<p>We are looking at a school that has block scheduling. So instead of taking a course for half a year, students take a class for one semester at an extended class period time such as 90 minutes. Just curious if anyone has experience/views on block scheduling. It makes me nervous and concerned that my child will learn less and have difficulty with this type of scheduling in classes such as math and Spanish. </p>
<p>It’s not for everyone.</p>
<p>I think a benefit of a certain type of block scheduling is that you get more time to do your homework. eg. you take a class every other day. Though you might get more homework compared to taking the class every day, you get two nights to do it. So maybe one night you are extremely busy, you can finish the homework the other night. You might have trouble catching up if you miss a day, though.</p>
<p>Like stargirl mentioned, it might not be for everyone.</p>
<p>My child has block scheduling now at his public high school. My opinion is that it is ok with some courses such as environmental science, electives, etc. but I am concerned as well about math and foreign language. He finished Algebra 2 last semester as a freshman and they will not let him take pre-calculus until junior year. Thats 18 months without math. On a good note it is easier for the kids to focus on 4 subjects at a time instead of 6-7. We are hoping that he will be in BS next year though. </p>
<p>They tried out block at my school and I agree with stargirl, it isn’t for everyone. I personally didn’t like it since sitting in class for that long caused me to kinda lose focus and started to make me miserable. However, some people find the benefit a lot from the increased period length and it also gives you a lot of freedom. Especially when a school gives you a study hall period, you can make great use of it and get work done. However, if you get an acceptance letter from a school with block schedule and you are considering it, definitely revisit and see if it works for you.</p>
<p>Northfield Mount Hermon has block scheduling. <a href=“http://www.nmhschool.org/”>http://www.nmhschool.org/</a></p>
<p>I have block scheduling now, and I have a love-hate relationship with it. In classes like math and science, time really does fly by. You can learn a lot in one day, and you have time to stray from the norm. However, I’ll admit that sometimes, I get pretty restless and bored in social studies. It can be hard to sit through U.S. history for 90 minutes, especially because we learn in a lecture format. It really does depend. I don’t particularly like block-scheduling, but I can deal with it. You just need teachers who are exciting and know how to shake it up.</p>
<p>I think block scheduling would be good in discussion based classes.</p>
<p>My high school had block schedule and I loved the days when classes were longer. The days when classes were 50-60 minutes were okay but I liked the days when we had less classes for longer periods of time better.</p>
<p>There are different types of block scheduling, some which entail longer classes given every other day but they last a full year and you generally take six of them (I believe that’s what PrepSchoolHope is describing). The other kind of block scheduling is, I believe, what the OP is asking about, where you only take 4 classes a semester, you have long block classes every day, and you do an entire year’s worth of work for each of your four classes in one semester (thus, you have homework every day). Personally, I think it’s great for languages, if you double up (i.e., take them both fall and spring). Probably a bit tougher for math and AP classes, since you either haven’t had the subject since the fall and take the AP test in the spring, or you haven’t covered all of the material yet if you’re taking a spring AP class. And not doing math for 18 months sounds tough.</p>
<p>NMH is also on a trimester system. Which means potentially you are taking a subject for 10 weeks and then may not be able to study the next level for another 42 weeks. IMO it’s fine for stand-alone classes, but it’s a challenge for building block courses.</p>
<p>February 21, Im an NMH student, we are able to take the next level of any class in the same school year, I took 2 math courses this year and I know of a friend who did Chinese 2 and 3 last year, so it depends on you how you want to build your schedule (and some requirements)</p>
My school has block scheduling at the moment, but is switching before my senior year to the traditional scheduling. In my opinion I would stay with the block schedule. In middle school I had the traditional scheduling, and it did work fine. However, with classes becoming more advanced, they have to be taught more in-depth, a traditional schedule I feel wouldn’t be as successful as block would be. Trying to learn more advanced subjects such as Physics or calculus at 45-50 minutes would be much more difficult than getting the opportunity to learn it 85-90 minutes at a time. Also, my school does classes the same whether it is block or traditional. A full semester class will be a full year either way, same as a semester class. For me, I got a more detailed learning of a subject through the block schedule than I did through the traditional schedule.
The biggest problem with my dilemma is that the traditional schedule is already set for my senior year, so there is not much I can do to change it for myself. On the other hand, administration is open to changing it later. Mostly, I’m furious because I’m basically part of the guinea pig class. If it doesn’t work, it effects me, and it angers me that it won’t be problematic for them. My school had been running the block schedule for years, and just about every student is pleased with it. It does not make sense to change it now, especially with so many being content with how it is currently being ran.
I think a trimester or a semester system is fine with block sysem as done in NMH. Kids get to take 3-4 classes per term rather than 6-7.
Colorado College has an extreme block schedule; 4 blocks a semester, 8 blocks per year. One class per block.
I cannot imagine doing physics class for 3 1/2 weeks or 7 weeks for a year worth of physics. I can’t imagine doing it for any subject for that matter. Where is time for rumination?
Basically every class is a summer seesion.
One prep school near me has a 3-7 block system. 3 classes per term, 7 terms per year.
How would it feel like if someone who is used to 1.5, 3 and 6 hours long classes start to take mostly 50 minutes classes?
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The original poster asked the question 2 years ago and has not been active for a year. Use old threads for research, but do not resurrect. Closing.