One of the first things that my cooperating teacher told me when I met with her about my student-teaching assignment was that there was a strict policy regarding students having to use the restrooms during class. Generally, they were only supposed to be allowed to leave class to use the restroom 3 times during the semester, and after they reached the limit, we (teachers) weren’t supposed to permit them to go.

I thought the rule was dumb. I mean, how are you going to limit the number of times that someone may use the restroom- and then say that they are in high school and that they should be treated like young adults? That doesn’t make sense to me. I always felt that having to use the restroom and being forced to hold it would be a large distraction to their learning than leaving class for a few minutes and going to use the restroom. Additionally, sometimes students just need a break to get themselves together. So, I allowed my students to go as needed. I guess that’s me getting my start to bucking the system in education.

Apparently, Winder-Barrow High School, where I did my student teaching wasn’t the only school having this problem. I read this article on MSNBC.com which talks about how some schools are docking points off of the final grade for students who exceed the restroom usage limit during the course of the semester.

What is the real issue here? Are we trying to make sure that students are getting the most of their time in schools? Seriously- we all know that trying to use the bathroom during the change of classes can be downright impossible in some schools; so why punish students for leaving class to take care of it? I know that it can be excessive, in some cases. And I also know that in some schools going to the restroom can be pretty dangerous, but is this really the way of taking care of those problems?

Y’all help me out- tell me what you think…

So, I’ve again been super busy with my Maymester classes here at The University of Georgia. For those of you who aren’t sure what Maymester is, it’s a SUPER condensed summer session- you go hard core for about 3.5-4 weeks for almost 3 hours a day. I, in all of my excitement and brilliance, decided to take TWO Maymester classes, in addition to the responsibilities that I have with work and with church. Needless to say, that hasn’t left me much time to do updating here. Anyhow, I have, as always, been keeping up with life and the outside world via MSNBC.com, and here are some articles that I have found interesting:

1. What it Means to be a Black Man

I found this article to be REALLY good, as it gave a very good overview of what it means to be a black man in the United States. It included some statistical information that was definitely dismal, but countered it with including information about black men who have overcome the stereotypes to be very successful. I think this is a good article because it attempts to bring to light the issues that black men face. Besides, black women have been trying to figure out what black men think for years. It doesn’t get much better than this- at least when you consider the social issues.

2. Women Passing Men in Academic Fields

Okay women! We’re now earning the majority of degrees in fields that used to be dominated by men; fields such as: business, biological sciences, social sciences, and history. The number of women enrolled in college has skyrocketed over the past years, and according to the article, women outnumber men by AT LEAST 2 million on college campuses. I think this is great, and it shows the progress that has been made over the years. For those in doubt, women are just as capable and qualified as men…but now if we could only get equal pay for equal work…

3. Rethinking Marriage after 40

So, I went to several weddings last year, and I’ve been invited to several for this year. This article is interesting because it attacks the notions of women who didn’t marry young (young = 23-27) and shows that they (well some of them) still found someone and they weren’t confined to being an old maid or spinster. I also like to read articles on marriage because I know people who are getting married, and because I think that a lot of times our culture has minimized the value of marriage via shows such as The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Average Joe, Flavor of Love, etc. Marraige has value as a social institution (hence the battle for gay marriage) and as a religious institution.