“Is That Song Really More Important Than Your Future?”
A good question that my class was asked and has stuck with me since. It also brought up the question of headphone usage in classrooms. Should we really let the students we see using headphones in class just slide under the radar? I personally think it depends on the context. Students should be able to use headphones when its appropriate and should have to take them out when its not. An example of an appropriate time would be when they are doing a personal project or essay. Even then, they shouldn't have both earphones in at full blast, ignoring the entire world around them. Not only is it rude for others to hear the sound when they are trying to focus, if the teacher says something or starts up a conversation with the class, the student can’t hear what the teacher is trying to say. If students constantly have their headphones in, it will most certainly cause a lot of problems come semester or end of year when they have a low grade and come running to the teacher wondering why their grades suck. The answer is obvious, they don't even care to listen in class and their grade reflects their actions. Though of course, there are students who say music helps them study, which yes, makes sense but when the teacher is yelling, trying to get the students’ attention, it gets exhausting, not only for the teacher but also for the students who are disrupted because of it. Students should take more pride in what they are trying to do and their own future, this isn’t even a problem with just underclassmen, it happens throughout every grade. That is pretty surprising considering seniors are supposed to be going off to college and trying to get their life together and yet, they can’t even take out a pair of headphones to listen for 5 minutes. Headphones can be a good thing if used correctly, but can also be detrimental to grades if not.
