Before cell phones in school were a thing, going to the bathroom was nothing exciting.
But now there is so much a student tries to get away with under the guise of a “bathroom break.”
So one teacher created a system to try and stop all the nonsense – but did she go too far?
Going to the bathroom unabated is something most kids look forward to during their day at… which is sad and pleasantly innocent at the same time.
It’s understandable why there are rules when leaving the classroom for any reason, but studies show kids do well when given a little trust and responsibility.
Parents tells us that by trusting our teenagers, we are strengthening our relationship with them and promoting trustworthy behavior.
Knowing this is one thing, but implementing it on a large scale is another.
So it’s no surprise there were so many mixed opinions when one teacher wrote out an extensive flow chart directing students on how they can take a bathroom break.
The chart included 9 full steps a student must take in order to relieve themselves.
After the chart was posted on a Reddit forum, parents began a heated discussion – mostly which was there disbelief at the high school teacher for her policy.
The first two steps make sense: Understanding that the bathroom is strictly for going to the bathroom and requesting to leave the classroom to do so.
It’s steps 3 and 4 where things get interesting.
To leave the classroom, the student must hand over their personal belongings to the teacher, which she should have no right to.
The next step – “remembering the answer to a quick question” – was explained by a Reddit user: a piece of trivia is given to the student prior to leaving that has to be answered correctly upon returning in order to get their cell phone back.
Not sure it’s legal to hold cell phones hostage while students memorize trivia.
It’s also unclear exactly what is the intended purpose of having to answer a trivia question.
Many of the comments by Reddit users were negative, such as:
“This has always seemed like the strangest power trip to me.”
Children should be able to go to the restroom when they need to go to avoid medical issues and why not give them a little empowerment in a system that already controls so much of their day?
What do you think?
Is this high school teacher’s restroom flow chart an abuse of power?