For many students entering a new school, a new and different schedule may be difficult to adapt to after having a fixed schedule for such a long time. During the weeks that Juniors took the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), all students at Ayala had to adapt to the block schedule assigned. This change may not have been difficult for some, yet it is significant to those on campus.
Unlike the block schedule that occurs during final exams, students attend three classes a day that rotate. For example, during the first week of testing, on Thursday, students attended classes three, five, and one, while on Wednesday the next week, they attended classes five, three, and one. Additionally, with the changed schedule, after the first period, there is an eleven-minute passing period instead of the typical six. This gives students extra time to stretch, decompress, and even study slightly before arriving at their next class.
This adjustment for students was evenly split between being easy to adjust to and difficult to adapt to. For some students, having to stay two hours in harder or more boring classes was extremely difficult. However, there are some who say that this adjustment was not too difficult, as it is not something extremely new for upperclassmen.
“I find myself checking the clock and feeling very fidgety while trying to sit in my chair for two hours straight,” Trudy Chang (11) said. “There were aspects that made block scheduling easier to adjust with which is the lighter homework load teachers provided so that students can receive adequate sleep for CAASPP testing as well as getting a little break from the general school day.”
Block schedule may have had mixed reviews to how difficult it was to adjust to, yet there are many who are enjoying the change. Since this schedule limits the number of classes students have to only three, it gives them more time in a classroom with their beloved friends. With friends, classes become less stressful and difficult, making them more enjoyable no matter the amount of time you’re in them.
“I am enjoying the block schedule because it gives me a break from some teachers that I don’t really enjoy,” Hailey Place (11) said. “This also gives me more time with others like some of my closest friends to talk or study with.”
With teachers knowing how difficult the state tests can be they provide students with study time allowing them to complete a great amount of work. Since these tests take up a long part of a students day, it may be difficult to manage assignments, homework, and studying. Knowing that these tests are long and extremely difficult it allows teachers to properly prepare students to succeed.
“We’ll spend a normal class period on a lesson and then the rest of the time is study hall,” Gaby Ladrido (11) said. “As a junior in multiple APs and extracurriculars, having this study hall time helps me complete most of my work so that I have more time to focus on my extracurriculars after school.”
Block schedule was something that students enjoyed and was not too difficult to adjust to. This enjoyment for students eventually came to an end and students will return to a normal schedule until final exams arrive. This, hopefully, will not be a very difficult change and will prepare students for the few weeks remaining.
