Rules. They're a set of regulations that we abide by daily. They're meant to create organization, civil conduct, and improvement among society. And it's necessary to enforce these rules so that order and integrity are ensured.
But somewhere along the way of enforcing and following these rules, the purpose behind making them has been forgotten. At school, tardies exist to ensure that students are present for the lesson. But when you step into the classroom 30 seconds late (because of the terrible traffic leading up to the school campus), a mere four days of the ten weeks of a quarter, you are expected to spend several hours sitting idly for detention. The advisors tell you, "this will teach you to be punctual." But does it really make sense to be punished for multiple hours for missing a grand total of two minutes of your first period where class hasn't even really begun?
Or when your teacher plays a movie because the school year is practically over, and you fall asleep. You get in trouble and "lose a part of your participation grade." Again! Why do you suffer for not watching a movie that is simply played because there's nothing to do?. Your teacher's not watching it either. Nor is the movie going to "further your education." So why is it that you're getting in trouble?!
Although this may just be a rant of the instances where I've (wrongfully) gotten in trouble, I rant for a reason! I fully acknowledge that students can't just get to school late to sleep in, or that students shouldn't sleep during lessons. But when these situations differ, rules should too! Too often, we focus on doing things because we have to and because there's "right and wrong" (Thoreau 384) But really, we should start to think about why we should be doing these things.
If you think about it, rules are so variable. One teacher might allow phones in her classroom, while another might not. This just shows you how rules differ because they're supposed to be motivated by genuine goodness, instead of seeking to punish. It's crazy how applicable Civil Disobedience is in this modern setting, but like Thoreau says, "we should be men first, and subjects [of rules] afterward" (Thoreau 384).
But somewhere along the way of enforcing and following these rules, the purpose behind making them has been forgotten. At school, tardies exist to ensure that students are present for the lesson. But when you step into the classroom 30 seconds late (because of the terrible traffic leading up to the school campus), a mere four days of the ten weeks of a quarter, you are expected to spend several hours sitting idly for detention. The advisors tell you, "this will teach you to be punctual." But does it really make sense to be punished for multiple hours for missing a grand total of two minutes of your first period where class hasn't even really begun?
Or when your teacher plays a movie because the school year is practically over, and you fall asleep. You get in trouble and "lose a part of your participation grade." Again! Why do you suffer for not watching a movie that is simply played because there's nothing to do?. Your teacher's not watching it either. Nor is the movie going to "further your education." So why is it that you're getting in trouble?!
Although this may just be a rant of the instances where I've (wrongfully) gotten in trouble, I rant for a reason! I fully acknowledge that students can't just get to school late to sleep in, or that students shouldn't sleep during lessons. But when these situations differ, rules should too! Too often, we focus on doing things because we have to and because there's "right and wrong" (Thoreau 384) But really, we should start to think about why we should be doing these things.
If you think about it, rules are so variable. One teacher might allow phones in her classroom, while another might not. This just shows you how rules differ because they're supposed to be motivated by genuine goodness, instead of seeking to punish. It's crazy how applicable Civil Disobedience is in this modern setting, but like Thoreau says, "we should be men first, and subjects [of rules] afterward" (Thoreau 384).
I like you bringing up these moments because I remember laughing at both of them, especially when you got a saturday school *skull "im dead" emoji* because it was so unlike your character. Also putting these events together really highlights how irrelevant and nit-picky school rules can be, to me it shows a certain laziness within teachers and administration that doesn't actually care about good conduct. Honestly I think when u got slightly told off for "sleeping" during one of those movie days and you were literally just kind of resting ur head that is bad conduct itself. ok have a nic day sab
ReplyDeletelmao does the title of your blog allude to the Dua Lipa song
Deleteyes...😌and this is our new form of communication
Deletewtf (meaning what the fart, this is still a school assignment) im so jealous of that emoji? do i smell mobile version? or u care enough abt ur bb to copy paste
DeleteI really liked how you tied the article in to understandable school events that happen and tend to accumulate tardies over time. Like for me, I get tardies when my bus comes late and I have to print something in the morning because I don't have a printer. Or when you have to use the restroom in passing time and you get a tardy for not going to class on time. I also liked your quote selection you used.
ReplyDeleteI like how you incorporated real-life examples in which "Civil Disobedience" relates to. I agree that rules should be variable based on the situations we are presented with.
ReplyDeleteDang this is amazing and so relatable I've already finished my two comments for the week but now I want to rant also. So like rules are supposed to encourage and enforce good behavior right? Except rigid, unchanging rules that don't take into account the circumstances never achieve this. Cheaters will still find loopholes and honest people like most of us here suffer for no reason. I'd say one example of this is the new Inner View system for Project Lead. Ok I get it they want me to post a picture every time I do something to make sure I actually do it. But a cheater could go to a 5-hour event for 5 minutes and still claim they were there. Meanwhile, I'm at home, making coaching materials for the Boulan Park math team, and I prefer to spread out the work over multiple days because more than two or three hours a day just doesn't work lol. And as a result I'll have to post dozens of pictures of myself working in front of the computer and turn in dozens of point slips each worth like half an hour like bruh what???
ReplyDeleteI really loved this piece, especially the instance where you were penalized for falling asleep, something I'm sure many, many students can relate to. It is important to understand how such "consequences" and "this is for the greater good"s don't have the impact others may want them to have, and how creating a cycle of rules for no genuine reason is not necessary; if anything, it can be harmful to the mindset we may obtain.
ReplyDelete