Bathroom Rules

OY!

The things one learns in Kindergarten and needs to be taught during the first week of school amazes me! Did you know that you have to explicitly tell students how to use a bathroom? I didn't!

BIG MISTAKE!

There is a bathroom in the classroom. I taught them to raise their hand to ask to go to the bathroom and that only one can go at a time. Students learned this procedure and quickly raises their hands to ask. (Pats self on back.)

Child raises hand to ask to go. I give permission. Student goes to the bathroom and LEAVES THE DOOR OPEN! Oy!

Ah... class, when you go to the restroom please make sure you close the bathroom door. Make sure the light is on before you close the door. When you leave the bathroom please turn off the light and leave the door open. If the door is closed, knock and wait for an answer to be sure no one is in there. 

There fixed that right up.

Later that day -- student comes out of the bathroom half dressed. Ah... students you must put on all of your clothes and make sure they are buttoned before leaving the bathroom.

A friend of mine sent me her list of bathroom rules and procedures for Kindergarten but says she has used it in third grade as well. Things she includes: how to sit on a toilet, how to use a urinal, how to open and close bathroom stalls, how to flush a toilet, how much toilet paper to use, how to wash your hands, how to dry your hands, how many paper towels to use, throwing away your trash, no messes, belt buckles and buttons: a challenging obstacle.

REALLY?? Don't parents teach their kids these things?

Moving on... how do you manage the question of how to use the bathroom in your classroom? If a student asks do you let him go?

This past week we had an incident with one of my special needs sons. He needed to use the restroom. The teacher said not until lunch in 20 minutes. Said son couldn't wait. Teacher said no to an emergency. Son had an accident. The kids laughed. He went to the nurse to change and came home crying. He is in 4th grade.

This is part of his brain thing but they will not do his IEP until he goes through SAT first as it is a private recommendation and they need to have proof. MRIs, CTs, and neurological exams are not proof. I will digress on that one for now.

I understand the teacher needs to teach and the student needs to be in the room. I understand this is especially important for special needs kids as they need the added support. But where is the line on this issue?

My third grader is also having issues with this topic.

My husband is an EMT. I had heat stroke this week from being out in 115+ temps when I shouldn't have been. I got the lecture from hubby's friends that in this weather you should be going to the bathroom every hour or you are dehydrated and will have issues.  I know this but I was teaching that day and teachers can't go every hour. I am sorry. We can't. They argued as this is what I get for not listening. Humpf!

Back to my third grader... he believes his daddy can walk on water. (Ask him he will swear it is true. I have failed to convince him otherwise.) So he does as daddy does. Everything that daddy does even the things I wish daddy wouldn't do he does. So daddy says drink lots of water. He does and as a result has to go potty all the time. His teacher is annoyed. I would be too!!

So now I am getting emails like "your son went to the bathroom 4 times today prior to 11:30 (our lunch) and 3 times after 11:50 (when lunch ends)." This is on a daily basis. It is better it was 6 times before lunch! He cut it down by half but that is still a lot. He is academically advanced so there is not a concern he is missing something that he needs to learn. It is just that he is setting a bad example.

Hubby and the EMTs say it is healthy. His pediatrician says it is healthy. The school says its against policy. So now what? He is getting his card turned to yellow as he is out of the room too much. I don't know what to do.

Then I have my eighth grader who as 2 minutes between classes to "use the restroom" or he has a 12 passes he can utilize in a quarter to go. So he is severely dehydrated as he refuses to drink water as there is no time to go to the restroom. My hubby is ticked on that one.

So my question is... where is the bathroom line? Are the school rules fair to teachers and students? What do you do when it is over 100 degrees outside? What do I tell my children's teachers and school?

Sigh..... who knew a bathroom could cause so many questions or issues!

Day 3 - The End

This morning, I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed for another day. Lesson plans were written and ready to go. I hugged 2 kids goodbye and wished them a good day at school. I turned to hug the third one when he said my tummy doesn't feel so good. I tried to quickly step away... I knew what was coming. BUT he still managed to vomit all over me.

First thought: "YAY! I don't have to go to work today!"
Second thought: "Poor baby! Does he have a fever?"
Third thought: "What are my kinders gonna do without me? Another new teacher will only add to the chaos!"

Okay so that was probably the wrong first thought to have. I did call to see if I had any backups who could take a sick little boy. None available. I probably shouldn't be happy about it but I was. Kinda - I miss the kinders. I worried about them.

I called in sick only to find my child dressed and ready for school. Ummm... why are you going to school?? "I LOVE my teacher! I can't stay home, I will miss multiplication!" He begged to go so I let him.

