Greater FlexAbility

After assuring them that a) the Mass schedule was not part of a personal vendetta against the eighth grade and b) the next day, things would be back to business as usual, I was on my way. But their desire for that flexible time made me reflect on some of the good things that have come out of our schedule revision.

 

The first is that there are a number of ways the schedule has been beneficial for students. Students use flexible time in productive ways: meeting with teachers, beginning their homework, moving their bodies, working together, etc. Seeing students using this time to do academic work and learn collaboratively over the past four months has been amazing. Upper School students have reported appreciating the opportunity to decide for themselves what they will do. As students grow through our divisions, their opportunities to make choices also grow.

 

Over the past twenty years, education research has shown that allowing students choice in their academic pursuits is a major contributor to student engagement. From access to electives in the Lower and Middle Schools to the Collaboration period in the Upper School, the new schedule creates opportunities for student choice. Our strategic plan calls for us to empower students "with choices for more personalized learning pathways, recognizing them as partners in their learning experience, and fostering their ownership of it." Our schedule provides the space for this vision to become a reality.

 

The second thing I thought about as I left that eighth-grade class was the students were intentionally taking ownership of their learning environment. However many vowels they chose to use, they saw themselves as an important part of the decision-making process. They were thinking about their needs² and voicing them.

 

From anecdotal feedback from students and faculty, we know there are alterations we will want to make to the schedule to make it work better for our community's needs. We are listening to feedback and planning for next year. In January, we will be surveying students and faculty to get a wide-ranging sense of how all the elements of the new schedule are working for our Middle and Upper divisions. No significant change is without growing pains as the community shifts its rhythm. However, the positive engagement of our community has been a major asset as we work to implement our strategic plan.

 

 

¹You'd be amazed how many extra ee's eighth graders can put in words when they really put their minds to it.

²Pardon me, neeeeeds.