Reply to APS Block Schedule - 90 minute core classes

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Reply to "APS Block Schedule - 90 minute core classes"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I’m a HS teacher and have never taught anything but block. We don’t lecture the entire 88 minutes. In my class it looks like this: warm up activity/attendance question, [b]independent reading,[/b] maybe a [b]journal prompt[/b], mini lesson and group practice, [b]independent practic[/b]e. Or, warm up/read/journal prompt, “workshop” time where some kids are drafting, some are revising, some are in a small group with me while I reteach something.  [/quote]

So study hall for half the time. [/quote]

Um, no. Independent reading is important for building reading endurance, vocabulary, comprehension. It has measured and proven benefits. Journaling does as well, when students are writing to a prompt they are practicing the writing muscle and developing ideas they’ll later use in their formal written pieces.  Independent practice = the graded work on whatever skill we are currently working on. Maybe if you guys knew what words meant and what teaching looks like you wouldn’t be losing your minds over 88 minute classes. [/quote]

What are you doing while kids do independent work?[/quote]

OMG can we please stop second-guessing and armchair quarterbacking teachers?  Go look at that thread on FCPS teachers who are all miserable and want to quit!

This teacher probably has a million other things to do while kids are reading, including perhaps grading papers or planning the next lesson!  Why is there so much complaining.  Do we want our kids to have subs all year?[/quote]

Your response gets to my point. The county does not give them adequate planning time or support, and thus are allocating class time for administrative tasks to save money. That’s why the county likes block scheduling. [/quote]

Okay, so you prefer traditional scheduling where they have no time during the day at all to do those things and have to work all night at home?  That's why we are losing teachers![/quote]

I support the model where we have regular periods so kids spend more of their time at school engaged and learning, and then h[b]iring support staff and adequate teachers to allow teachers to be fully engaged in class time and not being work home[/b]. Stop putting words in my mouth. [/quote]

Sure, but that isn't happening, so pick your poison.[/quote]

My preference is to prioritize instruction time, and then teachers can advocate for more support.  Rather than downshifting expectations for in class instruction to gain paid planning time.[/quote]

Why do you think kids get LESS instructional time with a block schedule?

With a mod schedule in MS, they spend less time changing classes (+4 minutes x 3 changes), less time getting settled & warming up in each classroom (+5 min x 3 classes), and less time reviewing at the end of a class (+2 x 3 classes).

So by only having 4 classes per day instead of seven, they are adding 33+ minutes of meaningful time in class.

Look at the compressed “anchor day” schedule - they have very little time in each class. 46 min.

And whether it’s mod or not, they still have in-class writing assignments, classwork, group work, etc.

How old are your kids? Have they actually been in an APS school with a mod schedule yet? 
[/quote]

I think the impression is they get more actual instruction time because the teachers, on an every day schedule, would be "instructing" the whole time - or most of the time - 5 days a week (5 x 40 = 200 minutes of instruction); whereas with the 90 minute blocks, they may only lecture/instruct for half that time (45 x 2 = 90; or 45 x 3 = 135 minutes of actual instruction per week v. the 200 minutes a week from every day).  The impression is that there is a lot of non-instruction time taking place that otherwise would not. Kids are doing "homework" in class instead of at home; so class time is being taken up by activity that used to be done after school or outside of class.[/quote]

Why exactly do you think there is 45 minutes of “non-instruction” time x 4 classes every day? You think they really have three hours each day in the classroom with no instruction?

Where are you getting your info? [/quote]

If you read carefully, you should note I was speculating an answer to the question as to why people think kids are getting less instructional time.  I think people think they're getting less instructional time because they have the impression that half of every block period consists of non-instruction (or work that used to be done outside of class, therefore taking away instructional time that they otherwise would have with a daily schedule.  [/quote]

Who exactly has that “impression”?

Just because some rando person without a kid in MS said it doesn’t make it true. 
[/quote]

Please just look up the word "speculation."[/quote]

So your post, based on zero facts, is meaningless. 
[/quote]

OK.  Opinions are meaningless.  So don't complain or ask again why people think kids are getting less instruction time.  I personally like block scheduling.[/quote]

My comments were intended for the PP who wrote this and continued with the false narrative of teachers using class time for planning: 
[i]“The county does not give them adequate planning time or support, and thus are allocating class time for administrative tasks”. [/i]

[/quote]

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