Monday, February 16, 2009

More on scheduling...

I started to comment on a comment, and then decided to make it another post...

Back when I was in high-school (you know, when dinosaurs roamed the earth...) we had three terms in a school year (trimesters) and a five class-period day, meaning 15 classes a year. Each class was about an hour long, what with passing periods and a lunch break.

I also did a year of HS in Australia and had a block schedule there. Some classes were every day, but there were two longer blocks that alternated... if my failing memory serves :0)

I think the block idea is a great concept. I do that with homeschool. We do some things every day (math, LA, reading...), but I alternate science and history so we can take more time with those.

What really boggled my mind was the thought of expecting distracted, hormone-addled high schoolers to keep track of tests, assignments, readings, homework and expectations for nine different subjects with nine different teachers. And then, above and beyond that, to imagine that they could go beyond managing, and really absorb or enjoy any of the material.

Just my two cents...