I’m not going to sugarcoat it, the second period of the day sucks. Rarely does anyone look forward to walking through a classroom door knowing they are going to have to spend the next 80 minutes of their life in there. You drag yourself into class, take your seat on the most stiff chair known to man and begin to mentally prepare yourself for the terror. To exacerbate the situation, the starting gun is fired, leaving a ringing in your ear— it’s the school bell, marking the beginning of class. Now, it’s time to listen to your teacher’s in-depth lecture for what feels like eternity. The clock in the corner of your room becomes your best friend. Isn’t it a coincidence that while Staples High School’s first long period of the day takes place, the world clock malfunctions? No, the clock isn’t malfunctioning. There are times when after 30 minutes, only five minutes have gone by on the clock.
On the occasions that my class and I get a break, we participate in my personal favorite bonding experience—silently using our phones for 10-15 minutes. However, if you’re REALLY lucky, your teacher will take you and your class on a trip to the cafeteria. In past years, I would always hear about classes getting to live this fantasy. I was envious of them. It’s only now as I begin my Junior year of high school, after two painful years of waiting, that I have the opportunity to take a real break to the cafeteria. My cafeteria breaks take place during my long Spanish period and it’s the only class of mine that goes on these breaks. Staring at your screen for a few minutes and participating in awkward conversations are not exactly my idea of breaks. I declare trips to the cafeteria far superior break options because not only do students enjoy them, but they are also beneficial to their well-being..
“They [Cafeteria breaks] were really helpful; they helped me get a little brain break and get energy for class,” Nick Berkey ’25 said. “I think they are very important […] I wish we took more breaks.”
Breaks throughout school are advantageous, as they are one of the few points during the day where you can take time for yourself. A student’s brain is working for almost all seven hours of a school day. It becomes necessary to have some time in between to recharge, destress and return back to learning, feeling refreshed.
According to The Learning Center, actual affective breaks for the brain include physical movement and nourishing your body- Improving your overall alertness, attention and motivation. That sounds wonderful, but I wonder how students could possibly get a break that involved these benefits? Oh wait. Taking a trip to the cafeteria! For those unaware, walking to the cafeteria involves physical movement and being there you get the option to grab a quick snack.
It’s hard to understand why most classes don’t take cafeteria breaks. 10 minutes for students to refresh during the beginning, middle or end of class is time well spent. A quick break to the cafeteria will help students focus better for the rest of the day. They don’t even have to go every week, maybe just once in a while. Although I wish the rest of my classes took breaks to the cafeteria- having one that does, I can honestly say I don’t dread walking into that classroom nearly as much as my others
