Hand Sanitizer for Hall Passes {Tried it Tuesday}

Hey there friends!

I wanted to do a quick post to link up with my sweet friend Holly from Fourth Grade Flipper for Tried it Tuesday.  I feel like I've tried lots of things, I just haven't had a chance to blog about them!!!  I've missed Holly and her linky!!

I've seen how clever some teachers have been using hand sanitizer as a hall pass on Pinterest and I thought it was a great idea.  

Then a while back I saw that Elizabeth from Fun in Room 4B had made a freebie of labels for just this exact purpose!!  Lucky day!!  

 

(Pictures from Elizabeth's blog)

Of course, I saw this last year but I didn't use it because I didn't have a need to.

But this year, holy guacamole do I have a group that loooooooves going to the bathroom.  They are getting much better about it (now that their little bladders are being trained) but they still need to go to the restroom during our Language Arts block.  Inevitably, it's when I'm pulling my small groups.  

I can not STAND interruptions to my small group, especially for things like, "Can I go to the bathroom?"

I only have 15 minutes with my groups so I want to make the most of it!!  I do not want to discuss a bathroom situation with a child during my group!

So, I was waving students off to the bathroom and then forgetting who they were or if it was a girl or a boy and should I wait before I send another boy?  Or was it a girl?  Or is anyone even in the bathroom???  Who knows because I'm not paying attention.  I'M DOING GROUPS!!

Ugh.

Ok.  I got that off my chest.

I think it doesn't help that I have one of those kiddos who goes and plays in the bathroom...or just walks off and disappears...and hides in the bathroom when you go looking for him...

Yeah, anyway, I get a little paranoid about the bathroom.

So, I realized I needed a system.  This group just can't handle the freedom of using the bathroom and to be quite honest, some just can't be trusted.  Yet.  But I'll fix that.  Don't you worry.

Insert Hand Sanitizer Hall Pass.

Ok, so when I instated this new method, I wasn't really sure if it would work.  I wanted them to leave the sanitizer on their desk so I knew who was out of the room and I told them if the sanitizer was on a desk, then they would have to wait their turn.

So, now I know only one boy and/or one girl is out of the room at a time.

Then, we talked about how I really should not be interrupted from group unless there has been a death or there is lots of bleeding.  Or I suppose I'd have to be interrupted by a fire.  But that IS ALL!

So, now they can just flash me the bottle, I nod, they put it on their desk, and then off they go to do their business.  They come back, use the sanitizer (after having washed their hands- we talked about that too).  The sanitizer goes back to the sink.  End of bathroom story.

This is a lot less interruption which makes me happy.  And if I'm happy, the kiddos are happy!!

But, honestly, they really love the hand sanitizer pass.  I mean, really love it.  You just never know sometimes what will do it, but apparently a hand sanitizer pass will.  Thank goodness for no more interruptions (in the perfect world anyway- in which I do not live- but it's close to perfect!).

Try it out for yourself!  Everyone will love it (and they'll be disinfected on top of it- win win!!)

Have a great Tuesday!

Amanda

PS- I realize I should have always had a system but I was spoiled last year with kids that went to the bathroom when we went as a class and rarely ever needed to go any other time.  Sigh.  I miss them.  ;O)