Fidgets are becoming very popular in many schools but some believe they might do more harm than good by distracting people and making little whirring sounds when a teacher is talking. They are essentially toys you spin with your hands; designed to help with concentration. They’ve been around for years but recently exploded in popularity.
However, why people are using them is a whole different story. They were also meant to help relieve anxiety in autistic children. Despite their benefits, fidgets have caused controversy within many schools.
For people with accommodations it’s fine “as long as it is okay with the teacher and they agree to allow you to use it then I believe it is fine,” said eighth grader Max Olsher, who has used fidget spinners before.
In a survey with 257 responses, 80.5 percent of students at the ASL believed that they should be allowed in school. “I think that it is the school’s decision on what they approve and don’t approve, so I half agree and half don’t agree because as it may be distracting to some, it could actually help others,” said Olsher. He believes the school should find alternatives instead of banning them straight away without a solution to this problem.
The fifth grade did exactly that. Grade 5 team leader Mr Twiest said, “We didn’t essentially ban them. We allow students with reasons to use them bring them to classes.” He later said that this was needed and apparently he had seen a difference in attention since banning them. “They make little sounds and also distract others while trying to balance them and do tricks with them.”
Teachers agree as many have already sent him many thank you letters about this. “This is not a ban. It is just that the student needs to get permission from their teachers. This also clears many things for teachers who did not know what the other teachers were doing about this,” said Mr Twiest.
On May 18, the team leaders of all middle school grades will come together to discuss this matter. Mr. Twiest will discuss how this plan worked for grade 5 and try to convince other grades to follow in their footsteps. “It helped with their attention and I no longer had to remind them to focus in my class,” said Mr. Twiest. This protocol might later make its way to the rest of middle school.
“…the conversation was fine. The other team leaders are getting similar reports about distractions in class, and they appreciated hearing about the Grade 5 response. I am not sure if they will follow suit in exactly the same way, but I do know they’ll communicate to the faculty at their grade level about the issue.” Mr Twiest said.
Weighing the advantages to the pitfalls of fidget spinners is causing much debate at ASL. The school is noticing the increasing number of people are feeling the need to move their hands and fidget with something, and making necessary protocols for it.
