Last April, the modified block schedule was approved on a trial basis for the 2012-2013 school year. In addition to creating two block days per week, the schedule also created an early dismissal on Thursday (instead of late start Wednesdays), added teacher office hours on Wednesdays, and pushed the start of the school day back ten minutes. Having completed a year under this new schedule, the Aragon administration met earlier this month to discuss the pros and cons of the modified block. After these discussions, the administration voted to continue this schedule for the 2013-2014 school year. The Outlook agrees with the decision to remain on a modified block because of the noteworthy efforts undertaken by students and faculty to transition over the course of the year, as well as other newfound benefits, such as early dismissal Thursdays and later start times. However, the Outlook believes that Wednesday office hours must be better structured in order to provide the maximum benefit for all students and teachers.
While the transition to block periods proved to be a challenge for certain departments and students, Aragon as a whole made enough progress to justify continuing the schedule for next year. For the science, history, and english departments, the addition of a block period allowed for extended discussion and project time that had been unavailable in past years. Conversely, the math departments and foreign language departments voiced the loudest concerns over the modified block schedule, as the Outlook believes that both subjects are taught most effectively when material is covered daily. While the benefits of a modified block schedule may have weighed more heavily in favor of certain departments, teachers as well as students will be able to better adapt over the next several years. Returning to a traditional schedule would cause the adaptation process that has already commenced to go to waste, and changing to a full block would rush the transition process and cause more stress for students and teachers.
Despite the lamentations of many students over the loss of late start Wednesdays, the creation of a 1:24 dismissal on Thursdays has proven to be equally—if not more—beneficial. Whereas late start pushed the start of the school day back 50 minutes, the early dismissal on Thursdays gives students an extra hour and forty-five minutes to get an early start on homework or pursue other activities after school. The Outlook believes that students get more out of this free afternoon time than they get out of free morning time. Furthermore, students who are part of an athletics team miss less instructional time, as the early dismissal leads to less conflict with various sporting events taking place in the afternoon.
The later start of the school day has also been a positive change at Aragon. A later start time gives students more time to get to school and also allows for more collaboration time before the start of first period.
In spite of its merits, the Outlook believes that improvements could be made in the continued use of the modified block schedule. For one, the 15 minutes at the conclusion of Wednesday lunch are currently designated as “office hours.” However, the vast majority of students do not necessarily take advantage of this time to meet with their teachers in order to make up tests or get extra help. Instead, clubs that meet during lunch on Wednesdays have had the opportunity to hold extended meetings, while most other students enjoy an extended lunch. Because this fifteen minute period counts as part of weekly instructional time, the Outlook believes that it would be best to consider implementing one of two options. First, in order to assure that all students are benefitting from office hours, teachers should be more proactive in hosting office hour sessions with small groups or individual students; for example, teachers can offer at least one lunch period a month during which they give a review lesson or supplemental activity. By opening planned lunchtime sessions, students will feel more encouraged to attend and take advantage of this additional instructional time. The second option would be to eliminate the 15 minute office hour period and add two minutes to each block period, leaving one extra minute for lunch on any given day.
Depending on reactions to the modified block schedule over the course of the 2013-2014 school year, modified block should again be reconsidered so that any further transitions are made with the support of both teachers and students.
