25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them

220 25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them
26.3. What emotions or feelings were you experiencing at the time?
Frustration.
26.4. Was your behavior justified? If so, why?
Yes, in order to keep the entire class on track, keep the class activity going
and class routine of going to the restroom before class, at break, and the end
of class.
26.5. Do you regret your action(s)?
Yes, because the child had a medical condition that required her to use
restroom more often.
26.6. Do you ever think about this incident? If yes, approximately how
often since the occurrence(s)?
Yes, about five times a year since that time. I will never forget this child or
the lesson I learned.
26.7. If faced with the same or a similar situation, what would you do?
Commentary
Check to see if the child had a medical condition prior to saying “NO.”
This scenario is a classic classroom management problem regarding toileting
practices. The teacher’s frustration is the result of trying to squeeze the
square peg of student bathroom needs into the round hole of classroom management.
To avoid the problem in this scenario, teachers must realize that the
square peg won’t fit because students are complex; they vary in their physiological
needs and elimination schedules. This is an area that should not be
controlled or denied, but rather monitored and gently managed. They should
always let a student go without repercussions or humiliation, but to preserve
the integrity of their classroom management policies, they should make
every effort to minimize disruption to the class and the school. Allowing students
to quietly take the restroom pass and excuse themselves in an emergency
will minimize disruption of the lesson.
Mistake 13: Inappropriate Toileting Practices
Teacher # 27
A Scenario of a Teacher’s Worst Treatment of a Student
I had a young boy who requested to go to the restroom during class. It was my practice
to let children go, if I was not in the middle of a direct teach so they would not
miss any instruction. (Of course this was for my convenience.) I asked him to wait