It was a good thing I did not go to work today as my little two left to walk to school they were attacked by the neighbors dogs. AGAIN! Ugh! I saved them before they got bit  but they were really scared. I don't blame them.

It seems like incident #4 is the magic number as EVERYONE has been at my house today. The police. The sheriff.  Animal Control. They have been interviewing all the neighbors, pulling all the records (this is #9 if you add in all the reports from all the neighbors), and preparing a criminal case.

It has been quite the adventure today.

The police department says the kids should not walk to or from school until the situation has been neutralized.  Which means I can't work if I have to drive them to and from school. So I was gonna have to call and say "I can't work the rest of the week" when I got an email saying the position has been cancelled and the teacher is FINALLY taking over her own class.

So now that the saga has ended... tomorrow I will have some new posts about some exciting things! Oh and I will have all day tomorrow to catch up on the homework I am behind on.

I will miss my students. I truly LOVE being in the classroom but I am NOT an early-childhood kinda girl. =)

Lesson learned!

Day 2 - At a loss for words

I worried all night about my lost kid only to find out he DID get on the right bus but the bus driver let him off at the wrong spot. Somehow this is my fault.

Today, I sent a kid to parent pickup per the tag on his backpack. He was lost for awhile as no parent came to pick him up. He was suppose to walk home. No note came from the office or parent. Thankfully he never left campus just was at the wrong pickup spot.

I would just like to point out I did not lose the child who showed up in my class today with no paperwork, no last name, no backpack, and no tag to tell me how she goes home. I asked her. And then sent her that direction. She got home perfectly fine. 

I was told that this is unacceptable. I have lost a child each day for the past two says. Yep this is also my fault. They called an emergency staff meeting to discuss this issue, I was not invited as I am not a teacher.  I will be informed tomorrow of what happens next.

I woke up at 4 am to make lesson plans. What sub wakes up at 4 am to make lesson plans? I got to school at 7:30 to clean my room for the day and to cool it off. My room is not authorized for air conditioning so when I arrive each day it is over 90 degrees inside. My room is not authorized for janitorial services or maintenance or pest control.

We had ants and a spider and a coach roach visit today. Did I mention one of my kids is deathly afraid of spiders? His scream was heard by several others who came running to see the issue and found him cowering in the corner while I cleaned up dead spider guts.

Shortly thereafter a woman appeared in my room and said she was to be in my class the entire day to observe the children. She just didn't know which child she was observing. Funny how she had a teacher observation sheet she was completing when she was observing the children.

She never left my side. She was suppose to go to lunch but surprisingly (NOT!) she was taken off of lunch early to meet with me. When she wasn't with me... the principal, speech therapist, and OT just suddenly happened to not be doing anything and were available to help.

Of course, that is when my kinders who had been doing so well suddenly completely forgot everything I taught them. And then the rest of the day was chaos. Complete chaos.

I cried when I got home. I am sore and tired and I don't want to move. AND I have had enough. I don't want to go back. Not ever. Not to this class or any other class. I am tired of being taken advantage of and disrespected.

I am a teacher not a babysitter.

It is not my fault if the attendance is not turned in by 9 am when I asked for a roster 4 times and did not get one until 2:30 pm. It is not my fault that the attendance turned in is missing the last names of 5 children. I do not know their last names. You should be thankful that I know all their first names after only 1 day.

I am tired of writing "lesson plans" that teach nothing. I am not allowed to teach anything specific. I have no rules (they got nixed first thing this morning). I have no discipline plan (I am not the teacher). I have no student information. I cannot send home notes with the students - even to tell the parents that they need to send in a snack each day for their child. I have no access to any curriculum materials.

So we read, we color, we sing songs, we redirect constantly, and then we start all over. Sometime this week, all the classes will be restructured and new kids will be sent into my room and others moved to another room.


So maybe I am not at a loss for words. I am tired, sore, and in tears.  THE END!

First Day of Kindergarten Plans

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! To each and every one of you who left such amazing comments full of experience and wisdom! I read every one... several times and then formulated a plan.

First stop Wal-Mart. I figured I would spend about $50 on some "essential items" for the first week. Then I went to Barnes and Noble for a few new books as I doubted I would be able to find any "Back to School" books in our local library or the school library.  About $150 later....

What I bought at Wal-Mart: Desk Plates, Name tags, pencils, erasers, a jump rope, playdoh, pencils, sentence strips, file folders, goldfish crackers, band-aids, sandwich bags, folders, black ink, and postcards.

What I bought at Barnes & Noble: The Kissing Hand, Pete the Cat Rocking his School Shoes, and Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook. Just a note here.... book in the store cost DOUBLE what they cost online. I was SOOOO not happy!

I pulled somethings I had from home... air freshener, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Chicka Chicka 123, and tempera paint.

