Student’s Evaluate What They’d Prefer: Block Scheduling or Traditional Scheduling

Arrowhead High School is one of the remaining schools which carries out a 10 period schedule. Many schools such as Kettle Moraine and Oconomowoc High School have adopted the block scheduling method, a method which extends the duration of class periods and cuts down the number of periods a student has in a day.

Some Arrowhead students say they are repulsed by the idea of a schedule which calls for ninety minute class periods.

Given that select courses such as creative writing, art courses, and gym courses run over two periods (84 minutes), Arrowhead in some instances does follow the block schedule.

Jack Cieslak, a junior at Arrowhead High School says, “I could not sit through an hour and a half of math each day. My brain would be fried, and I would start to go stir crazy from staring at a math book for that long.”

Cieslak says, “I also feel like I might get bored having as little as the same four classes a day for nine weeks.”

Cieslak is referring to the block scheduling that Kettle Moraine runs, a school his younger brother attends.

According to the Kettle Moraine website, students have four periods a day, one advisory period, and a lunch. Each period is 90 minutes, the advisory period is 30 minutes, and lunch is 30 minutes.

An advisory period is unfamiliar to many Arrowhead students. This is a 30 minute free period which students can get help from teachers and complete work.

Kettle Moraine junior Cory Krause  says an advisory period is much like “the home room period a lot of middle schools used to do.”

Some Arrowhead students say that they may prefer this block scheduling, because it entails a smaller course load.

Currently, the Arrowhead scheduling system allows a minimum course load of 7 classes per semester. This number can of course be altered if a student chooses to take 8 classes, or if a student chooses to apply for FSO (flexible scheduling option).

Students, namely seniors, who have few classes and have completed all graduation requirements may speak to their counselor about an abbreviated schedule.

Another difference between block scheduling, and the ten period schedule is the ten period schedule allows for far more choice in course selection for each given semester.