When school hallways flood with over 50-100 kids during class time, teachers know there is an issue with students disrupting class and disrespecting teachers.

Principal John Koch is aware that when students start to disrespect and misuse the rules, it is time to enforce them.

“I just decided that at the end of the semester it was time to revisit this with a vigorous manner,” Koch said.

Koch held a meeting with three other vice principals and sent an email to the teachers about the rules. Due to the many complaints from teachers, they quickly agreed that it was time for students to acknowledge and appreciate the rules this school has.

“The overall purpose [of focusing on the rule] is we were seeing many, many kids roaming the halls,” Koch said.

    According to Koch, kids are breaking the rules because sometimes they need a break. He added that kids are kids and sometimes they want to roam around and do something. While this may be true, this student behavior has become a distraction.

    Math teacher Olivia Green agrees with Koch and is tired of loud students wandering in the hallway during her teaching time.

Green states that many teachers discuss during meetings how they can deal with disrespectful students walking around in the hallways during class time.

“I was very excited to hear we were going to be proactive about it,” Green said.

    Another important aspect to this is making sure that classroom environments are protected for students. According to Koch, it seems easier to manage when people crack down on respect.

    Now, when students are out in the hallways, they must have a pass with them and know where they are going. According to Koch, the building is safer due to teachers being able to identify students in the hall as students of this school because they have a pass.

If a student is found in the hall without a pass, they must go to their teacher and get one. If the circumstance is worse, it could result in a detention.

    “It impacts a lot of kids when you don’t enforce the rule,” Koch said.

Students that are walking around in the hallways are impacting others because they are being a distraction to them.    .

These required rules are important to Green for two main reasons: having students in class makes it easier for them to learn without roaming the halls and having limited distractions in the hallways helps students focus better in class time.

Sophomore Kimberly Elkins is aware of the noise level the students in the hallways bring into the classrooms.

    “[It is distracting] when someone in the hallway says something funny and everyone in the class starts laughing,” Elkins said.

    According to Elkins, the most distracting hallways are the ones near the cafeteria. Sometimes the noise level outside of Green’s room can be distracting to the class.

    Ever since the hallway rules have been enforced, Elkins has seen a difference.

    “I don’t really hear people yelling in the halls as much as I used too,” Elkins said.

    The only thing that Green has had to change is figuring out how she can send her TAs out without always handing them a pink pass to be excused from class. Now she uses TA passes to hand to them.

Ever since the teachers have been proactive about the rules, Green has noticed a large improvement.

    “Students will show teachers their passes as they walk by in the hallway,” Green said.

    According to Green, kids are distracted now less by noise in the hallway. It is easier to keep track of who is in and out of class.

    IB coordinator Chris Smith tends to spend a lot of time walking through the hallway during his day. He states that many kids wander around the school while they should be in class.

    “I want people to understand that the culture [of Gresham High School] is a place of learning,” Smith said.

    When kids spend most of their time in the hallways, they are creating a different culture while they should be learning, according to Smith.

    Smith has noticed a little improvement over these last few weeks with more kids having passes.

    “It’s more generally understood that they are not supposed to be there [in the hallways],” Smith said.

    Now, students are starting to pay more attention and be more alert to the imposed rules. Their respect for teachers in the hallway has improved, and less students wander around the school.