Clean the Basement
October 12th, 2008I’m discovering something new about blogging—it’s harder when things go well.
This is not to say that there are not many, many things to be improved. There are, but in any system, there are always (at least) two layers to deal with; the surface, and then the pillars which support it. I’ve been doing enough house hunting lately to know that no matter how good it might look up top, if you really want to know a house, go into the basement.
So across the board, in every interaction I have with students, other teachers, and in the two schools in general—MC2 and MRHS—things look better than they did. There’s more hope for the future, a better attitude in the halls, and a better tone in the building—especially inside MRHS.
All of which is good—the fires have been extinguished.
The hard part is not putting out a blaze, though, it’s building a good solid structure. The challenge with MRHS is that many of the foundational elements which contributed to the fires in the first place continue to exist. It’s like a building built without fire exits—when things got bad, then the systems inside the building itself contributed to the disaster.
For example, communication home was a major flaw in the design of the school. There’s no way it could not be—the system in place does not encourage parental involvement. There have been steps made to improve this: The principal’s blog is a good example, and it’s hard to overlook the positive effects and efforts that are going on with the BETTYs group.¹ In no way am I trying to imply good things have not occurred.
Still, what needs to happen is an overhaul of the system, and we need to be willing to do things which are in no way comfortable. Right now, the hardest part of the interface between MC2 and MRHS is the daily schedule, and the number one limiting factor teachers cite when I talk to them is the period schedule.
Let me say that again. The thing which most drives the high school is not the best education for all the students. It’s not about providing the most opportunity. It’s not about what will be easiest to understand. It’s not about raising every kid to a higher level.
It’s when the bell rings.
This is (obviously) the most bizarre and foolish thing in the world to build a school around. Every college I know of has moved to 90 minute classes, and every high school I’m aware of now. I speak to my students who return for Pumpkin Fest or just to visit, and they’re stunned—now that they know about it—that MRHS hasn’t moved to a block schedule.
It’s just that much better
There are a number of reasons why the school hasn’t shifted. To some extent, it’s inertia—it’s hard to get a 1300 person army moving in any direction. Even if it would be better, convincing everyone will never happen, and it’s easier to sabotage² a good idea than it is to implement it.
More importantly, there are some people who don’t want to see a block schedule, as it will mean more work for them. I hate to say it, but if you’re a lazy or incompetent teacher, then the period schedule is for you. Kids come in, kill 10 minutes taking attendance, talking, whatever. Kill 15 minutes going over the previous days homework. “Teach” for 10-15 minutes (and I say “teach” very loosely here, since the only instructional activity there’s any time for is lecturing, which is not (as much as I love to do it) the be-all and end-all of teaching) and then whatever time if left over gets used to start the next day’s homework.
Makes for an easy day.
This is not to say there aren’t classes where the shorter period doesn’t make sense—foreign language classes, perhaps, since practice every day is important and the skills can be lost quickly. Or perhaps math is done better in smaller chunks. I don’t know—but I really doubt many teachers wouldn’t want to move to the block, and wouldn’t be willing to give it a shot.
And once this is done, there’s more time. Teach three classes a day, not five. Have 90 minutes to plan a class and work with other teachers, not 45. Worry about sixty students, not a hundred.
I could go on. The list is that long.
Here’s the trick—the schedule should serve the needs of the student’s education, not the students the need of the schedule. This is one of the system pillars in the MRHS basement—if the structure is going to stand, then it needs to be able to support the weight of what’s put on top of it.
We’re asking our kids to learn more than they ever have before, and we’re asking to make it happen in too little time. Fix the scheduling, and it’s one more post in supporting our kid’s education the way it should be done.
We’ve had enough turmoil and turn-over in the last three years that we can do anything we want in the building to make it work better. This is the easiest, most logical change in the world—all we need to do is implement it.
1 I’d link to the site, but the MRHS school website wasn’t helping me any (appears down). I’d also love to get a definitive answer as to how that organization’s name should be capitalized… ↺
2 All it takes is one wooden shoe, eh? ↺
October 13th, 2008 at 5:43 am
Be True To Your School = BeTTYS
October 15th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
“I hate to say it, but if you’re a lazy or incompetent teacher, then the period schedule is for you.”
Hey Rob,
Just feeling a bit dialectical here, but you and I both know that it is possible to hide your light under a bushel of any size, whether it be a 45 minute or block sized bushel. I agree with the general idea of block scheduling, but I would be loathe to set up a change like this for fear it would be seen as a panacaea. As you know, a switch like this would require a great deal of retraining as well as restructuring. Can’t quibble long now, though…she’s standing at the door tapping her feet and it’s time to go.
Catch you later.
Jerry
October 15th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Hey Jerry,
I love that there’s always a thoughtful, “here’s something else to consider” lurking under the bushel. As always, you make me think more about what I’m trying to say.
I am (in no way, shape, or form) trying to imply that switching to a block will suddenly boost test scores, raise moral, make the building look better, and have everyone suddenly possess whiter teeth. In fact, there are a host of complications which come with a block¹ what kind of block schedule leaps to mind, and there’s a host more in addition to that.
So it is, quite simply, complicated.
But what needs to be present is the willingness to change, and the willingness to shift long-held structures of the school. It might be a load-bearing wall (can you tell we’ve been house hunting?) but if it blocks the kind of work that needs to be done, then either don’t buy the building, or get ready for a major construction project.
We’ve already bought the building. So the need to pour in all the work of a major construction project is present. Far from a panacea, this will be more work, more effort, and take more time.
But if we want the payoff in the end… If we want the educational needs of the students to come first, and not the timing of the bell, then we need to make time. There’s none in the regular school day. Some needs to be created… and that means changing some things.
Give my best to your tapping feet.
Best,
RJH
1 For a school like MRHS, which is still trying to figure out the best way to feed its population in a manageable time frame (a 45 minute lunch is very long…a 1/2 hour is standard, but simply can’t be done in the facility we have. There’s nothing we can do about the lunch situation but build a better cafeteria… and until we do, we lose 2700 minutes a year—45 hours of instructional time!) there are even bigger problems with a block. It’s challenging, I know.
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PS. Thanks Mike.