Block scheduling vs 7 period day

Marian
Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:53:12 +0000

My kids had block scheduling in middle school and regular 7-period days in high school.

Block scheduling is nice for PE (except that if the activity is outdoors, some of the lighter-skinned kids get sunburned) and art, but it was difficult for band or orchestra in middle school because some of the kids could not physically tolerate playing for that long at a stretch (especially the ones who were trying to play wind instruments despite braces on their teeth). For the academic classes, it worked out OK in middle school because the kids were still young enough that doing written work or working on a project in class, with the teacher’s supervision, was appropriate. But by high school, I think that kids should be doing that sort of thing as homework.

I have been told by teachers that it’s difficult to lecture for 90 minutes straight or to maintain the students’ focus for that long. Since a lot of high school classes are lecture, block scheduling doesn’t sound right for that age group.