Block Scheduling
Future block scheduling for PVHS
September 26, 2017
Block scheduling is a system of class scheduling typically used in middle schools and high schools. It replaces the tradition six to seven classes a day at 40-50 minutes each and does longer classes where teachers meet with students fewer times during the week.
There are three basic types of block scheduling. They are alternate day schedule, 4×4 plan, and the trimester plan.
The alternate day schedule is where classes would be held every other day for extended periods of time.
The 4×4 plan is when students would meet ninety minute blocks every day for four quarters. It would be four classes a day for four quarters.
The trimester plan where there are two or three courses every sixty days to earn six to nine credits per year.
In an interview with Mrs. Ehrheart, the new principal at PVHS, she said, “ I would like to see a modified version of the ‘Alternate Day Schedule’ where teachers see students every day and having regular days on Monday and Friday and alternating blocks the rest of the week.”
When asked if Mrs. Ehrheart thought block scheduling would be beneficial to the school as a whole, she responded, “I do. One of the biggest complaints I’m getting from teachers is just by the time you get into a rich discussion or big project or even a lab, it’s time to go. Using a block, teachers can actually work through things and have deeper discussions with their classes, students can finish a lab. Math teachers tend to be a little nervous about block but, [some] of the schools I’ve worked at in the last 15 years have used block scheduling; some effectively, some not so effectively.”
Rebecka Willing, a senior, who formed a petition two years ago to start block scheduling added, “ It would be very beneficial [for] individual learning in any class. More one-on-one with the students. Also longer time to understand the homework which also includes more study time.”
After asking Willing what the results were of her original petition she said nothing was done and no steps were taken to look into block scheduling for PVHS two years ago. None of the administration were willing to pursue it.
Mrs. Erheart has mentioned a few obstacles that the school will face. The biggest concerns are going to be having enough staff to run all the classes necessary and possibly lunch and how lunch would work. Debating if lunch would go back to one lunch for everyone or how they would split classes to have the separate lunches we have now.
After talking to Drew Karle, a sophmore who would be affected by the change of schedule, he said, “I’m not looking forward to it. Block schedule will be really hard to balance and keep track of everything. I think it will be boring to sit in the same class for [90 minutes].”
There are many opposing views when it comes to block scheduling. I believe that it would help the school as a whole and would provide students with a better learning system, giving them a chance to better understand what’s going on in their classes.
One other benefit for students is it gives them the chance to take more credits during their high school career which at the very least gets their GPA higher and gives them better grades.
Block scheduling is just an idea that could be brought to the school. Nothing has been set in stone just ideas being tossed about.
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Chloe Taylor • Oct 9, 2017 at 8:44 AM
I have personally been in a school with block schedule, and to be honest it works. I won’t be here long enough to see the change, but I think it will be great for the future generations, coming into high school, to have this change. Lunch can be split into two lunches still, and can be based on what class you have before lunch. Base it off of what the teacher is doing. If the teacher has first lunch, then all of the students in his/her class after lunch should go to first lunch as well. And if it is the opposite way, then go with the opposite lunch. I know it sounds complicated, but if we can make it work in Chicago, then I believe that it can work here. Organization is key.
brenden young • Oct 6, 2017 at 11:35 PM
I don’t think its a good idea because it is bad for athletes and 90 minutes in a class will not help because the student that are in it for 40 minutes already will not pay any attention if they have to deal with the same teacher for double the time.
Chris • Oct 5, 2017 at 8:50 AM
I honestly wouldn’t mind a block schedule, although many other student seem to disagree with the concept, therefore I believe this concept will probably never come to fruiton.
Ryan Cook • Oct 5, 2017 at 8:48 AM
I believe block scheduling would be a great idea. It would really help students to learn more and understand work. Sometimes there is just not enough time for us students to really understand. The teachers don’t really give us enough information. If making the block schedule were to work, it would give us students time to ask questions and receive help.
Mateya Perez • Oct 5, 2017 at 8:15 AM
I am still on the no side because students do not like just sitting in the same class for about 90 minutes. it does intend to get boring and very dull. but i do see as it gives teachers more opportunities to teach students more than what they can in 45 minutes. so i am still on the no but if this does go forward, then at least make this more better for the students then just the teachers. we want to learn yes but we cant do it if were not having interest in.
jazmyne turner • Oct 5, 2017 at 8:14 AM
I had block scheduling before and its not that bad. But out here since we only have 7 classes it would be horrible. A lot of students would get lost within the first week.
