Can I go to the bathroom???

ELA class (I'm an inclusion teacher). 2nd period of the day. 40 minutes left of class. My student asks if he can go to the bathroom & I say no.

Why didn't I let him go? He didn't NEED to go, that's why. ;) My 2nd reason, which is even better, is that he hadn't done any of his work in class yet.

He asked again....& again & again. Sheez!

After 10 minutes of repeatedly asking me, I began a new tactic. Ignorning the child. It worked magically, for awhile. Maybe a minute or so. He then began "psst, Ms. S"ing me from across the room. Again, ignoring him.

At one point he asked me very quietly, "Ms. S, what if I pee in my pants?" To which I replied, "That'd be unfortunate & you wouldn't have very many friends today. Also, it would show you had no self-control." And I walked away.

Finally, after 20 minutes, he clicks in & realizes that class is going on & the ELA teacher had just asked a question: "What would a man need to build a house?"

The other students are calling out answers such as, "materials, nails, tools, hammer..."

My student says, with his head down, in a subtle voice..."a bathroom."

I died laughing & he looked up, surprised that I heard him, & began laughing out loud too.

Moral of the story: Teachers will dare you to pee your pants before they will let you go to the bathroom & miss their instruction. :)