I am a Secondary English teacher. Last year, I worked at a school where I taught both middle and high school students. At this particular school, there were no study halls available. I saw firsthand how this negatively affected my students performances in and out of the classroom.

My students constantly complained that I gave them too much homework, and my initial response to this is "Boo Hoo", as I explained to them that I had the same amounts when I was in high school, if not more. Then, I began to think about it more. Maybe I WAS putting too much on their shoulders. At my high school, I did have a study hall available to me, and sometimes even more than one. I was able to get all of my homework done, and didn't have to worry about struggling to get it all done the night, or class, before it was due. These kids did not have that luxury. I began to realize that many of my students did have OTHER classes besides mine, as well as numerous after school activities that they were involved in. Many students were members of athletic teams, who sometimes did not return home from practices or games until very late in the evening. This is where a study hall during school hours would have been extremely beneficial.

The point is, educators should realize the importance of a study hall, as a way of relieving some of the stress that teenagers face everyday in vast quantities. God knows they have enough to worry about with the raging hormones and teen angst they are so readily willing to supply, especially to us authority figures. Let's all do ourselves a favor and bring back the study hall!

Learn more about this author, Kimberly Skillman.
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