The Class Schedule Conundrum by: Courtney Maynard

It has long been debated whether traditional scheduling or block days help students more. Many schools worldwide have made the switch from the “traditional” seven-period days to block days because the number of times classes meet per week is instrumental in the academic success of students. As I have moved and changed schools around the East Coast, I have been fortunate enough to experience three different types of class period setups.  Each of the setups provide students and teachers with unique benefits. I conducted an online survey asking students and teachers whether they prefer 7-8 period days, block days, or a mixture of both. I sent this survey to people in multiple states so that I could get answers from a variety of people, not just one group. In addition, I used my own experiences as a foundation for my research and obtained quotes from students and teachers about their preferred method of class period setups. Schools are constantly wondering, which method is best?  From this research, I have formed a conclusion: There is no “best” method; all of the class scheduling types are fantastic for students and teachers, but in different ways.

The first method is seven-period days. In sixth through eighth grade, my classes were set up where I had seven periods, each 45-50 minutes long. All seven classes met every day of the week. We also had 25 minutes of lunch and 25 minutes of “Powertime”, a study hall in our first-period class that allowed teachers to carry lessons over or give extra help to students. According to my survey, 37.5 percent of students prefer seven-period days. One positive aspect of 45 minute classes is that they hold students’ attention spans. Coach Ernst, a biology teacher, says he prefers seven-period days because, “I like the shorter periods. You can’t hold kids attention for an hour and a half on one subject.” Seven period days are helpful for teachers because they can get information across to students more efficiently without losing the interest of the students. Also, seeing students every day gives teachers a chance to quiz students on what they recall from previous classes without worrying about using precious meeting time. According to Zoe O., a student from Georgia, “I like 7 period days because I get to go to class every day.” When students are able to attend every class every day, it keeps them on their toes and combats procrastination. If a student knows they have homework due the next day, they will do it the night they get it instead of pushing it off until a later class period, which can be done with block days. In addition, attending class every day means that students always have the topic at the front of their brain. While seven-period days are a great way for classes to be organized, so are block days.

The next setup I want to discuss is block days. This year, I have been exposed to all block days in which there are A and B rotation days of 80 minute classes. Some weeks you only meet with certain classes twice, other weeks you meet three times. In addition, after first block, there is a 30 minute “Ram Jam” that allows teachers to give back graded work and check up on how students are handling a class. My survey shows that only 12.5 percent of students prefer block days. One reason students dislike block days is because of the length of the time spent in one sitting focusing on one subject. However, block days do have many positives. Jaella M. says, “I prefer block days because you have enough time to complete long-term assignments/ assessments. You can complete whole labs and LEQs and DBQs in one sitting rather than 2 or 3.” Block days can cut down on cheating because students complete tests and other graded assessments in one class period, without interruptions that could result in students searching up answers. In addition, teachers can give students projects and have them complete the projects in class, cutting down on the outside of class work and improving collaboration. This format also teaches students the importance of time management. Often, I debate whether to do my homework the night I got it or save it for the next night. If I have an assignment that I know will take a long time, I split it between both nights. Block scheduling allows students to take more time on assignments and not stress about having to do seven or eight classes worth of work in one day.

The third way that I have experienced scheduling is a mixture of seven-period days and block days. In 9th grade, my classes were set up in the way that Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays were seven-period days. Wednesdays consisted of 85-90 minute blocks of “Even” classes(2,4,6), and a 90 minute study hall block. Thursdays were made up of the remaining “Odd” classes(1,3,5,7) in an 85-90 minute block format. This distinctive format combines short classes to hold students’ attention spans with long classes for teachers to give lengthy assessments and labs into what I believe is a happy medium. 50 percent of the survey takers prefer this scheduling type over the other two. Justin M. says he likes this type of scheduling best because, “You get a nice break from half of your classes midway through the week, which allows you to be rejuvenated to go to all the classes again on Friday.” Classes still meet 4 times a week, which can be seen as more efficient than the twice or thrice weekly class meetings associated with total block days. Mixed scheduling has the positive aspects of both the seven-period days and the block days; It promotes time management with the two block days mid-week and allows teachers to give meaningful lessons in short class times without wasting away an hour and a half because students are unfocused.

In conclusion, the three different types of scheduling that I have experienced all have different aspects that make them beneficial to both students and teachers. The way classes are set up does matter, as it can affect students’ productivity and life skills such as time management. Which do you think should be implemented in your school, and why?