It is: 2016!
Hey there, reader! I hope you've had/are having a lovely day. How are you? Welcome to today's post! Notable events for today: -I learned that I share a birthday with Ellie Goulding (squee!) -A book I desperately want came out-- it's called NEED -I stuck my hand into a beaker full of -320 degrees Fahrenheit liquid oxygen (yes, this actually happened!) Anyway. Today's topic will be to inform you of a very important issue in schools today. This problem is called...dun dun dun......Silent Lunch. Silent Lunch is a punishment, during which the student being punished must spend their entire lunch period (the only time of the day to socialize!) sitting in a silent room, at a desk, while their friends eat together and chat. Does this seem fair? NO, I say! It does not! Here is my petition to get rid of Silent Lunch: What is Silent Lunch? The answer to that question is this: Something that should be stopped. There are many reasons why this is true. First of all, silent lunch is widely considered by the students to actually be fun. There’s really no point in having this “punishment” if it’s no longer a means of discipline, is there? Second, when we (the students) reached middle school, the privilege of recess was taken away from us. Now, between all our classes and the very short breaks in between them, lunch is the only time we can socialize at all. Silent lunch is making us unable to talk to our friends all day long, which can lead to friendship issues, bullying, physical violence, verbal conflict, and attention seeking behaviors. Also, on the whole, the reason we get Silent Lunch is for talking, but what the teachers don’t understand is that what students really need is some talk time. But by giving us Silent Lunch, they reduce that precious time even more, which gives us more longing to talk and more discipline needed. Pretty redundant, don’t you think? Now, I realize that we need an alternative. But I have more to discuss. Below are a list of alternatives teachers have proposed and why I think they are not suitable: Phone call home: Disturbs the family. Punish the kid, not the parents! Detention: Sitting in a room for half an hour does nothing. Plus, harsh on whatever teacher assigned it. Suspension: Okay, but not for the little things. Expulsion: Okay, now we’re getting way too severe. Writing about it(for a grade): What?! That’s just as ineffective as Silent Lunch, plus as harsh as detention, and really not at all fair to the poor kid. A talk with the teacher: Valid idea, but for most people it wouldn’t do anything, since teachers don’t always understand the “crime.” Okay, but where’s the proof? I’m pretty sure that’s the question you’re asking as you read this. Or, you’re going, “Why should we listen to just this one kid? She just hates getting Silent Lunch.” I can assure you that this is not the case. While I am, in fact, only one kid, I have a lot of backup on this topic, from students and teachers alike. Let me give you the facts: 1.) When ten (5th through 8th grade) teachers were selected at random and each were asked the same three questions, these were the results: -90% of the polled teachers agreed that Silent Lunch was not usually effective. -90% of them also felt that my alternative is a good one. -And 80% of the teachers polled would support my attempt to get rid of Silent Lunch. 2.) When eighteen 7th and 8th grade students were asked what their favorite part of the day was, out of the choices Math, ELA, Science, Humanities, or Lunch, 95% answered with “Lunch.” And 74% of those students agreed that even if they get a Silent Lunch, lunch still is far better than the others. So you see, silent lunch doesn’t have a lasting effect. 3.) When three random seventh graders were interviewed, their answers all supported my argument. 4.) When many seventh and eighth graders were asked how they felt about Silent Lunch(see below), their answers also were in support of my opinion. So...How do students feel? As I mentioned in the previous segment, I asked a large amount of seventh and eighth graders one question---How do you feel about Silent Lunch?---the answers were similarly themed. One student responded with, “I think that it’s a form of punishment, but it doesn’t really punish us.” And when asked if they would support my attempt to get rid of it, the student replied, “Yes.” When asked the same question, a different student replied, “I don’t like Silent Lunch, because it’s not fair.” This student would definitely support the attempt, as would another student who said, “I would support it, because the only time that kids can talk is in lunch, and I feel like if you take that away, they will just get more Silent Lunches because they don’t have a chance to talk.” One student even stated, “I feel like it’s just the teachers trying to take away our freedom, the little of it that we have. I would support this attempt.” One well-respected teacher says, “For some it works, for some it doesn’t. Some students don’t even know why they’re in there. You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken.” All in all, students and teachers support my standpoint. Student Interviews 1) Do you think SL is fair? Student A: Not really. Student B: No. Student C: Not particularly. 2) Would you like to see SL gone? Student A: As long as it doesn’t mean automatic detention. Student B: Yes--it’s not even a punishment! Student C: I think so. 3) Do you think SL is a good punishment? Student A: No, because it’s bad for class--we end up talking in class. Student B: No. Student C: Not usually. 4) Is community service a good alternative? A: Sure. B: Yeah, that’s fair. C: I guess. 5) If you got SL right now, what would be your first reaction? A: Anger at the teacher. B: “NO!” C: Annoyed. 6) Do teachers tend to give SL before a warning? A: Yes, all the time! B: Yeah. C: Yeah, a lot. 7) Does talking merit SL before a warning? A: No. B: No. C: No. 8) Are teachers too quick to give SL? A: Yeah. B: Yes! C: Usually. 9) Should teachers tell us exactly what we do wrong? A: Yes--a lot of the time it’s not even our fault! B: Yeah. C: Yes! 10) Does SL, in your opinion, have a lasting effect? A: No. B: NO! C: Not on most kids. 11) Do you have anything else to say? A: Get rid of SL! B: It’s not fair! Get rid of it! C: No. A Better Alternative Since I know that we can’t just remove Silent Lunch, I have thought of a good alternative: community service. This would be fairer, more effective, and have a far better product than SL. It would leave the students, teachers, and the school as a whole, better off. A few guidelines: -No hard labor (raking, bathroom cleaning, etc.)---because child labor laws exist for a reason, you know. -For the benefit of the school. -Student must work for the entire allotted time.(It could be made clear to students that if they choose not to show up, it will affect their grade in that class.) Obviously, the specifics are up to the Administration, but I was thinking that both the tasks and the amount of time needed to be served could be determined by the teacher who assigned it. If a teacher doesn’t have a room, then they can send the student to the room they teach in, and have the teacher in that room determine the tasks. I also thought that the student should have to report to the teacher’s room at 3:05, and stay up to 20 minutes, so that it is not hard on the parents, and that the tasks could include things such as: -Wiping down desks/chairs -Organizing shelves -Sweeping floors -Organizing/stacking books or papers However, I believe that it should be truly considered and even brought up to the teachers that unless it is a very serious case, a warning needs to be given before assigning community service. I bring this point up not to defend the students, but to say that innocent things are often mistakenly taken for punishment worthy, and this stuff goes on our record. I know a kid--a very good student--who got his only silent lunch for tossing someone a pencil. I think that giving a warning first will reduce the number of innocent students being punished. Overall, I think there are many good reasons to get rid of Silent Lunch, and I hope that you sincerely consider this proposition. So, reader.....what do you think? And, dear reader, I have an apology to make to you. This entry won't include a review or song--I have to go now! But I'll do double next time. You have my word.
Good night, reader.
2 Comments
Miss Jess
12/11/2015 05:24:29 pm
Hi Miss Maddie,
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Maddie Jane
12/12/2015 01:39:20 pm
Hi Miss Jess!
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AuthorI'm Madeline Jane: singer, dancer, writer, nerd, avid reader, and actress. Read my blog for more! Archives
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