Student Spectrums

Irum Sarfaraz is a freelance writer. She teaches high school ELA and ELC and encourages students to step out of the box for creative expression.

The debate on keeping the door closed in the non-presence of a teacher hit a raw nerve with the students. In their defense, they had a lot to say and they said it, interestingly bringing in angles and perspectives that that are both novel, and on the same hand, often not short of ludicrously honest. Some side with the teachers and the policy and admit that, yes, ‘things’ are likely to happen in a closed room while others have other ideas. According to Dania Rezwan, “However, if the door were to be closed, students would be free to do whatever they pleased. Children like to think that they are mature and independent, but in reality, they are much less than that. Their minds, identities, and moral compasses are still in development, making it challenging for them to distinguish between right and wrong. Leaving students along with the door closed could lead to major consequences that could be avoided if the door was to remain opened.” 

Dareen Elsaghir is caustically frank about it and questions the physical presence of a door at all. She says, “The concept of having a door in a class that is not meant to be closed sparks confusion in many minds. In a classroom with a door placed between a frame, it should be expected to close without the student’s knowledge. For instance, if a door is closed during a class, the teacher may exit the room, closing the door. This leads to a puzzling situation, placing students in a dark alley of swarming accusations.” Dareen also ties closed doors to student wellness, although I personally have seen otherwise, in terms of behavior. Dareen says, “doors may close, yet that doesn’t always lead to problems and quarrels. Closing doors allows for the preservation of wellness, as it prevents any carefree individuals from barging uninvitedly into a classroom.” She ends her argument with a rap on the proverbial fingers of the opposing view by saying, “If doors are meant to remain open at all times, schools shouldn’t bother to install doors—an empty rectangle should be placed instead.” Interesting! 

            Faizah Hassan supports the idea. Hallelujah! She says, “Keeping the door open just makes everything easier. No one has to deal with the awkwardness of hearing a knock, stopping what they’re doing, and walking over to open it like it’s some grand task. It avoids that weird moment where everyone stares at the door, waiting for someone else to move. Plus, it’s practical during passing periods—people can come and go without the whole “open the door, close the door” routine slowing things down.” However, this next perspective is food for thought for teachers, “On top of that, an open door lets students see the teacher coming, giving them time to look like they’re doing something productive.” Hmm. So she admits that students often make it look like they are being productive, when in fact they’re not! She sandwiches in this reflection in the middle of more support for open doors, “It’s also less stuffy, with more airflow, and keeps the classroom from feeling like a sealed box. So really, keeping the door open isn’t just a rule; it’s common sense.” What can I say?! 

            Fatima Ahmed zeroes in on human development when placing forth her argument. She says, “At this significant age of human development, students are under a lot of pressure to meet and even surpass high bars set for them. They have to balance their academic and social life, which means taking intricate and significant steps in their everyday life. Because of this, they may sometimes forget certain rules which they should follow, for instance, keeping the classroom door open.” She also brings in an irrefutable religious angle: “As human beings, we are prone to making mistakes. If we didn’t make mistakes, we would be angels who are perfect and bound to obedience without objection. Therefore, forgetting to leave the door open proves that we are, in fact, human beings. This is the silver lining in this mishap.” Madiha Nawed jumps on the same bandwagon here. She says, “Just because of that one mistake, teachers overlook the amount of times we actually opened the door when the teacher wasn’t around. In my defense, I’d like to say that we are also humans and humans make mistakes.”

Fatima has more to say in her defense, and this time, she stresses how students are ‘fixated’ on the board! Hmmm! “Another reason why I didn’t notice when the door was in the process of closing was the fact that my vision was not fixated solely on the door. In class, we are instructed to look at the board, and not around. We are meant to focus on our work and look in front to improve focus. Looking around the classroom would kill the purpose of learning and would further worsen out attention spans.” Madiha resonates this idea with, “I would like to request the teacher to be in our shoes for two minutes and understand how pressured we feel when we open the door ten times when it’s closed and a teacher isn’t around yet, that one moment it closes and we somehow forget to open it, we are held accountable.” What can I say?

