Teacher bladder

When nature calls but teachers can’t answer

The term “teacher bladder” may sound like a joke, but for many teachers, it describes a professional reality—going hours without using the washroom because leaving their classroom is simply not an option.

Teachers are responsible for supervising students and ensuring their safety, and their opportunities to use the washroom are often limited to recess, lunch or unassigned time, says Sean Brown, the ATA’s coordinator of Teacher Employment Membership Support. 

Even then, those breaks may be taken up with attending meetings, helping students or dealing with unexpected problems. A teacher who misses one opportunity may have to wait until the next scheduled break. The result is that some teachers routinely postpone urinating—sometimes for hours. 

For a teacher already experiencing urgency or incontinence, having to wait for the bell can be more than inconvenient.

Teacher bladder is not a medical diagnosis. It is an informal term adopted by some teachers and urologists for the bladder problems that may develop when people repeatedly delay urination. Regularly ignoring the urge to go can contribute to bladder discomfort and may encourage habits that interfere with normal bladder function. Limiting fluids to avoid having to use the washroom can create problems of its own, including dehydration resulting in possible brain fog and headaches. 

Studies show that women are more likely than men to experience pelvic-floor problems. Pregnancy, childbirth and menopause can further affect bladder function. For a teacher already experiencing urgency or incontinence, having to wait for the bell can be more than inconvenient. 

Adequate staffing and thoughtful scheduling can make something as basic as a washroom break considerably easier to manage.

In Alberta, teachers have legal and professional responsibilities for student supervision while occupational health and safety requirements recognize the importance of access to basic workplace facilities. Collective agreements also provide duty-free lunch periods or other breaks and are applicable to teachers, including school leaders and division office personnel, that are covered under them. But a break on paper does not necessarily mean that a teacher can leave students unattended whenever the need arises. Nor does access to a washroom necessarily mean that a teacher has a realistic opportunity to use it. 

Over time, putting off a trip to the washroom can become part of a teacher’s working day. Teachers may learn to ignore the urge to go or plan when they drink according to when they expect to have a break. Some may deliberately drink less during the school day so that they will not need to use the washroom as often. 

Individual strategies can help—staying adequately hydrated, using scheduled breaks when they are available and seeking medical advice when bladder symptoms persist—but they do not address the underlying workplace issue. Teachers should not have to restrict fluids or routinely ignore the urge to use the washroom simply to get through the instructional day, Brown says. 

Schools can help by ensuring that teachers have predictable opportunities to use the washroom and should have a process or plan that allows a class to be covered when a teacher needs to use the washroom, Brown says. 

“I have seen and, when I was a school leader, created a process in which the teacher calls down to the office, and one of the administrators or available support staff then comes to the class to cover,” Brown says. 

School leaders can also avoid treating every recess, lunch or unassigned period as available time for additional duties. Adequate staffing and thoughtful scheduling can make something as basic as a washroom break considerably easier to manage.