Leaving class to go to the bathroom is a routine part of a school day. What does catch people’s eyes, however, is when you see someone walking around the hallways with a strange bathroom pass. Most bathroom passes are your traditional piece of laminated paper on a lanyard, but there are few infamously strange bathroom passes that teachers choose to use.

One teacher known for their interesting bathroom pass is history and economics teacher Kevin Bridwell. Bridwell has his class use a large string attached to a full size piece of paper. This pass has been in rotation ever since someone in his class lost his old one, leaving him with no choice but to make his own pass. In case of another incident, Bridwell stays stocked with three more of these gargantuan passes.

Other notable bathroom passes include physics teacher Aaron Schuetz, whose classroom features a simply a block of wood, and Spanish teacher Amy Murphy, infamous with her sombrero pass. Currently, Murphy has a normal bathroom pass, but last year her students needed to wear a sombrero whenever they left the class. Murphy noted how the distinct appearance of the sombrero was actually helpful because it was hard to lose. It also discouraged wandering for long periods of time.

Bathroom passes are an important device used to signify leaving a class. Using a fun object as a bathroom pass is a way to create some excitement in a classroom and to set yourself apart as a teacher.