Some Things Change; Some Don't
Some things “CHANGE”... Some don’t.
The freshman Class will be wrapping up the first of 16 quarters on the path to graduation this week. So far, my (Kellontra Riddle) articles have all been about “changes” that the freshman have been going through to embrace the high school experience. There have been MANY changes, to say it mildly.
There is one change that has yet to occur, when compared to Junior High School, and that is “Classroom Distractions”. Sometimes it seems impossible to learn anything, therefore there are so many distractions. I wanted to know if other freshman felt the same way. I sent out a survey out to all freshman advisory classes last week and asked 3 questions. Here are the questions and the responses:
“What Percent of class time DO YOU FEEL is wasted because the teacher has to STOP CLASS to deal with a student that is doing something they shouldn’t be doing?”
Out of 300 responses, the average response was 45% class time wasted.
“What do YOU FEEL is the most ANNOYING or DISRUPTIVE thing a student does that causes the class to stop?”
There were just about an equal number of the top 4 answers.
TRYING to be FUNNY
CELL PHONE USAGE
TALKING (personal conversations)
NOT LISTENING (not paying attention)
“IF you could be the principal for ONE DAY what would you do to fix this problem?”
This is the tough question that had the most responses. Here are some of the most unexpected, common and practical answers from students:
TAKE bad kids out so others CAN LEARN
Have specific CLASSES for specific PEOPLE
SUSPEND EVERYONE
I (the principle) would sit in the rooms of the worst classes
Take away CELL PHONES until the end of the day
SIT in all classes, or send a HALL Monitor to sit in the classes all the time
Give a prize to the kids that don’t play around
Have people who disrupt the class sit in the field house until the end of the block
I would MAKE a SANDWICH
SIT in the ROOM for a while
ISS (We had this at my old school, and it gave the serious students a chance to learn.)
Give $30 tickets to all disruptive students if they don’t stop
TAKE out the kids who DON’T care about their education and send them home
MAKE KIDS stay after school or go to detention on SATURDAY
GET RID OF BLOCK scheduling
Put a 5 minute break in the middle of ALL BLOCKS for kids to use their phones
I WOULD CRY
I would quit
I wouldn’t do it
I would stop the BAD STUDENTS from MISBEHAVING
MAKE disruptive kids LOSE privileges
DESTRUCTIVE KIDS should not come to high school for 2 or 3 years
Make teachers teach in a FUN WAY
I would DUCT TAPE all the kids mouths, and let them talk when they have a talking ball, and give them NAP TIME
I would do NOTHING, because no one listens anyway
Kick out the bad kids
Get rid of the annoying kids (I say kids because they are NOT students)
Split off all the bad kids and shove them into one room that is WAY bigger than the room they have now, because that room is WAY too small….
Sheets like Miss Walker does
All kids could do all their work on their phones
I would do nothing because I don’t care
I would hold an assembly and let the students figure it out themselves
I don’t think this problem could be fixed unless the teacher is strict, and knows how to control his/her class
I would take away School
I would ask the students what they want that could make the school better
Give rewards
Give money to good kids
Give better food
There is too much to fix
Make a class with ALL DISRUPTIVE KIDS so the kids that want to learn, CAN!
If you disrupt an advanced class, you should be put into a lower level.
Hand out candy if the students behave
Strikes for disrupting class, 3 strikes you’re out.
I would NOT take away phones because I need my phone
I would install Cameras in ALL the classes to PROVE who does what
Make it so the parents had to accompany their kids to class in order to do the parenting when needed
I would visit the classroom for 30 minutes all the time
Well, there you have the opinions of the freshman class (with a few colorful comments removed so I don’t lose my job as a reporter)... If I were principal for the day, I would find a way to make school more interesting or entertaining while students learn. They probably cause a disruption because they are bored. It’s also important to give students time to move around during class because we either have too much energy or are too tired. Students, it’s important to find a way to use your energy productively so everyone can learn and make the most of class time.
See you all next quarter for another Freshman Perspective! - Kellontra Riddle
