No matter what age your students are, classroom potty talk and bodily functions such as burping seem to be a constant source of amusement.
Behavior
Classroom Potty Talk (4 Tips)
No matter what age your students are, classroom potty talk and bodily functions such as burping seem to be a constant source of amusement.
Using the tips below, you can ensure you create a safe and positive work environment for your students!
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What is classroom potty talk?
While this can seem like harmless juvenile behavior, how is it best to maintain students’ attention when potty talk occurs? And, more seriously, how should teachers react when they experience profanity in their classroom?
1. Act quickly
Suppose a student accidentally burps or performs a similar function in the classroom. In that case, a teacher must dissolve the situation quickly to save embarrassment for the child and maintain control over the class. Ask the child to excuse themselves, check to see if they wish to use the restroom, then redirect the attention of your class back to the task at hand.
2. Keep the potty language in the restroom
If you hear the potty language being used in your classroom, don’t make a huge spectacle out of it. Instead, calmly remind the child that potty language belongs in the restroom and ask them if they need to use it.
3. Be direct
At the start of the year, make your policy for potty mouth and profane language known. For example, let students know that…
- You have a zero-tolerance policy for profanity
- If they are unsure what a word means, they shouldn’t use it
- Only positive language is welcome in your classroom
That way, students will know what you expect of them and hopefully avoid using such language.
4. Don’t get mad
It can be shocking when you hear profanity in your classroom, but it is important not to get mad at the child as they most likely do not understand what they are saying. Instead, calmly and discreetly ask the child where they heard such language and let them know that the word they used is hurtful and unacceptable in the school environment.