Spencer Abrams • Oct 5, 2017 at 8:13 AM
While block scheduling might be a drastic situation, as it stands, the class periods are too short. There’s never time to do anything of real substance, which I feel is limiting our education.
Dominic Juranty • Oct 5, 2017 at 8:12 AM
I think block scheduling would be a good, new twist to the scheduling system currently in place. Too often, I am drowning in homework that I just don’t understand; an hour and a half would be great for comprehending homework.
Jeremiah Oloff • Oct 5, 2017 at 8:08 AM
It seems like a bad idea because some people could not get all the information in a class they missed that week.
Kasey Dilger • Oct 3, 2017 at 2:04 PM
You better not do it its such a bad idea.
Pamela Lyke • Sep 29, 2017 at 2:07 PM
Honestly, block scheduling isn’t a great idea, overall. I can see the benefits in science classes, and maybe certain electives, like ceramics, but, sitting in English and math classes for 90 minutes will probably burn out many students brains. Not to mention, the issue of catching up in certain classes when your miss a day. Even worse of an idea, is that of a mixed schedule like that of what Mrs. Earhart proposed. That kind of thing would just be too complicated.
Kaitlynn Hibdon • Sep 29, 2017 at 1:49 PM
I like how you presented the scheduling and gave examples. I would love a block schedule, I’d have more time to get my work done and learn about the topic.
Glendon Casia • Sep 29, 2017 at 12:24 PM
I’m not sure if I want it or not, because first of all teachers first have to come up with more material for class to make up the time, then it’ll be an entire day most likely before we are in that class again. We might forget some of the material. On the other hand, there’s some hope in me that we can do what would usually be homework in class and just not have any homework after school. In my opinion, I’d only want block scheduling so that I can do homework in class because usually that’s the only time I do homework.
Dylan Daffer • Sep 29, 2017 at 11:36 AM
Please no just no. My sister had block scheduling it annoying. It would help in some aspects but i feel like we are just changing to much and we need to stop with all of these dumb things dancing around the problems at hand. This year we started earlier which was great and it helps but we should start more on focusing on things of more importance.
Sandi Hall • Sep 29, 2017 at 11:35 AM
People may agree and disagree with the idea of block scheduling. I, myself, agree with the block scheduling, the time spent in each class has been extremely pressured as of this year. The 90 minutes in each class, can help students who never have time to ask for help. In CTE courses; Culinary Arts, Wood shop, Ceramics, etc; students have hardly any time to complete their work and pass the class. Block scheduling gives those classes the time that is needed, for example, in Culinary Arts, students are cook, bake, and much more. If the class is going through a chapter of baking, and they have to bake a cake, the 45 minutes they have now is not enough time. Ten minutes for attendance, ten for prep., roughly 20-25 minutes for the baking (maybe more depending on what is being cooked), and ten minute clean up. That adds up to about 50 minutes, even though classes are five minutes shorter. The pressure for time really crunches the learning and hands on classes, but if the block scheduling is enforced, the options of things to be made within those pressed classes can expand. Just as an opinion, from a PVHS student, I would deeply appreciate block scheduling.
Eric Toomer • Sep 29, 2017 at 11:30 AM
I completely agree with Desirae for soccer we leave almost every other day so if we were on block schedule I would miss so much in each class that it would be extremely hard to try to make up what i miss in a 90 minute class so if i miss 2 classes then i hake already missed 3 hours of school. Plus since they do not call out during class we would have to get out before class so instead of in between 4 and 5 we would be called out before that class hour since they do not like to interrupt class. This would actually cause the athletes to miss out on more class so this idea is bad.
Lexi Rich • Sep 29, 2017 at 11:21 AM
Yo.
I do find the appeal in block scheduling, what with being able to spend more time trying to understand things, but I think that having one class for such a long time will fry people’s brains and make them less productive in school. Having all that time means students may actually procrastinate in the class and spend more time talking to friends, and even if the teacher doesn’t allow that, then they may just not do anything at all. Block scheduling may be more beneficial, but some kids have a hard time concentrating on the same thing for too long- especially when it comes to school.
Danyelle • Sep 29, 2017 at 9:20 AM
I think that this block system would be horrible . I am already having trouble in my classes and this would add to mush stress . Lets look at this in another point of view who can sit in a class for 90 min remember every thing im shore you will burn out. Then have to do other classes for a couple of weeks then be expected to remember every thing . At lest with the system we have now we can remember more of what we learn and not get burned out as easily.
