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I have been teaching 4th grade at this school for five years now. Up until this year, everything has been pleasant. This past summer, the administrators recently hired a young, new teacher fresh out of college. We both teach the same grade level along with another teacher. Our school follows a block system which requires students to have all three of us. This is so that they would be accustomed to switching classes next year. The class periods are three 1-hour and 50-min sessions with a 30-min lunch for students.
The problems with this co-worker started in the beginning of September. While I was teaching, I noticed a student with wet pants coming from her class. At first, I didn't think anything of it since students often forget that summer is over and they can't go to the restroom whenever they want. However, a few weeks later, I noticed a second student walking out of her room with wet pants. During class, students would tell me how she would never let any student leave the room for any reason. Our school does not have a strict restroom policy. At this point, I decided to have a one-on-one chat with her and questioned her about the accidents. She "smiled" and "secretly" told me that she has a thing for seeing young children in wet clothing and told me not to tell anyone. She often tries to be friendly with me, but this is just sick . Since this meeting with her, bullying has drastically increased and 4 other students had accidents under her watch. It literally kills me to see a young, defenseless child march out of her room in soaked pants with tears running down their cheeks. The worst part, according to the students, is that she won't even let them go to the nurse station until passing period when all of the other students are in the hallway . How can I anonymously report her to administration? He say, she say would not hold up in a accusation of this nature.
-Thank You
Last edited by Concerned Teacher; 10-31-2013 at 02:16 PM..
Back in the days before dinos, a child who had an accident in school was sent to the office and dry clothing was found for them. Does this not exist anylonger? It would certainly start me to think if kids were being routed to my office on a regular basis with the same problem from the same class. No he said she said when the wet pants are right in front of you.
Back in the days before dinos, a child who had an accident in school was sent to the office and dry clothing was found for them. Does this not exist anylonger? It would certainly start me to think if kids were being routed to my office on a regular basis with the same problem from the same class. No he said she said when the wet pants are right in front of you.
This is not always the case. When I was in school, which wasn't that long ago, a student who had an accident was sent to the nurse. Instead of providing fresh clothing, the nurse would pull up the students' emergency contact card and inform the parent/guardian to bring clothing to the school. If the parent/guardian didn't answer the phone, the student was SOL and sent back to class in their wet clothes.
Why do you need to be anonymous? If what you are saying is true, she shouldn't be in a classroom.
I would be anonymous too if I were the OP. Its oblivious that teacher has some physiological issues. The OP would probably be in danger if that teacher ever found out they were the one that reported her and ended her teaching career.
If you need to remain anonymous for whatever reason (no one here can pass judgement on that) you can report the incidents to your shop stewart (union rep) and they can contact the administration for you. Just remember that if a crime is involved, remaining anonymous might not be possible but you could start there.
Your union rep is required to represent you and since reporting these incidents could lead to all kinds of complications, it is within their scope of responsibility to assist you.
If you'd rather not go that route, another is to contact your local child welfare agency official and report it that way. Of course, this then becomes a very official and possibly public issue which might not meet your expectations either. The official will be required to investigate the reports and act accordingly.
There is no shame nor guilt in acting on behalf of those who can't help themselves and this surely qualifies. Noble is the teacher who acts on behalf of students who are mistreated or abused. Teaching itself is one of the highest callings and those who accept it are special, more so that many of the false heros we pay homage to on a daily basis. As in all professions, there are always some who abuse positions of trust. Those who stand up, regardless of adversity are heros in every sense of the world.
Regardless of the direction you take, reporting the incidents, anonymously or not, the parents of children in that school should be honored to have you there watching out.
If you need to remain anonymous for whatever reason (no one here can pass judgement on that) you can report the incidents to your shop stewart (union rep) and they can contact the administration for you. Just remember that if a crime is involved, remaining anonymous might not be possible but you could start there.
Your union rep is required to represent you and since reporting these incidents could lead to all kinds of complications, it is within their scope of responsibility to assist you.
If you'd rather not go that route, another is to contact your local child welfare agency official and report it that way. Of course, this then becomes a very official and possibly public issue which might not meet your expectations either. The official will be required to investigate the reports and act accordingly.
There is no shame nor guilt in acting on behalf of those who can't help themselves and this surely qualifies. Noble is the teacher who acts on behalf of students who are mistreated or abused. Teaching itself is one of the highest callings and those who accept it are special, more so that many of the false heros we pay homage to on a daily basis. As in all professions, there are always some who abuse positions of trust. Those who stand up, regardless of adversity are heros in every sense of the world.
Regardless of the direction you take, reporting the incidents, anonymously or not, the parents of children in that school should be honored to have you there watching out.
Thank you for the advice. I will definitely look into those options. In the mean-time, I have since brought this issue to the attention of the other 4th grade teacher. We have both decided to have class restroom trips and encourage the students to use that opportunity to go. Since we have started this practice, the number of accidents have come to a griding hault. Unfortunately, this process uses up to 10-mins of class time. As all teachers know, class time is VERY important.
Not sure how it works in education, but in health care you are required to report all forms of abuse. Letting children sit in urine soaked clothing is a form of neglect. By keeping quiet, you may be implicated. You need to speak to the Principal immediately.
Back in the days, when each primary school room had its own toilet, I wet my pants after my teacher told me I could not go. She paddled me. It was the only time that I was ever paddled. I have never forgotten my outrage, but I have forgotten what happened next.
Needless to say, I am sympathetic to students who really need to go to the restroom. I have a saying that I use after I tell a student No: No puddles and no piles. Sometimes when they say that they have to throw up, I'll add, No chunks. My point is that the child (my students are in high school) should know better than to wet him/herself and should walk out if the alternative is a puddle. If they are caught by an administrator, they are on their own. Almost none abuse it. The administrators take care of the ones who do.
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During class, students would tell me how she would never let any student leave the room for any reason. Our school does not have a strict restroom policy. At this point, I decided to have a one-on-one chat with her and questioned her about the accidents. She "smiled" and "secretly" told me that she has a thing for seeing young children in wet clothing and told me not to tell anyone. She often tries to be friendly with me, but this is just sick 
. Since this meeting with her, bullying has drastically increased and 4 other students had accidents under her watch. It literally kills me to see a young, defenseless child march out of her room in soaked pants with tears running down their cheeks. The worst part, according to the students, is that she won't even let them go to the nurse station until passing period when all of the other students are in the hallway 
. How can I anonymously report her to administration? He say, she say would not hold up in a accusation of this nature. 
