After COVID-19 had a major impact on everyone, as well as students, GUSD schools switched to a block schedule, in which students had only four classes a day. This was meant to give students longer periods, so that they could get deeper into each subject, reduce the number of transitions during the day, and allow teachers to focus on lessons and have more time. Under this system, which seems like it should have been beneficial for students and teachers, the classes were much longer. But this was the major problem.
Depending on whether you had an odd or even schedule, your first class of the day was an hour and thirty-minutes, your second class was an hour and fifty-minutes, and your seventh period was forty-five minutes, which students had every day. This was all on the same day.
While this schedule was created with good intentions, it came with its own challenges.
The schedule was designed to have benefits for everyone, but it was exhausting sitting through a class that was close to two hours long. Many students found it hard to maintain focus for such extended periods of time, and some classes felt slow or repetitive, making it easy for students to lose interest in the subject.
By the end of each period, students often felt drained and unmotivated, which could also affect their performance in their next class. And if they missed even a single day of school, it would make it that much harder for them to catch up, since so much material was being covered in just one class period. Ultimately, this schedule took away from the learning experience.
Our new, traditional schedule offers shorter classes, and it keeps students more alert and more focused. It is easier to pay attention and stay engaged throughout each class period. The variety of classes also keeps the day dynamic and prevents boredom. The shorter time spent in each class makes students feel less fatigue and frustration, and many people do not have the attention span to stay engaged for longer than an hour, which is difficult to do with the block schedule.
Overall, both of these schedules have their benefits and drawbacks. The longer block schedule allowed for deeper learning, but it usually led to boredom and a loss of focus. But the shorter six-period day keeps students more alert, makes classes feel manageable, and encourages consistent attention throughout the day.
In the end, our new schedule is a big improvement on the one from last year. It keeps students moving, making learning less exhausting, and we no longer dread those long periods.