Isis Suwansang • Sep 29, 2017 at 8:31 AM
Personally i thing block scheduling is great, reason being because you have more opporunity to have more time for homework on each of your classes and the chance to get more credits. There is the downside of if you miss a day you miss a lot but again you have more time to make up your work. If we also have mini classes (some classes that are only 45 min. you might not need one you can literally go home. I loved block scheduling and hope it happens.
Mary • Sep 29, 2017 at 8:22 AM
I feel that the block scheduling be incredibly beneficial. This would give us longer instruction time, would possibly give students more sleep and/or social time as we would have less homework each night due to fewer classes each day.
matt • Sep 29, 2017 at 8:19 AM
I don’t think the block schedule is a good idea .
Kaylie Dalzin • Sep 29, 2017 at 8:14 AM
I think block scheduling is a very good idea because the classes would be longer. We would have more time to learn than the 45 minutes we have now.
John Doe • Sep 28, 2017 at 1:41 PM
Block scheduling is an absolutely terrible idea. But Pahrump manages to screw everything up because it is never about the kids, only about the administraters and teachers pay checks.
Scott Smith • Sep 28, 2017 at 12:52 PM
I think it would be a decent idea; because we could learn immense amounts of class material and go into detail of the material instead of students being confused and not be able to do the work or homework that is assigned later on. The downside of it is that if you miss one day of school then you would become behind the rest of the class, and be confused when you return to that class; furthermore it could negatively effect some students’ morale and who knows how a lowered morale would do to students. The block schedule has some upsides and downsides, but the upsides can overpower the downsides.
larry gentry • Sep 28, 2017 at 12:52 PM
i think that block schedule is a bad idea. Because if we are put in 90 minute classes we are forced to sit in the same class with the same people all day and that would get really old. And incase we are in pout in classes where we have problems if we are forced to be in the same room which is gonna start more problems than before
Sebastian Fronk • Sep 28, 2017 at 11:36 AM
I would personally like the idea if the other problems in the previous comments weren’t factors. I am an athlete and if I missed part or all of the day for a soccer game or track meet then I would miss a large discussion, in one if not all, all of my classes for that day. Missing that discussion could drop my grade, hence not allowing me to play sports at all.
Brayla Marquez • Sep 28, 2017 at 10:27 AM
I think block schedule will be a horrible idea. The schedule now is perfectly fine they it is now just leave the it alone.
Ashlyn McLoone • Sep 28, 2017 at 10:26 AM
I wouldn’t like a block schedule I like how the schedule is now.
Koreigh McLeish • Sep 28, 2017 at 10:26 AM
I don’t think block scheduling is a good idea, especially with the schedule set at a later time this year.
Zach Sparkman • Sep 28, 2017 at 10:25 AM
this isn’t really the best idea, i think we should keep the schedule how it is right now.
pablo • Sep 28, 2017 at 10:25 AM
yall should stop and not do this
John Mueller • Sep 28, 2017 at 10:25 AM
I think block Schedule is not the right thing to do. You would forget what you learned two days ago and some classes you dont like you will be stuck in there for a while and will end up failing the class because your stuck in that class that you just screw around in.
jeremy stritenberger • Sep 28, 2017 at 10:24 AM
No its a bad idea….
Dustin Rily • Sep 27, 2017 at 11:26 AM
Block schedule I think depends on the environment and the students. As the principle said, some effectively, some not so effectively.” If you have students willing to learn and attend school then I don’t see an issue. Furthermore, if students are always missing school they are going to get set back.
Desirae • Sep 27, 2017 at 11:08 AM
Block schedule would be incredibly awful for athletes. It is already very difficult to keep up in classes, especially ones with homework every night. If block scheduling becomes an actual plan for next years class, students could miss one class for the entire week due to alternating game days. A well written article although should have enforced more that its far fetched and not a perfected plan.
Meagan Mevis • Sep 27, 2017 at 11:03 AM
Block scheduling is a horrible idea! Yes, the shorter class periods are a problem but that doesn’t mean we should be forced to sit in one class for 90 minute duration’s. Also, only having classes every other or couple days would enhance the chance of forgetting what you’ve learned in class. Not to mention the attendance issue, if you were to miss one day of the week you just missed so much information and are now so behind on the classes and the work for that day. But as a senior, my class is soon to graduate and so future classes would me the ones to fall victim to this dumb idea.