High School students love listening to music. A study from Western Governors University states that when students listen to music, they have an increase in positive mood and creativity. Some teachers don’t have any problems with listening to music during work time, but others see it as a distraction, and a waste of time. According to healthline, Music can motivate you, reduce stress and promote a more positive mindset. Music is an ever-growing art, and with more people listening everyday, it’s no surprise that most students would be in favor of being able to listen to music during work time.

Many teachers argue against listening to music in class because it is seen as disrespectful. This makes sense because if a teacher is going over lesson plans, or talking about homework and a student has their earbuds in, this sends a message of carelessness, and creates a disconnect between the student and the classroom. Music during work time, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to hurt anybody, as working at your own pace and not being disrespectful to the teacher. 

An article from the Florida National University states that The Maryland Medical center revealed that students should listen to music while studying. “Music is an effective stress reliever for both healthy individuals and people with health problems. Research finds that listening to soothing music can decrease blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety levels in heart patients” A statement from the UMD medical center said. Not everyone likes music and can find it distracting from their work. For those who like music, it’s not fair because what helps them with performance is being taken away from them.

In some cases, a student may have their music turned up really loud, distracting the students who do not have earbuds in. This is where one problem for many teachers comes up. For this reason, many teachers have completely banned music during work time altogether. Another problematic restriction is school cell phone policies. Students should put their phones away along with their headphones, but should also have permission to grab them to listen to music during work time. There is little harm in the students hitting the play button on a playlist and setting their phone away for the rest of work time. 

To see who would benefit the most from music during work time, I think a poll should be sent out to all students in a school that has been approved by the admin to vote whether music during work time can always be an option, therefore overriding the teachers classroom rule. This of course would not apply to special days like testing, finals and any other in class activity that is not specifically work time.

Student success should always be at the forefront of a school’s list of priorities. So if you  give students the tools they need to succeed, it shouldn’t be an issue. Even if it causes problems very quickly, it would be very easy to reset back to the old rules.