Traditional vs. Block Schedule

When school starts and ends is different for every school and grade level. For high schools the day usually starts between seven thirty and eight o'clock and ends between two thirty to three o'clock. Many education reformers argue the school day, and year, need to be longer. The question is not always the length of the class but the effectiveness. So what kind of schedule is more effective, traditional classes that meet every day for approximately fifty minutes or some kind of modified schedule, or block, that meet for longer amounts of time? The answer depends on what you are trying to achieve.

Most of us remember high school as six to eight classes that met everyday at the same time. Your day may have begun with fifty minutes of algebra that felt like three hours, or your favorite science class that felt like it lasted only ten minutes. The traditional schedule has existed, with some variations, for decades. There is a familiarity with the schedule that can be good for students. They know exactly where they are going every day at the same time. The length of the class is long enough for there to be one or two different activities in class with out the students totally losing patience. For classes that require a great deal of repetition and exposure, like math and foreign language, the traditional schedule gives the daily contact with the students.

The traditional schedule also has its draw backs. The monotony of the schedule can be grinding. Going to the same place every day, especially if you really do not like the class, can be difficult. The constant disruption of classes changing is difficult for students. In an eight period school day there are seven transitions that need to be made. From a discipline standpoint, there are seven times in the day when almost every one is out in the hall together, which can lead to trouble. The traditional schedule almost forces teachers to rely heavily on lecture. There just is not enough time to get other projects or lessons done without being cut off or hurried by the end of the period. It is also difficult to end something one day and try to pick it up again the following day. Most students do not remember what was happening in one of their classes twenty-four hours before well enough to effectively finish the lesson.

The most commonly used schedule alternative is the block schedule. There are different kinds of block schedules but the most common is the alternating block. In an alternating block classes meet four per day for eighty to ninety-five minutes every other day. For instance, class periods one through four would meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of one week, Tuesday and Thursday the next week. Class periods five through eight would be the opposite. An intensive block would have four classes that met every day for ninety minutes. Schools using intensive block usually work on trimesters where a traditional year long class would last for two-thirds of the year. Another option is to have four days of the week on the block schedule with one crunch day where all classes meet for a shorter amount of time, like a traditional schedule.

The advantage of the block schedule is time. There is enough time in a class period to get different activities completed. For instance, the class could read an article, discuss it and write a response to it in one class period. A science class can complete an entire lab and discuss the results. Block schedule emphasizes depth of knowledge over breadth of information covered. Not as much material can be covered, but what is covered can be done better. Meeting every other day is also a nice break from the monotony of the class. The day in between also allows students some extra time on homework, and the ability to find their teacher for help before the assignment is due. Since there are fewer breaks in between classes, there is more focus in the class and fewer chances for issues between classes.

A disadvantage of the block schedule is the time. Ninety minutes can be a long time to sit in a class room and listen to a teacher lecture. Some students simply can not last for ninety minutes. Meeting every other day can be a problem in classes that need the repetition.

Having taught in both schedules at two different schools, the block schedule is a much more effective schedule for my subject social studies. There is no perfect schedule, but the advantages of the block out weigh the disadvantages.