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The Amazing Block: Experiences from the Classroom

by Judith Cannizzaro

About the Author

Judith Cannizzaro is K–12 Social Studies Supervisor for the Metropolitan Public Schools in Nashville, Tennessee.

Many of us have worked with one form or another of block scheduling since the 1980s. While the idea of having an extended period of time to devote to academics sounds great, it has been one of the most difficult areas for teachers to plan for in order to make the most practical use of the extended time.

For example, let's take the schedule pictured in Figure 1. The interdisciplinary team using this schedule has 240 minutes for academic instruction. This allows flexible and creative planning to take place. The social studies teacher who needs 120 minutes to complete a mock trial simulation, a science teacher who needs 150 minutes for a lab exercise, etc., has the option of creating that block of time through careful planning with his/her teammates. By contrast, in Figure 2, the teachers are locked into very specific time periods as dictated by the positioning of the lunch period, the PE/ remedial/enrichment period, and the related arts period.

Figure 1

7:45–11:45 a.m.	Lunch	PE+	Related Arts
Academic Block		R/E*

+Physical Education
*Remediation and Enrichment

Figure 2

Academic Block	PE	Lunch	Academic Block	Related Arts
	R/E

Staff Training and Development

Yet, even when teachers have the extended block in the middle grades, the majority often segment the time into strict 45- or 55-minute "periods" and bemoan the "fact" that they do not have the time to do more creative activities with their classes. The reality is that we tend to "teach as we have been taught."

Breaking this mold is a very difficult process. It requires active staff development training programs to educate everybody within the system. It requires administrators who are willing to support and encourage those persons who want to try something different. It requires an interdisciplinary team that trusts and supports one another and who are willing to take the time necessary to see that creative endeavors are rewarded and that no one is "shorted" in the time allotted for each class.

Scheduling Options

Academic time blocks in the middle school provide opportunities for teachers to work together with larger groups of students while the other teachers work with smaller groups of students who need extra assistance—either remediation or enrichment. For example, using Figure 3, students can be alerted to scheduling changes that are posted or distributed to the members of the interdisciplinary team. Students might arrive on Monday and find the following schedule posted.

In Figure 3, the students have been arbitrarily assigned to "letter" groups. Therefore, the groups can be arranged to fit specific skill and/or content needs. Note that on Monday and Tuesday Coach Murray and Ms. Smith share the same students for a planned innovative activity.

Figure 3

	M	T	W	Th	F
Ms. Green Mr. Kit	A, E, G, C, D	E, B, D, A, H, F	C, D, H, B, E	F, G, A	C, G, F
Coach Murray	B, F, H	C, G	A, F	B, C	B, D, E
Ms. Smith	B, F, H	C, G	G	D, E, H	A, H

Planning

Although this process is very workable, it also demands careful, regular planning on the part of the teaching team. For the most part, schools—regardless of the creativity of the staff—tend to shy away from the extended time block in favor of the more clearly defined time periods.

Teachers often feel threatened by arbitrary, outside assessments. Many try to guard every minute of each period so that no one can accuse them of not teaching "properly." In such cases, fear of test scores tosses creativity out the window.

Advantages

However, in the middle school, the extended block offers these advantages:

• Fewer class changes for students.
• More opportunities for creative teaching.
• Fewer discipline problems.
• Time for field trips and other activities that do not collide with other parts of the school schedule.
• Easier scheduling for the administration.

High School Case Studies

For the last couple of years, high school teachers and administrators and central office administrators have been "watching" the growth in popularity of block scheduling around the country.

During the 1993–94 school year, one comprehensive high school piloted a combination block schedule with its ninth grade class. This combination approach consisted of both block courses of 104 minutes each and single courses of 50 minutes each. The number of students who passed courses doubled from the previous year. More students were on the Honor Roll than ever before.

Benefits

What had brought about these very positive results?

• Discipline problems were fewer because the students were not moving around the school as much.
• The teachers had fewer classes to prepare for and longer planning periods.
• Students spent extended periods of time with teachers.

Concerns

Though there are not clearly marked disadvantages, there are concerns. The concerns that were identified are:

• Not enough time was given to staff development.
• Number of students in a block was unwieldy.
• Teachers did not always feel that they taught as much as during a "regular" year.
• Student maturity levels (from fall to spring, for example) were felt to affect students' ability to comprehend some information.

The overall positive results led the school administrators to the conclusion that this concept would benefit the entire school. As a result, the whole program, 9–12, has been organized around time blocks and single classes. Students may design their schedules in almost any configuration. The student may have either one blocked class and four single classes (Figure 4), two blocks and two singles (Figure 5), or three blocks (Figure 6).

Figure 4

World Studies Block

Alg. II

Wellness

Biology I

Keyboarding

Figure 5

English III Block

Geometry Block

Chemistry I

World Geography

Figure 6

U.S. History Block

Chemistry I Block

Unif. Geometry Block

The pattern establishes the following benefits:

• Teachers have fewer courses daily.
• Teachers and students have more opportunity for in-depth study.
• Students spend more time on tasks.

The questions that still plague teachers are:

• How do I handle advanced placement courses?
• What happens when the student gets all required courses and opts to graduate rather than pursue a program in greater depth?
• Is this good for the student?
• Have we created another problem for business, technical schools, colleges?

At yet another high school, the 4x4 block is being used. Rather than offering a strong mix of courses from all levels each semester, some areas are concentrating on one or two levels in the fall and the remainder in the spring. Teachers and students are concerned about the availability of the "right" courses at the "right" times in student schedules.

A third site has chosen the alternating block approach. After visiting other sites, talking with other teachers who were using the block schedule, and reviewing the needs of their students, the teachers and administrators saw this as the "best" plan for their school. The schedule for this school is:

M	1	3	5
T	2	4	6
W	1	3	5
Th	2	4	6
F	1	3	5

The teachers are very enthusiastic and say they "love it." They have more time to work with their students. They feel that they can be more innovative and creative and accomplish much more with their students. But most of all, they had a part in the development of the program.

Good luck to you as you begin these programs in your system. Block scheduling is a help. It is worth the time and effort that you will spend in making it work. Remember: It just takes time!

Lessons from Nashville

Block scheduling is still new in Nashville. Teachers see both advantages and disadvantages. Some love it; some hate it; and for some, the jury is still out. What have we learned?

• Staff development is key.
• Staff involvement in the development of the schedule is important.
• Planning must be exact.
• Interruptions of class time must be minimized.

We still have questions about:

• Student clubs and activities.
• Early release.
• Advanced placement programs.