The issue of headphones in school has significantly increased in recent years. For that reason, many students and teachers at South Windsor High School have various opinions on the way they are incorporated into the classroom.
Some issues arise in the classroom regarding the headphone policy and how teachers chose to handle it. Many students disagree with some of the policies in place. They do understand the issues that come with using headphones, but they argue that they still enjoy using them in order to focus in class.
“I believe students should have more control over whether they use headphones or not at school,” SWHS senior Alyssa Tauris said. “Everyone learns differently, and some people work better with music in their headphones, students know themselves better than their teachers or administration making these policies. Also, if the headphones are a distraction to students’ learning, they will face the natural consequences of not paying attention in class, and learn on their own when the appropriate time to use headphones is.”
However, some students also report having issues concentrating in class and picking up on important material because of more focused attention on the song they are listening to.
“Headphones do make it harder for me to follow instructions because I zone out, and I can not hear what my teacher or classmates are saying,” SWHS senior Alanna Larmand said.
Headphones can be considered a distraction, but many teachers use headphones in order to create interactive lessons for the students. They try to get students to watch videos or play an interactive game that uses headphones, making it difficult to say no to headphones at school.
“Headphones can be helpful during independent work time if they’re used appropriately and not distracting,” SWHS science teacher Mrs. Snyder said. “I like to have music on when I am working as well!”
Even with lenient teachers allowing headphone usage during independent work, they still struggle with students having headphones in during lectures. When teachers are asked what they think of headphones, they ultimately determine it a distraction because students do not know the appropriate time to use them.
“Headphones should be seen as a distraction because ultimately, students become more concerned with changing the song or finding a new playlist than doing their work or listening to class discussion,” SWHS teacher Mrs. DeCubellis said.
Overall headphones are both a helpful tool for students, while also becoming a distraction when lessons are being taught and focus drifts. A potential solution for this problem is implementing a clearer headphone policy and putting in stricter guidelines in regards to using headphones during lectures.
