Ooophf… okay, let’s talk about bathroom passes. I suppose it’s time, and I can’t keep avoiding it.
Alas… bathroom passes…. hmmm, where do I begin?
If there’s anything that my teacher training did not prepare me for when I walked into the classroom, it was the perplexing and vexing world of bathroom passes.
Cell phone distractions I knew about. Wasn’t surprised by that.
But bathroom passes? The insane and relentless need for students to leave the classroom every 5 minutes to use the bathroom…? No… no, that was never truly on my radar when I was becoming a teacher.
Ask any high school teacher, and they’ll probably share that one of the most challenging parts of their day is when students suddenly and obtrusively raise their hands in the middle of class and ask to use the bathroom. Because, at that moment, it’s not just the classroom disruption that’s bothersome; it’s the relentless paperwork that tags along with it- snatching up precious instructional minutes for you as a teacher.
Pass after pass after pass, as if we’re issuing passports to a land of restrooms. The whole drill is not just tiring; it often feels like a time-sucking vortex of nonsense.
So, what is a teacher to do about all this?
Because while bathroom passes are quite a source of teacher stress and headaches, at the end of the day, you can’t just ban kids from using the bathroom during class.
You will always have those kids who sincerely and earnestly need to use the restroom. Kids who are not interested in abusing the bathroom pass and instead just need your help because they couldn’t catch a break during the passing period and need to use the restroom badly so they can better focus in class.
Yes, those sweet students. They always get you every time as a teacher, don’t they??
So okay, at this point, we’ve established high school teachers need a classroom bathroom policy. And not just any bathroom policy, but an approach that works for EVERYONE. So, how do you accomplish that?
Now, before I dive into my strategies around bathroom passes, I want to first share how I roll out my bathroom use policy at the beginning of the year. And I want to do this for two reasons:
- (1) I have generally found that students are much more amenable to bathroom policies when they understand the bigger picture. Which means the strategies below won’t work unless students understand the “why” behind your bathroom usage policy.
- (2) When I was first starting as a teacher, I wished so badly to have verbatim scripts of what to say with tricky topics like bathroom passes. So my hope is that, if you are a new teacher, you feel free to use the script below as a guide should it be useful 😉
So, here’s the speech I usually give to students during that first week back at school about bathroom usage:
"When I teach, I teach bell-to-bell. I make sure that every minute we spend together is used meaningfully and efficiently. And the reason for that is because I have limited time with you and I do not give homework. Yes, you heard me right; as a teacher, I believe your time after school should be used to do what you need- to be with family, connect with friends, or go to work. Therefore, as long as you give me everything you have every 55 min we're in class together, that is good enough for me, and I won't give out homework. But when I say "giving me your all," you need to understand that that also includes restroom usage. So when you ask me to use the restroom, 9 times out of 10, I'm going to say, "Ehhh, it's not a good time- can you wait until the end of class or lunch?" Do not take it personally- it's because I hold you to a high bar and I want you present and throwing in fully when you are here. However, on the off chance I do allow you to use the restroom, you must follow 2 rules: (1) You must sign in and sign out using the QR code, and (2) you must be back in the classroom within 10 minutes. Using the bathroom during class time is a privilege. Please know I'm not a teacher who gives second, third, or fourth chances if these rules are broken. You are practically adults, and you now know my expectations on bathroom usage, so I expect there won't be a problem moving forward."
Now, I’ll admit, students will undoubtedly nod when you give your bathroom usage speech. And, in the moment, they will genuinely appreciate hearing the heartfelt reasoning behind your policy.
However… It’s important to note… that sweet connection that you’ve just established with them will not last… and students will inevitably forget what you’ve said within 10 minutes.
And, you know what? That’s okay! Because you’ve laid the foundation. And you can always remind students about “your why” around bathroom usage throughout the year.
Not to mention, I do have compassion for students. I mean… some kids have ADHD and need a quick movement break every once in a while. Then there are the students who, let’s face it, can be quite disruptive. For them, I’m actually glad to let them take a breather – it’s good for them and the rest of the class. And lastly, when it comes to teenage girls, I understand they face unique challenges, particularly about 25% of the time. So whether it’s a sudden-onset menstrual cycle or just feeling down, I’m sensitive to their need to stretch or address their discomfort.
