Bathroom sign out policy tedious, needs evaluation
May 7, 2019
Dear Harbinger Editors,
In the past when a student had to go to the bathroom, they had to sign out of their classroom, take a pass, and go. Recently, there has been a change in policy in which students have to sign out of their classroom, take a pass, sign in before the bathroom, sign out of the bathroom after using it, and then sign back into their classroom. This is a very inefficient and time consuming process that wastefully takes up time that could be used in the classroom instead. I understand that signing out of the classroom is important because if there ever was a fire drill or lockdown, the teacher of the class will know who is missing, but what is the point of signing into the bathroom? If the reason is to have a running list of students in the bathroom, then why can’t the numerous cameras be used instead? Going through this entire process is tedious and redundant for the students. Instead of having multiple places to sign in and out, why not go back to how things used to be, where students simply signed out of class? It is more efficient and a teacher won’t be required to sit in front of the bathrooms for an entire period. As high schoolers, we are transitioning into adulthood. Rather than babysitting us students in front of the bathroom, why not spend that time to teach us how to prepare for life after high school instead?
Sincerely,
Sarika Satishkumar
Class of 2019
C.A. • Aug 3, 2019 at 8:37 pm
Hello! I came across your blog while searching for a sign out sheet! As a teacher, it is quite important that my students use a sign out sheet to leave and enter the classroom. Emergency reasons are the first reasons to have the sheet. Another reason for it is the fact that shenanigans go on in the restrooms more often than you might think. Cameras are not enough to help pin down who did what. If we can figure out a time when an incident has happened, we can then refer to the sign out sheets for answers. Knowing the number of times a student uses the restroom and for how long can also help identify a student who may be having some health issues but is afraid to speak up. While having a sign out sheet may seem tedious and time consuming , it is worth all the effort to ensure student safety and wellbeing.