Currently at Park, we recently went back to our normal schedule of having seven classes a day. Due to finals and a new semester, it presents a big adjustment from changing schedules constantly back and forth. Having a block schedule feels long and tiring plus, you aren’t at your normal classes everyday. If you have math one day but need help from a teacher, you won’t be able to get the help you need because of the way block schedule is set up. Having the choice of seven classes gives students variety and makes sure you aren’t just sitting in one spot for too long. 

Although we see many schools start to implement the block schedule into their days, I like keeping up with our seven day schedule. With a block schedule we are sitting in one class which a lot of the time feels way too long. Being able to get up after 50 minutes and move to a different class helps with focusing. If you sit down for too long it’s going to be harder to stay on task.hen we are allowed to move around or use our passing time to walk about, it gives us time to refresh so we aren’t tired for the next class. 

Research shows that when you have shorter classes,your focus tends to increase and it makes it easier to concentrate the entire class. University Of The People tells us that with block scheduling it can cause a lack of continuity for learning, given they will have a delay in classes. With longer classes, if you were to be absent, you likely miss more information given that a teacher could fit more lessons into one class. brings another point of classes moving too fast. You’d think that if we had longer classes we’d be given more time, but most teachers are required to give more than one lesson making it harder to keep up as well as trying to focus on one main thing. 

Being in a 50 minute class is mostly calm and allows students to engage easily, but when classes get to be too long it gets repetitive and fairly boring. Students feel better in an environment that is attentive and quiet. When stuck in a class longer, students slowly lose interest and it’s harder for the teacher to give out assignments.When there is more work students   start to feel overwhelmed and tired. When a teacher is working in an area that is noisy or chatty it gets harder for the teacher to get students to concentrate. Getting those students to focus doesn’t just benefit the students but the staff as well. 

Overall I think that if we’ve had our normal scheduling for such a long time, why change it now? For many students it would feel like a long day and also would be a big adjustment to our school system. Despite the fact that there are benefits to having a block day everyday I think it would cause a lot of confusion for our students. Therefore it makes sense for Park to keep it’s normal schedule as is. 

Right now at Park, class periods are 50 minutes long. This requires students to attend seven classes per day. Constantly switching from class to class can be fatiguing and nonoptimal compared to a longer class period. College classes are perfect examples, implementing classes for one to two hours long. Much like college classes, Park’s block days allow for an hour and a half long class. They allow students a 10 minute passing time compared to regular days which have five minute passing times. Block days also bring a longer lunch to students. 

Many schools have already started applying block day schedules like Wayzata, Hopkins, Shakopee and many more. With big schools like these implementing block days, why can’t we? Block days offer students to stay focused for longer times. They give students the opportunity to fully lock in on their work for long durations of time. Block days also give students less homework. Instead of having five to six classes giving different homework assignments, the amount of homework is cut down in half, having only two to three subjects to study. With only 3-4 classes in a semester, the workload is lighted and students can target specific subjects at a time. 

Even though students are in class for long periods of time, they don’t become too fatigued. This is due to the longer breaks. After long classes, students have 10 minutes to use the restroom, chill out and chat with friends. According to a University of Nebraska website, students should be studying for 90 minutes until burnout begins to occur. After these 90 minutes, students should take a 10-15 minute break then begin studying again. Block scheduling provides this exact timing, giving students optimal study and learning time. 

The last reason block days should be implemented is because it is a more strategic learning environment. Teachers are able to plan out their class periods for lectures, breaks and learning games. This gives students the opportunity to stay focused on one topic for a long period of time. It leads to better time management because students aren’t switching from math to science to history. This means information won’t go in one ear and out the other because the learning doesn’t get overwhelming. Teachers can also focus on having one on one learning with students every class. With a big school like Park, this is necessary for learning.

Especially with the recent violence at Park, block days are essential for students to keep everyone in a more safe learning environment. Students deserve the best learning experience and Park should be reaching out for students’ opinions of how the schedule should look. Block schedules will have students learning more and testing better. All the reasons why Park should not be using the regular schedule we’ve used throughout this school year.