Passing Time between Classes should be Longer

Dear Teen Ink, Kids should have longer passing time between classes.

We only have three minutes to get from class to class, and some teachers are unfair. Once and a while, when the bell rings and the teacher is still talking, they say something like, “Don’t get up! The bell doesn’t dismiss you, I do!” and then they go on talking for another 30 seconds and finally let us leave. A lot of times this happens in a class where the class is on one side of school and the class you need to get to is on the other side of the school. People use the bathroom during passing time because teachers will, at times, deny their request to go, since they might not have a pass. The hall can get very busy during passing time and people run and crash into other people. This causes people to drop all their things and it would take a while to pick all of it up, even if someone was helping you pick up.

My teacher has said a few times that during passing time, he can use the bathroom, go to the office to pick up his mail, fill up his coffee, and get back to the classroom just as the bell rings, so he doesn’t think we need a longer passing time. I have countered his argument for this by saying that he is stronger and that he walks faster since he has longer legs. Also since he is a teacher people walk around him and don’t crash into him. I’m in 7th grade, and I’m fairly short. Lots of 8th graders are way taller than me, and they just crash into me without acknowledging it.

I have seen that if you don’t walk at the same pace as others, you could get crashed into. Since I have short legs, I don’t walk very fast and taller people could be behind me waiting for me to go faster, but I wouldn’t have an idea! Normally I just walk the pace that works for me. Sincerely, Julia