a shot and making a serious complaint.

I have to hold my wee when teaching and deal with my period outside of teaching time. Children in KS2 should be able to do the same.

 

[najaB]

I have to hold my wee when teaching and deal with my period outside of teaching time. Children in KS2 should be able to do the same.

Yet, you are human. There will inevitably be the day when you just have to go, despite your best intentions. I hope your headmaster doesn't stand at the classroom door and tell you to hold it.

 

[Miss lauren92]

Yet, you are human. There will inevitably be the day when you just have to go, despite your best intentions. I hope your headmaster doesn't stand at the classroom door and tell you to hold it.

If I can not get someone to watch the children I have to wait.

I don't think non teachers realise how many children fail to go when they get the opputunity.

I remember last year before an afternoon long assembly I let all the children go before heading to the hall. 2 minutes later a girl asked to go claiming to be busting. I told her that was too bad and she should have gone and to wait until hometime. She managed to wait and didn't wet herself.

 

[najaB]

If I can not get someone to watch the children....

At least it's an option...

 

[Miss lauren92]

At least it's an option...

Sorry I don't understand what you mean?