I made cake mix playdoh AFTER I bought some cuz I heard about magic playdoh. But then as I was bagging the playdoh I recalled the "must be store bought rule" - I am gonna go with the theory that since they aren't eating it and it shouldn't be leaving the plastic bags, we are good!

This is my "going home tri-fold board" made out of a file folder and duct tape. The last column is for daycare riders but most kids I know hate this term so I am debating what to call it. I was so tempted to write "other" until my youngest said "does that mean I can fly home?" Ummm... nope! Still not possible.

So many of you recommended this linky party and I can't thank you enough! Seriously, if you are looking for some FAB-U-LOUS ideas for any level of elementary school classroom I recommend you check out this site. My third and fourth graders have been LOVING everything that I have come up with for my tiny Kindergarteners. They have also insisted upon trying out every book, coloring page etc...

So my first day (two days!) lesson plans are below. I made mine in a checklist format as I have no clue what our schedule will look like. When do we go to lunch? Do the kids have a rest period? How many times a day for recess? So... this is the best I could do with the given circumstances.

This is basically a list of all the great ideas I received in the comments yesterday and from the various blogs I stalked. Clicking on any of the pictures will take you directly to their site for expert advice!

~ Greet Parents & Students at the door
~ Name tags – names and how std is going home
~ Stack supplies on back counter (will deal with at lunch or after school)
~ Backpacks go on back of chairs.
~ Stds can pick a seat anywhere (first day only)
~ Magic Playdoh – Did yours turn colors? It did?! Wow! That only happens if the person using it is going to have a great year.
~ Attendance
~ Announcements
~ Lunch Count
~ Teach morning routine – how to come into class, what to do, where to go. Practice ala Daily 5. Go out and come in.
~ Hickety Pickety Get to Know You Movement/Song

Hickety pickety bumblebee, 

won't you say your name for me? 

(Child says name.) 

Let's whisper it! 

Let's clap it! 

Let's cheer it! 

Repeat with next student. 

~ Teach signals for being quiet
~ Teach WBT Classroom rules
~ Teach bathroom procedure - Bathroom Breaks
~ Coloring Page

~ Teach lineup procedure
~ Snack
~ Teach how to come to the carpet and sit during storytime
~ Read Pete the Cat Rocking my School Shoes

 

~ Teach how to use crayons and pencils
~ 2 options – draw yourself rocking your school shoes or draw yourself doing something at school while rocking your school shoes
~ Teach how to put away supplies
~ School Tour – Find Pete?
~ Classroom Tour
~ Guidance Counselor visit? Principal visit?
~ Read the Kissing Hand

 

 ~ Make Heart handprints

~ Lunch/Recess
~ Rest
~ How to ask for help
~ Read Desk Fairy

 

~ Talk about how to keep desks clean
~ Read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

 

 ~ Make first name letters 

~ Take First day of school pictures

So this is an insanely long post already and I have things to do to get ready for tomorrow. I promise to be back with my Pete the Cat freebies that I made as a Thank You!

More tomorrow if I am still alive!

911!!! I need a Kindergarten teacher!! HEEEELLLP!!

Okay -- I am COMPLETELY CRAZY!! 

I know this is my second post of the day but I am really and truly freaking myself out and need help.

I got asked to teach KINDERGARTEN starting on Monday. Monday is the first day back for these kiddos. I am trying to find out if I have access to the room to prepare or not. I am just the sub filling in until they can hire someone OR we may turn me into a teaching intern and it could be mine for the entire year. The jury is still out on this one.

So we don't know if I will have access or not. We don't know if the room is set up or not but we can assume not and I have no lesson plans prepared. I have never taught procedures before. I was planning on learning how to set up a classroom next week and take notes watching others teach procedures.

 I AM BEING THROW TO 2 THE SHARKS!!

Hubby says not to worry they are only 2 feet tall. 

I reminded him that the most poisonous scorpions are the babies.

I asked hubby and he said that it was best that I say yes and be willing to take one for the team. I love my school district and I know they will support me but YIKES. I need help. Here is my list of questions... you know I am gonna be pinteresting and blogstalking for Kindergarten first day ideas.

1 - Do I simply teach procedures how I would do it?
2 - What do I tell parents who arrive? Ummm... hopefully we will have a teacher for ya soon but if not you are stuck with me!
3 - What activities should I have planned for the first day(s) of school?
4 - Should I bring the kids a treat?
5 - Do Kindergarteners take naps?

AHHHHHHHH!

Breathe - in and out, in and out!

Right now, I will be with the kids for the entire first week of school guaranteed. If they hire someone she/he will start on week 2 at the earliest. 

Where to begin!!!?? 

And HOW?

That is my biggest question!