Like the rest of the student body at my high school, in Piedmont, Oklahoma, I love music. Music is something that has been enjoyed at home, and in school. Wouldn’t you enjoy doing your classwork while listening to today’s top hits? Many of my teachers understand the everyday-teen’s absolute need to listen to music. Except for my Pre-AP English teacher, Ms.Boismier. This situation has taught me how to put myself in other people’s shoes and how to have an open mind. 

Just so you know, this argument has been going on since the beginning of the semester, when one of my fellow classmates asked if we could listen to music while we worked. She responded with something to the fact of “music is distracting”. At first, I didn’t agree, however I didn’t object. I was usually too caught up in getting my assignment done so I wouldn’t have homework to even care. Even then the more outgoing people in the class who also didn’t agree took a stand for music consent from her.  It took me about three months to realize the reason to Ms.Boismier’s rule.

To better understand why we were so upset you would have to know the music policies in our other classes. In one of my classes, we can listen to music if we ask permission first. If we don’t, then the teacher will confiscate our earbuds until the end of class. In another one of my classes, we can listen to music if it is quiet, and of course, if we have permission to do so. The rest of my teachers don’t have a care in the world if we listen to music while working. Basically, all of my teachers allow music when consent is given. In my Pre-AP English class however, music is not allowed unless on those rare,special occasions when she allows us to do so. It was frustrating, because what was so distracting about music? If no one around you can hear the music playing, what is so distracting about a pair of musical earplugs? 

Even after the argument was somewhat dropped, I still didn’t understand her reasoning. One day however, I started to realize the purpose of her rule. I was in my government class, and having finished the assignment early, I had free time. I thought that I would be able to get my homework done in that free time, because just like any other student I hate homework. In that class we were allowed to listen to music, so as usual I had my earbuds in. I got only seven questions done because I was distracted by the awesome Pentatonix music I was listening to. 7 out of 25 questions. To make it worse, the assignment was extremely easy, and I could’ve gotten it done. I then realized that yes, music is great, but it really is a major distraction. It is so distracting, it makes us lose focus on the task at hand, therefore, causing me to have homework that evening. My classmates would disagree with me, but sometimes listening to music is not a method that is best for me while working.

In conclusion, I have a learned some important knowledge from this argument. One thing I learned was that Ms.Boismier didn’t want us to have homework, just as much as she didn’t want to write ZAP slips (lunch detention slips) for late assignments. More importantly though, I learned how to put myself in someone else’s shoes. I have a new understanding with her rules and how they are to benefit me as well as her. This situation has also taught me to look in the perspective of all of my teachers. I strongly believe and encourage others to show empathy towards those around them. I think empathy would solve problems between students in teachers, as well as between students. If the kindness of empathy also went beyond our school district and into the community a numerous amount of problems could easily be solved. It just depends on if people want to find kindness in their hearts to show it. In Conclusion, I have learned not to judge someone’s actions until you put yourself in their shoes, and to always have an open mind.