In-Depth Learning with a New Schedule

By Upper School Dean of Faculty Julie Strong, Ph.D.
I live by my calendar. Maybe you do too. It’s one of the first things I check in the morning and the last thing I review before bed. My calendar influences my mood and the types of interactions I will have: Do I have time to have an impromptu chat with a colleague or commend a student? Can I dive into a big project or is my day divided into tiny pieces? The way my time unfolds governs my energy at night. Too many fragmented days take their toll on my effectiveness. A school’s class schedule is no different; it influences productivity, stress levels and satisfaction. There is one key distinction, though: students have little, if any, control over how their time is divided in school. Therefore it falls on the educators to ensure we are using the schedule to not only foster productivity and a sense of fulfillment but also to favor teaching methods that prepare students for the changing work world. With these goals in mind, the Middle and Upper Schools undertook a review and revision of the daily schedule rotation, and we are excited to embark on a new schedule in the 2017-2018 academic year.

Our schedule review had multiple goals:
  • ensure that we can continue to provide a wide range of course offerings, particularly in the arts;
  • support deeper learning;
  • connect students with mentors both within and outside school;
  • and address practical concerns such as moving away from a rotation tied to the days of the week.
Over the past year and a half, a cross-divisional committee that included representatives from all departments was formed to explore a new scheduling structure. The committee surveyed current students and faculty; among lots of important feedback, one takeaway was that the all-class Monday schedule was universally unpopular! We also examined current research, consulted peer schools through the INDEX network, analyzed various school schedules and connected with colleagues from schools across the country. I am proud that the group modeled the collaborative problem-solving that we want our students to embody.

The new schedule will emphasize longer class times and fewer classes per day, changes that are shown by substantial research to decrease stress and favor in-depth learning. The coordination between the Upper and Middle School schedules will better support many arts and world language teachers who currently juggle conflicting class schedules. One benefit that might be hard to envision is that the new schedule will no longer be tied to the days of the week. For instance, in the present system, if we have a Wednesday off, teachers must compensate for lost time in some sections or pause the progress of all to allow some to catch up. In the new system, we will resume with the next day in the cycle, and no sections are at a disadvantage in having less class time. The Upper School will also benefit from a new “flex time” block, which will allow for the exploratory, student-driven activities that many in the school community advocated for during our research process.

The newly revised schedule structure will provide the foundation for our community to continue to build upon the education of the future. I can’t wait to see what our students and teachers will accomplish with this new framework.
 
Back

La Jolla Country Day School

9490 Genesee Avenue
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-453-3440

© 2024 La Jolla Country Day School 

Privacy Policy

COVID-19 Prevention Plan

Country Day Connection Newsletter