In preparation for a workshop aimed at helping teachers move into a new block schedule, Peter Pappas of Copy/Paste reflects on his early teaching methods and how he had to redefine his role before feeling comfortable with a longer class period.
He was a social-studies teacher, and his primary method of content delivery was via lecture. He recalls being pleased at one point that his class periods were being shortened by a few minutes, since that meant a few minutes fewer that he had to speak.
And then he woke up:
“I had the realization that I was the hardest working person in my class. I was doing most of the learning — research, analysis, synthesis and preparation of summaries to share with my students. And so I began the long journey of redefining my role as teacher from “teacher as talker” to “teacher as designer of learning environments.”
This redefining was integral to his ability to teach in longer class periods, Pappas says, because moving into a student-centered learning environment naturally causes educators to crave more time with students. The lengthier periods, for example, allow students to expand on the skills they’re learning by teaching each other and evaluating their ability to do so.
At my current school, there’s been discussion about the pros and cons of different schedules among teachers in the halls and the lounge, as well as some e-mail discussion within our department, for the four years I’ve been teaching here. Scheduling surveys have been given out to all teachers at least twice, and our principal has twice now asked me for my personal opinion, which I freely gave.
We’re on a seven-period day now, with class periods of 48 minutes. However, many veteran teachers remember the A-B-days block schedule they used to have. They describe it as confusing and distracting, and it seems to have left them with a very bad taste that they attribute to block scheduling in general.
I’ve taught seven years on a 4×4-block schedule — my first six years in a different district and last year at our school’s annex campus. And overall, I love it. True, I’d prefer a modified-block schedule with ample accommodation for electives, but overall, I love the longer classes.
Longer classes:
- feel less rushed
- entail less settling into and out of class
- allow for more different types of activities within one period
- mean getting new students at semester’s end
- better prepare students for college semester scheduling
I know the list could go on and on. I made a pretty extensive one comparing and contrasting the 90-minute-block schedule to the 48-minute-period schedule a few years ago when asked by my then-department head, but it’s currently packed away somewhere in my new classroom. Suffice it to say, though, longer class periods win out overall every time for me.
I’m still working on becoming more of a “designer of learning environments” and less of a control-freak-dictator-type teacher. :P But at least I’m headed in that direction, slowly but surely.
And, hey, maybe I can talk our admins into paying Mr. Pappas to come do a workshop for us!!
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Hi Jo,
I enjoyed your take on the block and reading that I served as a catalyst for your post. I think the key to successful transition to a block comes when the majority of the faculty is comfortable with a more student-centered approach and want more time. Too often, a top-down plan is mandated before the faculty is on board. Step 1: Craft a shared vision of teaching and learning Step 2: Create the organizational structure to make it happen. (And don’t mix up the order of the steps!)
There are many different types of blocks and + and – for all. Many formats can be adopted to your local needs of rooms, staffing, buses, etc. The key – It takes time for students to take responsibility for their learning – the product, process followed and evaluation for progress. It’s hard for that to happen in a 45 min span.
Enjoy summer and when you get a chance,go dig up that list of reasons and sell it!
Thanks for the useful info. It’s so interesting
I agree with Peter. The steps are important, shared vision should come first. More often than not it doesn’t, which is a shame because the students lose out. Teachers who feel they are being forced to lecture for 75 minutes or more are less than likely to offer inspiring lessons within the new schedule.
Once the new schedule is in place, I have found that only when teachers share with others what works when designing learning environments are shifts made in teaching habits.
I think if are going to create learning environments in our classrooms, we must have a learning environment in our staffroom as well.
Your last line is crucial, Tracy. We, as teachers, need to be learners. I personally have always been inspired by learning and don’t want to live without it. But it’s a shame that it’s not fostered in secondary education as it is in higher education. College professors are generally encouraged — and even expected — to research, collaborate, write, and publish. And you can feel it in the air, like electricity. That’s the environment I want to work in. I wonder how I can help transform my school into that kind of place…
Haha, Peter, I don’t know about the “sell it” part. I’m much better at helping other people market their businesses than I am at anything of my own. I’ve just been giving all of my materials away to whomever wanted them for years now. It’s fun. :D