Crown Point High School follows a unique schedule that is not commonly seen in other high schools. A regular school week contains three “block” days and two traditional days. On block days, two classes are removed from the schedule which allows the remaining periods to extend to around 70 minutes rather than the usual 50 minutes per class. Because of this, each day the students get to experience a different schedule than the one before it. This results in several benefits for the students and the teachers.
For the students, the block schedule can help reduce stress and improve their focus in multiple different ways. Many teens find it overwhelming to keep up with the homework they are expected to do each night. Though on block days they are faced with five classes instead of seven, that can make the workload feel a little more manageable. With the classes being longer, this gives students the opportunity to ask more questions, participate in discussion, and actually understand the material rather than rushing through it.
Teachers also gain benefits from the longer class periods. For starters, it allows them to dive deeper into the topic and effectively explain the material. Teachers tend to cram activities in the short time they have. However, with block days, it gives more opportunities for them to customize the agenda with more learning tactics such as group work, discussion time, projects, and one-on-one time with the students if needed. Crown Point’s block schedule helps students and teachers move at a more realistic pace. A little extra time can make a big difference.