Simple Chart for Teaching Students When to Use the Restroom
You’d think I like writing about the kindergarten bathroom.
Not really.
It’s just that using the bathroom during school plays a big part of getting the year off to a good start in kindergarten.
I like to teach my expectations of how we use the restroom in our classroom with students through a procedures book which really helps!
Then comes the tricky part… follow through… with little frustration on my part.
An honest confession: I like to work smart.
I don’t like having to redo work I’ve already done because that seems like the opposite of working smart.
So, in order to follow through on teaching my expectations without repeating myself a ga.zill.ion times after the first week…
We do a bathroom usage mini-lesson. {or a few}
For real?
Yes.
Introducing the Good Times/Not Good Times Chart
Whether you agree with this classroom management philosophy of mine or not, it works for us. I like to teach that there are “good times” and “not good times” for students to use the restroom.
When it’s a good time, there is no permission needed. They simply go as their little bodies need.
When it’s not a good time, then they need to ask/inform me before they just take off.
My students “ask” by raising one finger to signal they need to use the restroom. I will give a silent nod or shake my head.
They can always ask again in the case of an emergency, or I may ask if it is an emergency as my reply.
This causes very little disruption to our whole group teaching which is my ultimate goal.
It also allows for students to ask “privately” when we are meeting whole group.
Why We Needed the Chart
At the beginning of the school year, students are figuring out so much that teaching them every time listed on the agenda that is acceptable to use the restroom is too much.
Plus, how regularly does “time” register well with such young kiddos.
{I mean, really}
So, they can’t use something like an agenda to refer to and time is out of the question… then the only option left is identifying good times by the identifying the spaces we occupy in the classroom.
I can draw out the spaces in our classroom as we talk about why it makes for a good time or not a good time.
Why it Works
Students can refer to where we are physically and recall if it’s a good time or not {in the beginning} as opposed to really remembering if it’s a good “time” based on the agenda or actual activity.
Students can transfer the concept of why being in this particular location lends itself to being labeled as such.
I’ve found that when creating, referring to or adding to this chart, they are more likely to remember WHY the spaces are on the chart as listed.
And wouldn’t you know, this concept transfers throughout the entire year to all of those little random things like parties, assemblies and such.
Students will be able to apply the why to the new situation and determine on their own whether it’s a good time or not a good time and feel more confident in knowing if/how to ask.
Think it might work in your classroom? What tips do you have?
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