THE CONARD COURANT
Est. 1957
Block Scheduling: The Next Step, or a Waste of Time?
By Caroline Hathorn
Block scheduling: we’ve all heard about it! Whether you have an older sibling in college, keep in touch with a friend that goes to private school, or experienced it yourself during COVID-19, this is likely not the first time you’re hearing about the alternate concept of schooling. But what actually is block scheduling, and is it really a good idea?
First of all, how does block scheduling work? Basically, instead of having all of your classes every day, you only have half of your classes (but they last longer). So instead of having eight 45 minute classes a day, you have four 90 minute classes that repeat every other day. There are a lot of potential benefits to this model, especially for teachers. With double the time in each class, teachers are able to complete their lessons without having to split assignments up between days. This would allow for more labs and interactive activities, and could potentially decrease the amount of homework students are getting simply because they would have time to complete the work in class. Socially, block scheduling would also have benefits like stronger relationships between teachers and their students, which could improve students’ communication skills with adults and boost their overall enjoyment of being in class. Other pros of block scheduling from a student’s view point include not having to study for as many classes in one night and improved stamina and focus that would come from sitting through longer class periods. Especially for high school seniors that are going to college soon, adjusting to longer class periods would be incredibly beneficial and would do nothing but help them in the future of their education. One student in particular agrees with this opinion, saying “I think it’d be a nice change of pace…we would have that longer period of time to ask for help when needed because the teacher is present and right in front of us instead of having to email.” Overall, the potential that block scheduling provides is great, and both the students and teachers involved could benefit significantly from it!
However, block scheduling is not without its draws. With students going longer amounts of time between revisiting the same subjects, it would undoubtedly be more difficult to retain the information learned. This could potentially cause the need for more of each block to be spent reviewing the content of the last class, which would impact the amount of material that students in the subject have time to learn. Additionally, if a student were to miss a day of school, it would be much more difficult to make up work, because they would have to make up more than an hour of work for each class! Especially during this time of course selections at Conard, the concept of switching to a different model of schooling can be confusing for some students. It is unclear if we are going to block scheduling next year, and if we are, most students aren’t sure what classes they would actually have room in their schedule for. Several students have voiced their opinions regarding the timing of the process, remarking that “The uncertainty surrounding block scheduling is an inconvenience as I pick my classes because I don't know how many I’m able to pick.” An example of this confusion can be seen with students who would like to take classes with more than one block as their elective, such as an extra AP science or the new EMT class that is being offered starting next year. There is likely a simple solution to minor scheduling conflicts such as this one, but with the Powerschool portal to pick your classes open and no definite answer on whether or not we’re actually going to a block schedule next year, students are left unsure on what they are able to pick when prompted to complete the course selection process. Finally, a potential downside of block scheduling could be that students in high school are not physically able to stay focused for longer periods of time, so longer classes could cause previously bright students to struggle academically due to a lack of focus. Yes, it is important for students to adjust to longer class periods, but at what cost?
In conclusion, there is no right side to pick when it comes to block scheduling. Depending on each individual’s academic ability, age, and plans after high school, a more spread out model of schooling like block scheduling can either be really beneficial or unnecessarily complicated. However, as we look to transition to this new schedule format within the coming school years, we hope to find that the pros outweigh the cons, leaving students with a better education, a less stressful day, and feeling more prepared for whatever they choose to pursue after high school.
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