I have always had a disadvantage when it comes to being late. I am a 5’0 female freshman, who is a slow walker. I always had issues with getting to places on time, and I constantly have to run to avoid getting detention for being late too many times. I’ve never had a huge problem getting to school on time, as I would make sure to leave the house so I had plenty of time to get there before school started, but walking from class to class was completely different. I am late constantly no matter how much I try to get to class on time. Based on my experience, New Providence High School should change the transition time between classes to 5 minutes.

The time in New Providence High School between classes is 3 minutes, which is absurd considering the long distances that students are expected to walk from class to class, the traffic jams, and the expectations that the administration has for students in between classes. Walking fast is not an option, as most of the time there are huge traffic jams in the middle of the hallway making it impossible for students to move without shoving each other. If a student wants to go to their lockers or stop at the library to charge their phone, they have to wait until lunch or they have to do it during class because there is simply not enough time.

We also all know that HS students need to freshen up in the bathroom sometimes, like maybe brushing their hair, changing their clothes and maybe putting on some deodorant. Students are not able to bring their backpacks to the bathroom during class, and they do not have enough time to stop by in between classes. This means that they have to wait until lunch, even if it is urgent. For example, if a girl is on her menstrual cycle and bleeds through her pants, she will have to wait until lunch to be able to change.

It is important to have consequences for being late, but New Providence High School needs to give students a reasonable amount of time to get from class to class, which would be around 5 – 10 minutes.
Teachers might say that students will take advantage of this time to talk to their friends, but I don’t understand why this is such a problem. By having a small break between classes, kids will be able to go to the bathroom, grab materials from their lockers, get themselves together before class, and get food without having to rush and panic.

Youki Terada, in an Edutopia article “Research-Tested Benefits of Breaks”, claims that “breaks increase [student’s] productivity and provide them with opportunities to develop creativity and social skills.” Having these breaks will decrease the amount of students going to the bathroom just to get a break from class and being late. Breaks can also help kids with not getting distracted and help them stay focused and engaged while learning.

The school might say that increasing the transition time between classes will lengthen the school day. Making it 5 minutes instead of 3 is an extra 12 minutes of school, which is not that much. School will end at 3:00 instead of 2:48, and this isn’t that much of a huge change.

This change will provide a safer and happier environment for everyone at the New Providence High School by giving students and teachers a little break for a more engaged learning experience.