For years I have used the plastic bathroom and hall passes for kids. And this morning as I was showering, I was thinking (I know that is a crazy thought) of all of the germs that must be on those plastic passes. I never wash or disinfect them, I certainly know that the custodians dont. I am sure that some kids do not wash their hands after using the facilities and I am not sure where they put the pass (on the floor, on the back of the toilet, in the sink, in their pocket) while they use the facility. So my question is...Do you have an alternative to the plastic bathroom passes?
BTW, we do not have a bathroom in the classroom, there is a community bathroom down the hall. And I allow one boy and one girl to be out at a time.
If you're required to have your students take a pass with them when they're out in the halls for any reason, then at least use something that they wear--something on a rope that goes around their neck, a clip or clothespin, one of those plastic "badges" you get for your name when you go to a conference.
I don't have to do that, so I keep the bathroom passes in the classroom. I have one boy's and one girl's, and the child just leaves it on their desk when they go. I think that's much more sanitary, and it's a good visual reminder for me of who's in the bathroom.
That's what I use and it worked fairly well. My students can destroy anything though so sadly they were destroyed and I decided not to do passes anymore. Next year I will make new ones on hard cardstock and laminate them.
I use a laminated chart & the children move a clothespin & clip it next to their name when they are out. I am sure it still gets germs but it doesn't go in to the bathroom with them. That's why I don't use them. YEECH!!!
are in the hallway without a teacher. We use a spraypainted clothespin they clip on the collar of thier shirt. It works and the kids aren't touching it or setting it down anywhere. (They tend to break easily, therefore I spraypaint an entire bag at the beginning of school and only allow two in the classroom at a time. WHen one does break, I have an extra!)
I do the move the clothespin, but just a note if you have a string to put a pass around the neck, watch the length of the rope, a coworker had them too long and the little boys kept peeing on it, what a mess.
I read about bathroom buddies on someone's website. I may try it next year because I am always forgetting who I have given permission to. I will look up and see them gone and ask where they went and the kids always say "You told them they could go to the bathroom". Basically, I am going to get 2 small stuffed bears (a boy and a girl) and have a special place for them. When they need to go to the bathroom, they have to put the buddy on their desk so when I look up and see it, I know where they are... and since I am getting apparently senile, it will help me know where my kids are. I guess I am going to have to get a nurse buddy and a library buddy too....
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.
I have thought the same thing about all the germs on the passes. (I never got to use this smilie. )
I was thinking about the pass being a bottle of antibacterial soap.
One color for boys and one color for the girls. You could even make a Bathroom Pass label for each one.
Then hopefully their hands would get cleaned on the way out.
I teach grade 8 (in a K-8 school) and our kids don't need passes to be in the hall. What I do is have a signout sheet (if kids have to sign out, it keeps them from using the washroom a gazillion times a day). Plus, I have the write their name on a dry erase board (this year, in the shape of a cow) on their way out. So I can glance up and see who is out without checking the board.
They don't have to ask to leave (we have rules about appropriate times), so this works well.
I use the bathroom buddy system. I have 2 stuffed dogs (one for girls and one for boys). We've even named them: Sadie and Willie. When they want to go, they raise their fingers to indicate the following: 1 finger for a drink, 2 for the bathroom. It's mainly done silently, therefore, many of the students don't even know someone has asked. If I nod to the student, he or she gets the correct stuffed animal and places it on their desk while they are gone. They know not to ask during instruction and if their animal is on a student's desk (unless it is an emergency). This is the first year I've done this, and with this class it has worked really well. It really helps me remember who has gone to the bathroom. I also need reminders like this
I do have a boy's and girl's pass but it never leaves my room. Instead they place and pass and a bottle of hand sanitizer on their desk when they leave the room. When they return they must sanitize their hands and then hang up the pass again.
I never gave much thought to how "germy" the plastic passes can get. Too many other things on my mind I guess. I will definitely find an alternative next year. Thanks for all the ideas hear PT'ers.
we have school-issued passes so all are the same---a laminate on lanyard. i tell mine to wear them around their neck and NOT touch them, especially when in the bathroom.
05-13-2008, 08:12 AM
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