ELHS Adapts to New Daily Schedule

As ELHS heads into its fourth month of a new schedule, it’s not hard to find someone with an opinion on the new schedule. 

With the new schedule, 55-minute class periods, rotating blocks, and two blocks dropping everyday, the transition has required adjustments on everyone’s part. Prior to the change, many students had never experienced a rotating schedule. Class periods are now 30 minutes shorter. There are twice as many class periods as there were during the block schedule that was part of ELHS’s pandemic response.

In October, students and teachers were still often confused about what day it is and which classes they had next. Any day of the week can be one of four schedules.

“I can’t just say, ‘What are you doing tomorrow at that time?’ because I don’t know what tomorrow’s blocks and times will be,” Mrs. Forward said. “So that’s a little bit hard as far as routine, but I think it’s important to be able to have that, that year-long thing. So to me that kind of trumps everything else.”

Some teachers felt stressed about new schedule adjustments. Like the rotation, and the fact that they have eight classes each semester instead of four, to keep track of.

“I feel that I have no routine and am not as organized/prepared as I like to be and….this is week nine,” Mrs. Newsome said. “ It feels like a hamster on a wheel. No rhythm. “ 

Aside from pacing issues, Newsome pointed out other issues with the new schedule.

“Having each day be different and not knowing which day’s schedule it is can be frustrating. You could be unprepared for classes, forget homework/grading, or even get late to class because there are so many people running around looking for the right class.”

For classes like Math, English, and Chorus, it is easier to have short classes with a full year course than longer classes and a one semester course. Other classes prefer the long blocks for a semester because it allows for more engagement time.

“I think it has its pluses and minuses,” Mrs. Carol Forward, who teaches Music Technology, Chorus, and History of Rock and Roll, said. “I like the fact that I get to see my students all year. I feel like it gives us an opportunity to establish better relationships because we have them for the whole time as opposed to just a few months.” 

The double-block schedule added more time in the classroom each day, but not an all year course. The new schedule means less time in the classroom each day, but more time for an all year course. The double block allowed students to learn a new lesson and then have time to practice and ask questions in class, but most courses only lasted a semester.

People are still adjusting to the single block schedule but many people still think that it is better because it breaks up long hours. 

“I think that 55 actually works well for our classes,” Mrs.Forward said. “ Because we can still accomplish what we need to.”

Although the rotation is sometimes confusing, it has generally brought less homework to students. With eight classes a day, teachers aren’t allowed to give more than 15 minutes of homework a night. They also have to schedule quizzes around the different days of the schedule,  which often means less frequent quizzes/tests in the same class.

In the long block there is more time spent on learning, and it’s easier to make up work. but with the single block it is easier to focus and you have less homework. 

“ I think it’s, it’s all of it combined, right?,” Mrs. Forward said. “ It’s really all one big thing. I mean we don’t just address the math skills, we address the whole student. Right. So if you’re addressing the whole student, there’s some advantages and disadvantages to both types of schedule.”

In 2015 ELHS had what is known as a hybrid block schedule,  which featured five 55-minute classes and one 84-minute class. This complicated schedule was one of the reasons why the principal and staff wanted to simplify it. It was too inflexible. In response to the pandemic, ELHS changed to a simplified, double-block schedule with four 84-minute classes a day and two different semesters a year. The new schedule started this school year. 

“Not only did we want to simplify the schedule, we also wanted to involve academic, social, and emotional needs, “ Mr.Paige said. “ Kids learn at a faster rate and are more successful with the single block schedule.”

Having electives open for students at ELHS is very important. It provides class credits for students’ personal interests.

“Another reason why the rotating block schedule works is because it is easier for people to seek out their interests,” Mr.Paige said. “Students are still able to take all of their required classes and take elective classes without having long pauses within the year.”

The ELHS schedule is open to review. The Administration wants to be notified about what people think and if the schedule is working for them. 

“We are always open for feedback,” Mr.Paige said. “We want to make sure everyone is able to perform well.”