Students Tardy Amidst PE Locker Room Hold-Up

Students in navy blue uniforms rush to the locker rooms, followed by physical education (PE) teachers slowly walking to unlock the locker room doors right as the bell chimes to go to your next class. Adrenaline pulses through students, worried about seeing the disapproving look on the face of their next teacher as they show up to class late. They feel helpless, and the excuse of “I had PE” never seems to go over well. Not to mention, walking into class after the bell and feeling the burning stares of your fellow classmates is always embarrassing and disruptive to the class.

This struggle is faced by every freshman student at Campolindo, particularly girls due to the fact that their locker room is the furthest away from the rest of campus. Passing periods at Campolindo are 5-10 minutes long depending on the day, and while 10 minutes may be enough time to change and arrive at class on time, 5 minutes is insufficient considering the expansive campus. Students are also advised by their PE teachers to bring athletic shoes to school, adding another obstacle in their way of getting to class on time since students must change their shoes, as well.

The dated lockers are also notorious for getting stuck right when you need to open them at the end of class to return your PE attire. This causes even more anxiety for students as they struggle to yank open the locker in time.

During class, we have noticed that PE teachers seem to not check their watch or ignore the time completely, valuing extra exercise for students over ensuring that students arrive at their next period on time. Often, students will still be up at the track when they hear the bell ring for the end of the period, a sign to get to your next class. The stressful walk down to the locker room alone takes 2 minutes, while waiting for the doors to get unlocked and actually changing is even longer, guaranteeing a late arrival to the next class.

The PE locker rooms are guarded by 2 doors, 1 that leads students from the outside into a small room and 1 that opens to the multiple rows of lockers. PE teachers and faculty are the only people that have the keys necessary for opening these 2 doors. The leisurely pace at which PE teachers stroll down from the field causes delays in the opening of these doors, which leads to the late arrival of students to their following class periods.

Students have tried everything in their power to not be tardy to their next class, including running to the locker rooms in hopes of having a couple extra minutes to change, but the teacher’s delayed arrival ensures students will be late to their next class. “Helpless” is the word that best describes the feeling of watching the time tick by until your next class while your teacher slowly walks from the track to the locker rooms, unaware of the effect they’re having on your punctuality to your next class.

Even 6th and 7th period PE classes face the struggle of being let out late after the end of school bell rings. Many students rely on carpool or catching the County Connection bus to get home, causing them to sprint to the spot in hopes that their one way passage home is still there. Other students have after school commitments, like jobs or sports, that require them to arrive on time quickly after school. Showing up late to work or an extracurricular is very disrespectful to your boss or coach, which could even result in being fired or cut from a team.

Overall, time management and punctuality are important life skills that are crucial for students to develop in their high school years. Creating good habits of time management and arriving on time will help students later in life and in their future careers. PE teachers must be held accountable for allowing their students time to change and get to class on time, ensuring that students are prepared for their next class and are not disruptive.