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For the past few years, University High School has had one anchor day per week and a block schedule, where students attend only half of their classes in longer sessions for the rest of the week. While some students might prefer the anchor day since it covers every class with shorter periods, the block schedule is more enjoyable and offers many benefits, such as better lessons, more time for tests and the addition of Office Hours.
Many criticize the block day’s 80-minute periods because they believe students cannot focus for that long. However, students should view block schedules as an opportunity to train their attention spans. Due to the rise of social media and short-form content, 68% of students have difficulty focusing for extended periods. Being forced to focus on one subject for 80 minutes multiple times every day allows students to train their attention spans and mitigates the impact of constant social media usage.
Additionally, having an anchor day schedule results in less time for teachers to cover full lessons or get their point across clearly. On Mondays, teachers are forced to give shortened versions of their lessons due to insufficient time. This can have detrimental effects on students’ learning and is harmful to the class. On the other hand, the block schedule provides additional flexibility for teachers to teach their full lessons, cover all the content they wish and take extra time to answer questions and delve deeper.
Furthermore, 80-minute periods allow teachers to administer accurate exams that cover whole units. Since tests often cover a lot of material, students and teachers often need the full 80 minutes for test-taking. This is significantly better than the alternative of two 40-minute tests.
Another unique advantage of a block schedule is the built-in time for Office Hours. This crucial period of time allows students to catch up on their classes and seek help in classes where they are struggling. This one-on-one help from teachers is crucial to students’ growth in classes. Furthermore, Office Hours can also be a time to recharge, socialize with friends and take a small break.
Overall, while the block schedule may make it harder for students to focus, its vast benefits — such as built-in time for Office Hours, longer time for teachers to hold their lessons and the ability to take tests in one sitting — ultimately outweigh the problems.
