The way the current Upper School schedule is set up leaves no passing time between classes. When one class technically ends the next one really begins, so teachers are meant to let students out of class about five minutes before the period actually ends.
Students are rarely actually afforded these five minutes and must run from class to class without getting a moment to breathe, but the KO News believes that there are two simple solutions for remaining on schedule.
Since each class only meets three times a week it is important for teachers to keep their classes focused and attentive, but during class it is very easy to get consumed by the material and forget about time. A bell would solve this issue and prevent students from getting marked tardy by their following teacher.
Students and teachers would not need to look at the clock to know when to move on to their next period because a bell would sound as a reminder to pack up and leave.
We believe this bell should sound five minutes before the period officially ends just as a reminder to the teachers to wrap up their final remarks and avoid overlapping another class. Often during the last five minutes of class most of the students are already checked out, so these final moments of cramming in last minute information are not very beneficial in the long run. Some of us need a little break between classes, and if we could take a moment in between classes to rejuvenate then we would be ready to sit and refocus our energy into another subject.
We believe that if it is not possible to set up a practical bell system throughout the Upper School then there is another reasonable fix that is less disrupting.
If teachers are just more conscience about the time and letting students out with sufficient time to walk to their next commitment then bells are not needed.
We believe that these few minutes between periods would make the entire day run much smoother, allow each class to begin on time and give each student a moment to relax on their walk between periods.