So, in the meantime, regardless of how great your start-of-year speech is, you DO need a plan in place around bathroom passes… so let’s talk about one!
TIP #1: Get students to ask to use the bathroom DISCRETELY
Is it just me, or do students always seem to wait until you are smack dab in the middle of the most important sentence ever in your lesson to suddenly need a bathroom break? As a teacher, not only are you suddenly contending with the jarring notion that students are not hanging on your every word as a teacher (ouch!), but now the entire flow of your lesson is thrown off.
Which is why, during the initial week of the school year, it’s wise to educate your students on using a non-verbal cue to signal their need for a restroom break. A neat option is the sign language gesture involving forming a fist and threading the thumb through the middle and forefingers. Of course, you’re free to pick non-verbal cue suits you best, but I find the hand signal is less obtrusive than students verbally asking for a bathroom pass.
If you want a poster to download for your classroom, there is one on teacherspayteachers for FREE that you can download from the teacher-author “StayGold” (click here).
TIP #2: De-incentivize kids by tying the bathroom pass to their cell phones
What better way to nip classroom behaviors in the bud than by having two very challenging distractions compete against each other, like bathroom passes and cell phone usage? How much do students really need to use the restroom… especially if they have to temporarily part with their phones?
A simple way to set this up is by having students temporarily turn in their cell phones when they leave to use the restroom.
Not only will this force them to reconsider whether they really need to go to the restroom, but it will also take away the mass appeal of playing on their phone while walking to the restroom (not to mention they’ll be much quicker to return to class!)… Now, that is a win with a capital W in my book!
TIP #3: Create a system to automatically track of bathroom sign out/ sign in
Are you tired of trying to keep track of which kids have used the restroom, how long they’re gone for, and whether or not they’ve signed out/in of the classroom properly? Then, let me introduce you to the amazing world of QR codes, teacher friend!
QR codes are an incredible educational tool! And it wasn’t until this last year of teaching that I realized the beauty of tying bathroom passes to QR codes. You see… if you link a QR code to a Google form and then ask students to sign in and out using that Google form when they use the restroom, the Google form will automatically time-stamp the student’s coming and going.
And this becomes extremely important if, later on, you need data showing parents or IEP case managers that a student is skipping inordinate periods of class time. It’s an automatic record you don’t have to keep track of!
TIP #4: Only set out ONE bathroom pass
Bathroom passes are notorious for creating that classic waterfall cascade effect in the classroom. If you let one student go to the bathroom, then you suddenly have 2 or 3 or 5 students asking to use the bathroom as well… Therefore, nip that cascade effect right in the bud by only having 1 bathroom pass. I can’t tell you how freeing it is to say to a student, “We only have 1 pass, so you’ll have to wait until the other student returns.” At the moment, the student will be upset and slink off, but they will be much more frustrated with the student hogging the bathroom pass than your bathroom pass policy.
Now, please note, you will sometimes run into issues where 1 student abuses the pass and another student earnestly needs to go to the restroom. In that case, I generally write a hand-written bathroom pass for the earnestly waiting student, and then have a talk with the other student who is hogging the pass when they finally return. And if other students in the classroom are watching, you can always make it seem like you are writing the earnest student an innocuous pass to the nurse, counselor, or their locker.
TIP #5: Make it a win-win
Tired of lose-lose and win-lose battles? Let’s make your bathroom policy a win-win! Let students go to the bathroom after they’ve completed a chunk of work. I often compromise with students and say, “You can go to the restroom once you complete pages 4 and 5.” or “You can go to the restroom once you’ve checked your answers with so-and-so.” And it surprisingly works well every time. Talk about a decision you can both feel good about!
To wrap up
Please know that navigating bathroom passes is no small feat. Our classrooms are dynamic spaces where learning and comfort intertwine. And as teachers, we are often caught between the tension of creating policies that reflect both our commitment to education and to empathy.
I hope you’ve found valuable strategies for managing bathroom passes in this post. And more importantly, I hope you’ve found comfort in knowing you are not alone in navigating the ups and downs of classroom management as a teacher!
P.S. If you’d like to see even MORE classroom management teacher hacks for the rest of your lesson, download my FREE “How to Manage Your Classroom Like a Boss” guidebook.
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