The online student news source of Lovejoy High School

The Red Ledger

The online student news source of Lovejoy High School

The Red Ledger

The online student news source of Lovejoy High School

The Red Ledger

Editorial: Continuing block schedule

The+superintendent+announced+the+change+back+to+eight-period+day+scheduling.+The+school+should+remain+using+block+schedules+in+order+to+better+time+management+and+prepare+students+for+the+future.%0A
Hannah Gonzalez
The superintendent announced the change back to eight-period day scheduling. The school should remain using block schedules in order to better time management and prepare students for the future.

Interim superintendent Dr. Dennis Womack announced to teachers on March 24 that the district will switch back to the eight-period class schedule from the A and B day block schedule for the 2021-2022 school year. 

The school should keep block schedules for the next school year. 

Four-period days allows for more class time. Attending less class periods every day provides teachers and students with more class time every day, with classes currently lasting an hour and a half, instead of the traditional 45 minute classes. This allows more time for in-depth classroom discussions, essays and testing. With shorter class periods, students often did not complete tests and other assignments and finished after the bell, missing time from other classes. This is not a problem with longer class periods. With block schedules, students have expressed that they have more time to work on homework during the school day, leaving more time for afterschool activities and time with family. 

Which schedule option do you prefer?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

  A and B days give teachers more time to prepare for classes, and provide students additional time to complete assignments and homework. With only four classes per day, teachers have two  hour-and-a-half planning periods over the course of two days, which allows them with a longer consistent chunk of time to work. With eight-period days, teachers received two split-up, shorter periods to plan. Additionally, students have two days to complete school work for their classes. For example, if a teacher assigns a student a worksheet, they have a buffer of the day in between to work. This lowers students’ and teachers’ stress because they have more time to complete everything for their classes.

Continuing four-period days better prepares students for a college schedule. This allows students to learn how to study and stay on top of school work when they do not attend each class every day. Other districts, such as Allen ISD, follow the block schedule and have used it for years successfully. The district should follow suit and allow for the flexibility in scheduling for students. Additionally, the current schedule allows for longer time in between classes, allowing a short break for students before returning to the classroom. This schedule also provides students with social emotional learning (SEL),  which are beneficial for students’ mental health and relieves the stress from longer classes. 

While those supporting eight-period days claim that shorter classes ease problems with inattention, students should learn how to stay focused over long periods of time to prepare for future jobs and college classes. The school should shorten passing periods and use that time to integrate short breaks during class for students and teachers. This will appease those concerned with the focus of students during long class periods. 

 The school should remain using block schedules in order to better time management and prepare students for the future.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover
About the Contributors
Hannah Gonzalez, Graphics Editor
Mama Mia, here we go again. As she takes her last ride in the TRL classroom, Hannah Gonzalez is ready to end this year with a bang. Gonzalez serves as a Co-Graphics editor for the third year in a row and this is her fourth year on staff. When she’s not making killer graphics, you can most likely find Gonzalez on the volleyball court, at FCA meetings, in school or going for a joy ride in the Jeep that she named “Beep.” Although TRL is life, Gonzalez also enjoys going for late-night ice cream runs, watching early morning sunrises, going to church every Sunday morning and going on an occasional lake trip. To add to her list of accomplishments, Gonzalez has won three state championships and is looking for a fourth. With her happy planner by her side, Gonzalez is looking forward to kicking procrastination to the curb as she conquers her final year as a high school student. 

Comments (0)

The Red Ledger values the opinion of its readers and encourages them to discuss its content. All comments are subject to approval by The Red Ledger staff. The Red Ledger does not allow anonymous comments and requires a valid email address. The email address will not be displayed but will be used to confirm your comments. Comments are reviewed as often as possible. Comments with inappropriate content will not be published. Once submitted, comments become the property of The Red Ledger. To see our full Comment Policy, visit https://www.theredledger.net/about-us/policies/
All The Red Ledger Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *