Letter to the Editor: Backpack rule change teaching more than three Rs
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High schools are the last remnant of public education before students are thrust into the world as adults. As such, high schools teach more than just academic subjects. They try to prepare students for the "real world." With the semester change, Parkersburg High School is changing back to a pre-COVID rule requiring students to put their backpacks in their locker instead of carrying them around all day. This is a big change for students. But adapting to change is part of being an adult. Lots of things about life changed during the initial pandemic and lots of things are now changing back. In the grand scheme of things, backpacks are a minor change.
Not carrying a backpack around all day also teaches students important lessons. As an adult, when I walk out the door in the morning, I do what I call the "three-point pat down." I tap my left and right pockets and my right belt loop to ensure I leave my house with my wallet, keys and phone. Most people have a similar daily routine to ensure they leave their house with needed items. Where did I learn this routine? It evolved from my days in high school -- where I did not carry a backpack. By not having access to a bag, students are going to have to think, "What do I need for the morning? What do I need for the afternoon? What can I get by without to lighten the load? How can I organize my locker to make this easier?" Adults ask themselves similar questions daily.
While students may see this rule as an inconvenience, enacting the rule not only improves school safety it teaches students to adapt to change and develops personal organizational skills that will serve them well for a lifetime. The students currently at PHS have weathered a lot of change during their time in school, and I know they will rise to the challenge of not carrying a backpack and be better for it.
Sonya Ashby
National Board-Certified Teacher
Vice President, AFT Wood County
Teacher, Parkersburg High School