Bathroom Hall Pass

I use a sign in/sign out method. The kids show me a sign language sign to ask to go to the bathroom (that way they don't verbally interrupt as I teach, others are working, etc.), and I nod my head if it is an alright time for them to go. They then sign out in a small book and sign back in when they come back.

They have to read the analog clock to write down the time they leave and the time they come back - this gives them time telling practice. It also helps to know who was in the bathroom at what time if there was an "incident," which seem to happen in school bathrooms! It is also the Calendar Person's job to enter the date every morning in the bathroom log.

I have a little stick that I picked up at the dollar store. It has an apple on the top and has hall pass written on it. If a child needs to go to the washroom they write their name on the board, bring me the stick and go. Upon returning they must get the stick back from me, place it on the blackboard ledge, and erase their name.

It helps me as I have the stick in my hand as a reminder, and the child's name on the board. Because only one child may leave at a time, I stay on top of who is where and it keeps management easier.

I do not allow trips outside of the classroom for drinks, as they may go in the morning before the bell goes, during morning snack, on their way to and from morning recess, during lunch, on their way to and from noon recess, during afternoon snack,on their way to and from afternoon recess (total 10 drinks a day). I also allow water bottles on their desks. A behaviour consultant once gave me this idea about using a bathroom stick.

It helps a lot- once they all try it of course (because it is so fun). Once the novelty wears off, they really go only if they need to. Hope this helps

Vanessa

I still use a girls and boys hall pass, but instead of taking the pass with them to the bathroom, they just leave it on their desk. This way, I know who is in the bathroom. One year, I had plastic cups that were labeled for boys and girls. They just put the cup on their desk when they had permission to go the bathroom. This method has worked the best for me.

I use paint stir sticks that I get FREE at Lowe's or Home Depot. They are blank on one side and there I write w/ perm. marker what the pass is for, ie. Office Pass, Boys' Bathroom, etc. and my room number. Then I attach magnetic tape to the back and they stick to the door jam. Or you can buy an empty quart paint can and decorate it and put your sticks in that.

Each one of my kids has their own individual pass. (A 3 by 5 card with a sticker and their name on it.) They keep this at their desk. I have one of those little library pockets on each child's desk for their passes.

On my door I've listed our hall procedure and have two slots--one for boys and one for girls. They can use their pass without permission as long as we are not having direct instruction.

They lose their pass if they are not following classroom procedures. (They have to change their behavior for a significant amount of time and ask me to get their pass back. Everyone starts with the pass at the beginning of the day.)

If they don't have their pass or I'm teaching and they have to go, then they need to ask for my permission. I generally don't have a problem with that unless they are asking to go right after a break. (In that case, I let them go, but there is always some kind of penalty. Sometimes they will choose not to go and that's their choice. But if they really need to, I let them. I can't imagine requring a doctor's note!)

One thing I've started this year since a few seemed to be overusing their pass was to give each child two popsicle sticks with their name on it. (Kept in the pocket with their pass) They have to turn in a stick each time they use their pass. That seemed to curb the problem with the couple that abused the system.

I use bathroom tickets and it helps TREMENDOUSLY!! Each of my students gets 3 tickets every Monday. They owe one ticket every time they go to the bathroom. If they use over the 3 tickets, then they owe me 5 minutes of recess every time they go after that. Also, if they ask to use the bathroom within 15 minutes of coming back from recess, then they owe me 2 tickets. If they don't have any bathroom tickets, then they owe me 10 minutes of recess.

On Mondays, I reward the students who have all 3 of their bathroom tickets from the previous week. If you don't hold students accountable for going to the bathroom they'll go ALL the time, especially in the upper grades. Most of the time the kiddos can hold it until the next recess.

I just make enough copies for each student to have 3. I then laminate them so that they'll hold up through the year. I keep track of the tickets by writing their classroom number on the back of each ticket. Then I have my assistant pass back the tickets on Mondays. Best of luck to you!!

