Viewpoints
By Josh Rosenblut You may have noticed that we have made a change to the format of FOCUS. We are going to be publishing smaller editions every few weeks instead of just three or four issues a year. This will allow for more timely, relevant articles. We will have 1 article per section that truly represents what is going on in Blind Brook and the world right now. Whenever a new issue of
From Our Editor: FOCUS is published we announce it on our social media pages, so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @focusblindbrook. You may also want to bookmark our website: www.bbhsfocus.com. We hope you will enjoy reading our smaller editions that will be published more frequently, which will allow for the most pressing topics to be written about in a timely manner.
Josh Rosenblut Editor-in-Chief
Should Block Scheduling be Used in High Schools?
By Abby Meron & Emily Tian
Abby Meron:
The issue of whether block scheduling should be used in school districts is one that is frequently discussed. Many surveys and google forms have been sent out to get students’ opinions on the issue. In our own district, block scheduling was implemented two and a half years ago, but the real question is whether we should maintain it. Through my overall positive experiences with this more flexible schedule, I believe that it should continue to be utilized. Benefits such as variation in schedules and lengthier periods, make block scheduling popular among the students and teachers, proving it to be a worthwhile pursuit. Sometimes the monotony of the school day can make it very difficult for students to engage and participate in classes. Having such a routine schedule can create a sense of boredom for students throughout the school day. According to students Ella Mensch and Sophia Morlino, the variation in classes is beneficial and helps them focus more in class. Switching up the order of classes and
limiting the number of periods in a day gives students a much-needed mental break. Imagine this, your hardest class is scheduled first thing in the morning every day, leaving you tired, feeling a sense of torment for that first class of the day. With block scheduling, that class does not need to be first every day and that student might be able to perform better due to that unnecessary stress being lifted. Another upside noted by teachers is the extension of the period. Instead of having 40-minute classes and 8 periods in a day, there are only 6 periods and each class is 50 minutes long. These extra minutes can help teachers teach what they want without worrying about running out of time. They are able to go into more detail about the subjects they love, create more projects and explain concepts more thoroughly. This time can also help when it comes to teachers being able to work closely with each student and address their individual needs. When asked about her opinion on this method, Blind Brook teacher Mrs. Cer-
asoli stated that she likes the length of the period. On top of this teachers will have more time to plan their classes and work on how they are going to develop their curriculum. Although more time in class might seem daunting for students it allows them to take fewer classes and have less work assigned to them each day. Along with this, the dropping of certain periods depending on the letter day has also proven to have its benefits. If a student has a test or a lot of homework one night, if they do not have that class the next day they have the opportunity to manage their time more effectively. For example, that student could fo-
cus on studying for that test, and then the next night they could finish their homework for the class that was dropped. Having this flexibility can be a great stress reliever and can help those students perform to their fullest potential. School has proven to be a stressful environment for students and if there is a way to decrease the level of stress we should seize the opportunity. With many benefits, block scheduling provides a better and more efficient way to learn. Although at first, this change to block scheduling can be hard to adjust to, it is worth it in the long run. Continued on page 3
Photo Courtesy of Project.co
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