Chapter 9: Planning for Block Scheduling

This chapter focuses on block scheduling, and just how beneficial it is to the teachers, and the students. Block scheduling gives longer class periods. So, instead of having every subject everyday for 55 minutes, the students will alternate which classes they have each day with 80 minute periods. I have been in both positions. When I was in middle school we had every class everyday for 55 minutes, and then when I went to high school we had a block schedule. I don’t know if it was maybe because I was older, but having the block scheduling was much more beneficial for me, rather than having every class everyday. Last semester, when I was in practicum, at Phillips middle, they had blue and gold days, but they still had every class everyday for 55 minutes. Some days they would have a “double period”, which wasn’t really a double period at all, because it wasn’t back to back. So, when it came time for me to do my formal lesson, planning for an effective 55 minute lesson was very difficult. I faced the problem that this teacher did in the beginning of this chapter. Having 80 minute periods are so much more helpful, for the teacher, and also for the students learning. I enjoyed how this book showed us how to plan a lesson for the 80 minute periods, however it is exactly what we learned in practicum. Yet, the list of 10 important points for planning for extended periods is nice to see. One thing that I really pulled from this chapter was that with the extended periods, as teachers we will be able to not just “cover” the material, we will be able to teach the material to the students so that they carry it with them for years. Not only will we be able to do that, we also will be able to take all of the grouping methods, and fantastic teaching techniques from practicum and apply them into our own classroom.