I use bathroom passes, I have a boy and a girl one and they must take one to the bathroom. If someone leaves it in the bathroom, then nobody gets to go to the bathroom until that person retrieves it at recess (obviously, I watch them and if they are about to have an accident...they go.) One idea our Kindergarten teacher does is have her kids show her R in sign language. This way, she's not interupted and can silently respond to individual kids. I also use My Time...Your Time. My time is when I am up teaching in front of the class or during Reading Rotations...Your Time is when students are sitting at their desks working. If it is their time, they don't even need to ask to go to the restroom or get a drink, as long as the pass is there they take it and go, during my time though they can only interrupt me if they are going to throw up or have an accident.

Michele

I issue 4 potty passes per quarter. These are to use for emergencies. I send my entire class in the morning before we begin anything and after recess. We also hit the bathroom before lunch. Students that have potty passes left at the end of the quarter get a piece of candy for each one they have. I don't have near the headache with bathroom breaks that I used to have.

At the beginning of the year, I make 2 passes per kid and personalize them with their name. At first I let them use them both in a week. Then the 2nd week, I up it to 2 weeks. then I go for the whole month. It works well because there is a reward for not using the passes, and there is a penalty for using both and still needing to leave to go to the bathroom.

The penalty is a loss of recess if they use both passes and still have to leave to go to the restroom.

So, the beginning of each month they get the passes back (if any were used). At the end of the month, they get a prize, such as a cool pencil, eraser or whatever. The kids who used their emergency passes up will usually get some motivation to try harder next month!

I got the idea from an awesome teacher on my staff, and many of us have started using it. Parents are supportive when they hear why I am implementing them, and they usually support me when their child is a repeat offender! Just be sure to send a note home about your policy.

I have an electronic hall pass, and my sign-out sheet is very simple. You don't even need to type it up. I just have a spiral notebook with a line down the middle. Name on one side, amount of time gone on the other. The kids take the pass and when they come back they write down how long they were gone. There is no need to ask me, if it is during independent work time. If I notice that a student is abusing this privilege (I add up the time gone at the end of the week), then s/he and I work out a deal that will be best for us. I have one student who abused the privilege last week, so now he is limited to a total of 5 minutes per week and it is up to him to divide the minutes up.

I have old CDs. The kids need to place one on their desks if they leave the room. The CDs are from junk mailings, broken ones from me, or burned ones that have errors. I also take a Sharpie and just write "lavatory pass" on it so the children know what one to use since I also have one for the office, nurse, media center, etc. Since I only print on enough for the number of students allowed out of the room at the same time, the children self-monitor who can leave. Cheap...effective.

Our middle school teachers have a stop sign hanging on their doors. Red indicates someone is already out of the room and green indicates you may leave after you flip the sign - seems to work for them. It is only for restroom/fountain use.

I punch a hole in my bathroom passes then attached the pass to a badge necklace. Kids wear as a necklace and can't take it off until they return and use the hand cleaner that is on their desk.

I have a card flipping chart with each students name or number that is used to show their behavior for the day. When a student goes to the restroom, they take the boys' or girls' bathroom pass and put it in the pocket chart in their pocket. That way, I can see at a glance who is gone, and also the passes do not go to the restroom and get into who knows what.

I have students sign out, then place a clothespin on their name so I can see who is out of the room.

We have to give hall passes so I use address labels made on the computer that say bathroom pass with my name on it so my passes don't have to go to the bathroom. I usually get them at dollar tree so it is real inexpensive.

I keep paper either taped next to the door or I have used a clipboard with paper. Students sign out and put the time they leave and the reason for leaving (water, bathroom, library, etc) It is easy to track certain students' behaviors when you have times listed. Last year, one girl was leaving at the same time each day. I found out she was meeting someone from another class in the bathroom. The sign out sheets are also great for parent conferences if a student tends to leave the room frequently.

I'm a middle school librarian, and I've made all of my teacher's library passes. Each teacher gets four (this is the number of students who may come to the library without a teacher), and they are on lanyards for students to wear around their necks. As students walk down the halls or into the library, everyone knows automatically where they are going. Their teacher's name and Library are written large enough to be read by someone walking by. This could be modified for all passes.