Maaria Khan strategically twists the whole idea around, starting out first in support of the idea, saying, “Students are stubborn! No matter how much they are told to keep their classroom doors open, they continue to do otherwise. It seems this is getting out of hand, and a solution must be found immediately. It is so bad that even after being given an essay for it a week before, students leave the door closed!” but then, going entirely south, she says, “Teachers may argue that this is an extremely frustrating issue for them when handling their stubborn students. However, the same applies to the students, who have to deal with their teachers telling them over and over again to keep their doors open.” She goes on to add a cherry on the cake too, “However, another solution students may propose could be to “do it yourself”. This applies to anyone in the classroom, including the teachers. If they feel that their students are untrustworthy and must be shown responsibility, then teachers may open the door themselves. Although teachers may argue that this idea is as outrageous as it seems, that is the best solution that exhausted and mentally drained students can propose at the end of the day.”

Manahel Rafi talks about the trust issue in the whole matter, “Before teachers assume bizarre situations when walking into the classroom while the door is shut, considering the students’ reasoning would significantly improve their understanding. Firstly, by asking the students themselves why such a situation even occurred, they might begin to see that the students were not at fault. While there is a high chance for students to brainstorm a lie in order to defend themselves, it is necessary for the teachers to have trust in their students. By creating a positive environment and bond, future problems can easily be avoided.” Zaara Khan carries forth the ball on the same note. In her words, “Schools teach core subjects and encourage life skills such as responsibility and trust. Yes, if students fail to behave, they should face some consequences, but they should be reasonable. After all, children are children while still growing into adults. Schools should foster good habits, even if it means trusting them when the door is closed.” Zaara, however, makes closed door contingent on student behavior too, “Responsibility is also a major issue in schools. If a teacher trusts his or her students to act accordingly as they step out of the room, then those students should not attempt to break the trust.” So what if students have been tried and tested and found untrustworthy?! Food for thought for this perspective! 

Menal Salman is very frank about the whole issue. It’s just not a big deal to her. She says,  “The students were always cautious about the door after writing the essay last week. If they forgot about it for two minutes, that is not a big deal. If the door is closed for two minutes, that is not a big deal. If the door is closed for 2 minutes and the teacher enters the class won’t turn into a fish market with fish all over the floor and students arguing and fighting.” She serves out another ladle of this frankness with, “The door is not a child, who needs to be taken care of when there is no teacher inside. The students cannot look after it 24/7.” Hmmm. There’s something to think about!

            Tahir Altalib, being the Student Council President, raises a voice on behalf of the entire 10^th  grade very positively, “The 10th grade class at Ilm Academy holds a level of moral, ethical, and honorable conduct like no other class in the school. Each one of us is a leader of one or the other club and carry ourselves with an unmatched sense of responsibility and integrity. So when the door is left closed and the class is unsupervised for a few minutes, the students are aware of their ethical and behavioral responsibilities. Unfortunately, today, the class slipped up and left the door open”. Although Tahir does agree that closed doors are a liability, he stills ‘lawyer’ his own cause vehemently,  “While one may argue that leaving the door closed in a room full of teenagers at Ilm Academy may seem like a liability, in reality, when comparing the class in subject to other classes in the school, one would easily come to the realization that this class is one of, if not the only class who should be allowed to leave the door closed.” 

            Rayyan Khan expresses his agony with a very creative choice of words, “As a 10th grader at Ilm Academy, the constant fear that I experience every day is unhealthy. An object as powerless as a door has overpowered my brain into living in an environment that’s not prosperous of knowledge, but rather of worry and concern. What once was a simple rule has transformed into something that rules over the minds of innocent children who get punished over actions that aren’t ever their own.” Now why do I feel so bad?

            Zolal Omarkhil accepts blame, although she is not in support of the idea. She says, “Overall the reason why anyone would shut the door even after having an essay was not something that was done on purpose. As a class we need to be way more aware and understand the reasons why the door needs to be open without a teacher. I should also be paying more attention to my surroundings and if I see the door closed I need to open it.” 

So, as evident by the perspectives of the ‘defenders’ in the case of ‘Open Doors vs. Closed Doors’, the case remains undecided, and had there been a jury sitting in on it, there is a great likelihood of it being hung with no verdict. The case remains pretty strong on both ends. The readers, in this case, are now equipped to present their own verdict on the matter. And it will be interesting to see which side they lean towards.