5 Star Students Gets One Star:
“I hate it.”
“I think it’s dumb.”
“I can’t use the bathroom properly without feeling pressured.”
I surveyed students regarding Helix’s new phone free zones and limited passes. I asked: Fair or Frustrating?
An overwhelming number of them leaned toward Frustrating.
Not Happy
75% of students expressed annoyance when they first heard about the policy, 14.7 % didn’t care and 7.4% felt afraid.
Students voiced three main concerns:
They feel that they are unable to properly address any bathroom-related accidents in such a short amount of time
Getting in trouble with a teacher and/or having to reveal personal information to avoid getting in trouble was embarrassing
In the event of an emergency, students worry about not being able to contact their loved ones.
To Stress or Not to Stress?
Interestingly, 29.4% stated that their stress levels were 10 out of 10, while 19.1% stated that their stress levels were 1 out of 10. Could it be that most students are imagining how stressful situations might feel, rather than experiencing the stress firsthand? Students described their stress using 5 Star. One student explained,
“When I got my period my pants were all bloody, I had no phone to text anyone, therefore, we need our phones,” said one surveyed student. Yet another student pointed out, “You should only be stressed if you have an ignorant teacher/sub who’s unfamiliar with the program.”
7 Minutes is Not Cutting It
83.8% said 7 minutes was not enough time. Time matters to students. A student explained,
“While in most cases 7 minutes would be enough time, if a student has some sort of emergency that would take longer, it may become a bigger ordeal among teachers and staff than it should be.”
In some cases bathrooms are locked, and in other cases a person simply cannot take care of their business in the time allotted. Students expressed real situations where strict limits don’t always make room for the things they deal with privately.
Some Understanding but Mostly Frustration
Not everyone totally hates these changes.
One student remarks, “It does sort of distract teachers a little…but if teachers don’t mind, then I don’t mind at all.” This shows that there are some students willing to adjust to changes if the policies are fair and make sense.
Most of the feedback is tied to a shared feeling: students want to be trusted and treated like responsible individuals, not just managed with a one-size-fits-all rule.
