Oh TAG…it seems like a faint, glittering memory now. I can still recall the twiddling of thumbs and the furious scribbling of procrastination. And for you private school kids who have no idea what I’m talking about, well, picture paradise.
Nobody knew what it stood for (it’s Teacher Advisory Group, by the way), but it was 25 minutes of chatting with your friends or studying for that daunting math quiz—or attempting both at once.
But let’s be honest, that was middle school. Your grades mattered, but they never mattered. There were no AP exams, five-page essays, and certainly no college apps to stress over. Although TAG was a salvation for the slacking student, it was never necessary. That all changed freshmen year.
We lost it when we needed it most. With hour upon hour of homework, an extra split-second for concentrating on work would do any high-schooler some good. Adding the extra time into the day could also be an alternative to Montgomery County’s push for later start times.
I can recycle most of the arguments pushing for that change, including the fact that our sleep patterns are just not healthy. It would allow students to go to bed earlier knowing they can wrap up their homework the next day.
One option for its implementation would be shortening first period—which most students aren’t awake for anyway. Allowing even 15 minutes between first and second period would be enough as long as it permitted a solid moment to get our minds in gear for the day (and possibly even practice some mindfulness).
To avoid the distracting bickering of classmates, the period would be optional and students would be allowed to socialize on the first floor, avoiding the upper level classrooms as they do at lunch. It would also finally give a larger purpose to our homerooms besides taking the PSAT and handing out report cards.
Some students would inevitably put their homework off until the next day, which was unavoidable even at Pyle. But those 15 minutes might mean the difference between an A or a B on a test. It also would dispatch that irritating question that teachers have grown to despise: “my printer broke, so can I go print the assignment now?”
But whatever we decide on, it would ultimately allow high schoolers extra time both for sleep and studying, which we all gravely deserve in such a high pressure, high functioning environment like Whitman.
Now I realize this may not be a feasible plea, so if nothing else, let this be a memento of what we once had as our gawky middle-schooler selves. Times of studying feudal Europe and making sense of Tom Sawyer—of Mr. Smith and Mr. Satterwhite patrolling the halls. What’s the harm in a little nostalgia?
