Opinion

Removal of bells is ideal for both students and teachers

Brett Halpern, staff writer|November 21, 2021

Photo used with permission from Google Creative Commons

A return to the no-bells policy would benefit all.

Following recent problems with the bell system, seniors were given a flashback of their freshman year, when there were no bells signaling the change of class periods.

Former Principal Michael Doran started this tradition less than a decade ago with the thinking that the removal of bells would make the school a more relaxing environment for students and teachers. A few years after his passing, the school once again changed the policy, reinstituting the use of bells between periods. With only the current seniors having ever experienced the school day without bells, there are mixed feelings surrounding the topic.

Both students and teachers are managing stress day in and day out. Sometimes it can be just the smallest thing that can make or break one’s day. The subtle change of not having a blaring bell signaling the change of periods is just one way that administration can make the school experience a little more pleasurable.

The initial concern of having the school day without bells is what happens if the time is simply forgotten or a teacher loses track. In the school year of 2018-2019 this was not an issue as even if the time was glazed over, the noise coming from the hallway made it clear when the period was over. On days where the normal bell schedule was not followed the bells would be rung, minimizing confusion.

This practice is becoming more common in middle and high schools all over the country as administrations have found it makes schools feel less institutionalized, which could only create a better learning environment. Teachers are able to set an expectation for their students as far as timeliness while also allowing for more flexibility. During the virtual school year, students were tasked with following a new schedule from their own homes and rose to the occasion.

High school is supposed to be a place where students are being prepared for the real world. Adults are responsible for being in control and aware of the time in order to be where they need to be at the right time. While it may seem futile, this small change could teach students how to hold themselves accountable for making it to their obligations on time.

Underclassmen were first exposed to the no bell schedule when the system was receiving maintenance a few weeks ago. Though it came with confusion at first, students were able to navigate to class on time as it quickly felt as though there was no change at all.

Opponents to this ideal argue that bells bring a more structured feel into the school day, which is important for students’ development. Yes, students and teachers are in need of structure from consistency but the sense of routine from bells does not outweigh the stress the noise provides. The structure does not come from an alarm but rather a schedule that would be minimally affected with the absence of bells.