Students say day and week 'go by quicker'

By Cindy Hodgson
Herald Times Reporter

MISHICOT — Students at Mishicot High School no longer rush from one 45-minute class to another seven times each day. Instead, they devote an hour and a half to each of four subjects and have 10 minutes between classes.

This is the first semester the school has operated on a block schedule. The students are in the eighth week of the new format.

"The kids don't seem quite as stressed out," said school counselor Amber Fox-Brewer. "It just seems more relaxed."

In addition, some students' grades have improved, Fox-Brewer said.

"They're not spreading themselves too thin," she said.

Principal Jeff Walters proposed block scheduling when he came to Mishicot in 2007.

Walters had been a teacher on the leadership committee that implemented block scheduling in Kiel, and he wanted to bring the unique schedule to his new district. After two years of planning and preparing, it has become a reality.

Walters said block scheduling provides students with more opportunities. For instance, they receive more instructional time and can graduate with more credits.

In addition, as a small district with declining enrollment, Mishicot would have trouble continuing to offer all of its electives, he said. Enrollment in those classes has been inconsistent. There are no study halls under the new plan, so enrollment in electives has increased.

Under block scheduling, most classes that previously lasted the entire school year have become semester-long classes, while semester classes have become nine-week classes.

Band and chorus are offered only as "skinnies," meaning they continue to be about 45 minutes in length and last all year. Students in one but not both of those programs need another 45-minute class to plug into that time slot, so some other elective classes also are offered as skinnies, he said.

"I like it," junior Karl Battin said. "Just makes the day and the week go by quicker."

Because he has fewer classes, he has less homework, he said.

Senior Cody Piontek said he thinks he has about the same amount of homework as before, but he's able to devote more time to each subject.

"You're only dealing with four classes now, instead of eight," he said.

"I really like it," said junior Makenzie Tellock.

She said she doesn't have to put as much thought into which books she has to bring home.

"I like not having eight books in my backpack," she said.

She also likes the longer break between classes, both to switch gears mentally and also to socialize with friends.

Piontek said the longer passing time gives him a chance to prepare and get organized for the next class.

The students were asked what they don't like about block scheduling.

"Probably sitting for an hour and a half," Tellock said.

"That's no fun at all," Battin said.

Some classes include an hour of taking notes, Piontek said.

"It's hard to stay focused for that amount of time," he said.

Tellock said she catches herself daydreaming, but she admitted she does that in shorter classes, too.

The students said it helps when they can get up and move around during class.

Tellock said the longer class periods give students more time to connect with their teachers.

"I like how you're able to get to know your students," said family and consumer education teacher Ashley Parker.

The schedule works well with vocational classes, she said, providing time to go into more depth and allowing them to finish hands-on activities without rushing through them.

"With the 45 minutes, it was just a struggle to get … anything done," she said.

All of the classes Parker teaches are nine weeks long, which means it will be like starting the school year all over again four times throughout the year.

"That might be a struggle," she said.

Spanish teacher Justin Gerlach said the block schedule allows him to devote more time to each activity and to each student.

Gerlach understands 90 minutes may be a long time for students to be in a class that's challenging for them or that they don't particularly like, but he sees that as an adjustment, not as a negative aspect of the schedule.

He said students will have long classes in college, and those who enter the world of work will have long workdays.

With no study halls, Fox-Brewer said it sounds like most teachers are offering students time to do schoolwork during class. She thinks it's a plus because the teacher is there to answer questions.

Walters sees that as a benefit, too.

"They're doing the work in front of the expert," he said.

Cindy Hodgson: (920) 686-2966 or chodgson@htrnews.com