Headphones tend to have a positive and negative impact on students. A positive impact with headphones is helping students at Eureka High School focus on their work better when it comes to independent work time. When it comes to headphone policy at Eureka they are expected to be put away and out of view in the classroom. Although some teachers can make up their own rules for when it is appropriate in the classroom.
Michael Millaway, 10,has experienced a positive impact with headphones helping him focus at school.
“Locking in with music helps me get into my zone and just start working and not think about anything else,” Millaway said.
Most students at Eureka have their headphones in the majority of the time during school hours.
“I wear my headphones 80% of the time at school unless I lose them,” Millaway said.
Millaway also wears headphones at home when doing his homework to help him “lock in” on his work.
According to Dr. Masha Godkin a professor with family sciences at National University, Listening to music activates both sides of your brain making it easier for you to focus and have a better memory with what you are learning or studying.
Catherine Cande, 11, finds wearing her headphones very helpful when it comes to drowning out background noises.
“It helps me focus because it helps me kind of cancel out the other kids’ voices,” Cande said.
Cande also likes to wear her headphones around the hallways to help her boost her confidence when walking around the crowded halls.
“Probably when I’m scared and alone because it makes me feel more confident,” Cande said.
Mary Green, language arts teacher , thinks that headphones have many positive and negative effects for her students in her classroom.
“ I would say the positives for sure is that it helps some students focus. So it helps them block out more distractions and they can be more productive that way,” Green said.
Along with positive effects there are also some negatives. Some negative effects that teachers have seen with students is getting off task, distracted, and even being a distraction for other students.
“Some of the negatives could be using them at inappropriate times or using them as a distraction, kinda helping them get off task a little’’ Green said.
Headphones are “banned” at Eureka high school but it’s mainly up to the teachers and what they prefer in their classroom.
Mary Green says that headphones are not entirely banned in her classroom because it can be important for students to wear headphones during quiet work time.
“So for the most part if im up there lecturing their attention should be on me or what we are doing on the board, but if they are doing something working on their own, working on an essay, writing or typing I don’t mind if they lock in with headphones at all” Green said.
Headphones can help so many teens lock in and get their work done by drowning out background noises and helping them feel less alone when doing their work.
