Should students have a free period during the school day? Many students at Edison Intermediate School (EIS) agree with the statement while others do not. A study period would allow teachers to be present to support students with their work. Seventh-grade history teacher Mrs. Jacqueline Messenger said, “I think a free period is a good idea. My own kids [tend] to put their homework off till late.”
A free period would consist of teachers from many different grade levels offering support to students with homework and tests. Computer technology teacher Ms. Aimee Fahy stated “It’s a good idea if you have teachers available for support. It would give students the confidence to ask more questions and stay motivated to succeed in their classes.”
Many students at EIS have many extracurricular activities after school that could affect their ability to complete homework at a reasonable hour, decreasing energy levels during the day. Eighth grader Diya Patel stated, “It’s important to have time to study during school because of extracurriculars.”
If EIS were to add a free period, it would be a debatable addition to the students’ day. Student Assistance Counselor (SAC) Ms. Melissa Wilson said, “If we ever got approved to have a free period at school, it might fit in before or after lunch; it depends on [the] grade.”
“Overall, increasing your chances of a healthier year, both academically and mentally, it is crucial for you to have one free period per year. This allows time for homework, regrouping thoughts and goals, and self-exploration”(Coat of Arms). Due to scientific research, free periods have been proven to greatly impact students’ lives. This also supports the students’ mental health and well-being.
Even though students and teachers like the idea of a study hall, not all of the background information supports the idea. “When students have a ‘Study Hall’, they tend to complete less work in their other classes. Students will express this in the form of, ‘Oh… I’ll do that in Study Hall.’ But, as you can imagine, this work isn’t completed in Study Hall either. The demands of organization, reading for information, taking notes, etc. are overwhelming to students” (Winter). This illustrates that the idea of a study period seems to be a good idea, but it can lead to student procrastination. Procrastination can lead to stress and anxiety, therefore time management is very important to learn as students grow.
Furthermore, a free period can help improve students’ grades. Seventh grader Daniel Zauratshuili said, “My grades would be much better [if] I [had] a study period.”
Most high schoolers at Westfield High School (WHS) have a study period, however the middle school students at EIS currently do not have one. On the other hand, some don’t agree with a study period like Paraprofessional Ms. Doreen Ceasnne stated “Students don’t need a free period because they have lunch study where you can study. We have to prepare you for high school… Time management is very important.”
This demonstrates that not having a free period would enable students to improve upon their time management skills after school.
However, some teachers don’t give as much homework as others, so many people wonder if this study period is necessary. Sixth grader Max Young said, “[I don’t think we should have a study period], because we barely have any homework.”
The hard part about adding a study period during the day is schedules would have to change drastically. Sixth grade math teacher Mr. Ryan Belline said, “ I think a free period sporadically could be a good thing. If you were to have a free period every day, you would have to drop an elective and you can’t drop gym or health. You would have to either drop another class or shorten the periods. If the elective changes every marking period it gives you even less time in the class.”
Ultimately, there are both positive and negative points to back-up both sides of this issue. However, the positives seem to outweigh the negatives with the one major negative reason being scheduling conflicts. If our district were to add a free period, it would be beneficial to have it at the most practical time of day, such as before or after lunch. However, a free period is not necessary every day – a couple times a week would be sufficient in order to not disrupt the normal class schedule.
