By Sam Saslow
When LREI first started online school back in the third trimester of last year, they developed a great online school schedule that benefited a lot of people. This year, the schedule has changed in many different ways with pros and cons.
The previous schedule had an 8:30 am start that gave people more rest than a traditional in person day. 45 minute classes helped prevent students from being on screens for too long and staying engaged. A long lunch period allowed students to have a good meal and longer breaks let students finish up homework in between classes, or just gave them time to relax. This schedule was very efficient and received little to no complaints. A new schedule was made this year, then slightly changed. This new schedule went against some of the initial reasons for the class periods being short and breaks being long in the spring schedule.
When students came back to school in the fall, they were greeted with an entirely new schedule. A schedule with longer classes, short breaks, no lunch period and a late end to the day. Classes were extended to an hour and a half and breaks were only 30 minutes. There was no lunch period and if you had an x-block the school day would end around 4 pm. This schedule went against the reasons that LREI created their spring schedule last year. Instead of short classes that gave students less time on screens, classes were extended by 50 minutes.
The schedule also affects teachers as much as it does students. Teachers may have a hard time planning an hour and a half long class that keeps students engaged. Teaching on zoom is already difficult enough, this only seems to make it harder. Teachers need as many breaks and as much time to eat as students do. This schedule offered short breaks that made it impossible to get anything done. Many students ended up spending more time on screens due to these short breaks. After a long day of zoom with a lot of homework to do, most likely ending at 4:05,your time for hobbies and interest are pretty much gone. This schedule not only affected people’s lives during the school day, but after it as well.
Although this online schedule is not the greatest, it does have a few advantages. Classes are only two times a week, which creates more time to do homework. The school day had a later start, which allowed for more rest. The advantages of this schedule make sense because of the disadvantages such as longer classes but less classes during the week and a later start but a later end to the day, but there were still some things in the schedule that didn’t make sense like not having a lunch period.
A third schedule change was made very recently, which fixed some of the complaints of students and teachers, but didn’t change much. Although there was a new lunch period of 45 minutes, classes were still an hour and a half long.This lunch period allows for more time to eat and prepare food. The new schedule is also the same schedule students have for in person learning, and although it’s not the greatest for online, it’s pretty good in person. However, it didn’t do much. Classes are still long, breaks are still short, and the school day still ends late. Although this is an improvement from the original schedule, it still contradicts LREI’s schedule last year.
In conclusion, the online schedule has had it’s pros and cons, making some days long and hard. If LREI where to go back to the original spring school schedule, students would most likely enjoy their learning experience more.