bathroom & routines

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bathroom & routines
By phyllis

HI
I think that if you were to actually time the time you are using to take your whole class to the bathroom 3 times a day you would shudder at all the time you are using that could be used for something else. I don't
think the whole bathroom think will be a big problem and I like all the suggestions given for the bathroom.
The one thing that I learned in collage and have used each year in my classroom since then and have ALWAYS been glad I I took the time to do so was to teach expected behavior and routine. I will spend as much time as I need to to teach my class routine and proceedure. We talk

about traveling in the hall, line up proceedure, bathroom, pencil sharpeners, substitutes, adults entering our classroom at odd times, lunchroom behavior, recess rules and what doors to use and not use, tattling, emergencies like fire drills etc, dismissal, homework, pets visiting us, jobs, birthdays and treats, snacks, and anything else that pertains to our day. We practice doing what we need to do and I have to admit that I get many compliments about my classes when we travel out of our school or even in school during assemblies or when we have visitors because the kids know what's expected, what the consequences will be for misbehavior and they WANT to do a good job all the time. Also our good job fairy will visit when the kids least expect it and they love getting a little treat because they were good. The good job fairy is someone who comes in when no one is in the room and leaves a little treat on the student's desks. It's usually something like a tootsie roll or a jolly rancher. Sometimes the desk fairy comes to visit and leaves a treat in the clean desks...that ususally keeps the kids with messy desks a little neater! I try to buy the bite sized candy when it is on sale (like the day after Halloween) and keep it in my desk. The key here is not to do it all the time....so they're not expecting it....they love surprises!