We understand that rules are created to solve problems created by students. However, most students are doing the right thing.
One of these instances has to do with our short passing times. Two years ago, we had a five minute passing time, however now passing time is a total of four minutes long. We would like to argue for our minute back.
With the addition of our new phone protocol, passing time has a new list of tasks to accomplish. However, we have less time to accomplish them. Before our phone policy, there was often more time in the beginning and end of classes to check your phone or even check it discreetly throughout the class, but with our new protocol classes tend to go from green to red right as the bell rings.
Now, we are unable to do that in most circumstances. With kids being pulled in so many directions with sports, work, and different clubs, we are constantly getting messages throughout the day that require our attention.
We as a staff all agree that the new phone protocol has been successful at keeping students more engaged and focused during classes. However, the effects that we did not foresee is the wrench that it throws in our ability to communicate properly with our other commitments like work and athletics.
Another reason we are asking to elongate passing time is because quite frankly, we need to pee. Four minutes is not long enough to go to the bathroom, wait in line, wash our hands for the proper amount of time and get to class without being late.
Although we have E-hallpasses, we cannot use them for the first five and last five minutes of class. When classes are on a red light we are not allowed to use our Chromebooks to even fill one out. When we can’t go on our Chromebooks, we have to ask the teacher to fill one out for us in front of the entire class and during their lesson. To this request, teachers are most likely to ask you to wait till the end of the lesson, even though you are most likely not listening due to the fact that you are focusing on not peeing your pants. If you make it through the lesson without peeing your pants, the lesson could run until the last five minutes of class where you aren’t allowed to make a pass anyways. Rinse and repeat.
In conclusion, please consider giving us one more minute of passing time. With the extra minute of passing time we will have time to use the bathroom, have the proper amount of time to be able to wash our hands, check our phones and be able to be fully present in class. When we aren’t able to do these things, our minds are often just thinking about them instead of paying attention.