Reflecting on Flex Week: Pro

Samo piloted a new flex time schedule for two weeks. This new schedule was designed to support students and hopefully relieve some of the overwhelming stresses they may face in high school. The format of the schedule not only provided students with time during the school day to complete individual work or visit teachers for assistance, but also granted students an extra night to do their homework. Although there are minor flaws, the pros of the Blue and Gold scheduling outweigh the disadvantages and are why the schedule should be instituted permanently.Having the 53-minute flex time twice a week gives all students the opportunity to visit their teachers. Many Samo students are unable to stay after school to seek help from their teachers or are involved in multiple sports or clubs at Samo that overlap with office hours. With the flex time, students do not have to sacrifice attendance of their extracurriculars or take time off of work in order to academically advance or clarify a question.Samo’s music program took advantage of the flex time. As a replacement for the after school rehearsals, many ensembles got to sign up for music flex and have rehearsal during that time allotment. This way their afternoons were cleared of this commitment (or responsibility). Students not in those specific orchestras could also sign up for music and individually practice their instrument. With the increased workload as finals are approaching, having even 30-minutes a night to practice is a luxury, so this opportunity was especially handy for many musicians. “For three of our orchestras, we were able to hold rehearsals that normally occur after school. Many students who were not involved in those rehearsals signed up for individual practice. I thought it was beneficial that these students had an opportunity to practice on their own,” orchestra director Joni Swenson said.Additionally, the Samo music program conducts a student mentor program where musicians in the more advanced ensembles teach other students free of charge. The flex period is a perfect opportunity for these peer private lessons to occur.Some argue that having the extended 90-minute periods are unbearable and claim that it can be difficult to maintain focus for such an extended time. However, the benefits of having extended periods outweigh the initial overwhelming 90-minute periods. The longer class periods allow teachers to go more in depth about learning topics and conduct class curriculum that may require a longer time frame. For example, science classes can do more complex labs and English classes can practice in-class essays.A major part of the schedule is the change in start and release times on both flex days and Wednesday. A.M. students only need to be at school eight-minutes earlier than usual and students who start with regular period one come at the normal time. However, all students have early release at 2:37 p.m. Additionally, day two of flex began at 8:55 a.m., 40-minutes later than usual. Although this is earlier than the current late start Wednesday, students get extra time on flex-day one after school to complete assignments and are also given early morning on flex-day two. This is a fair substitution for the regular late start Wednesday.Samo staff, especially A.M. teachers, are concerned that they will be missing practically a full instructional period each week. Although it may seem like this on the surface, the actual minutes of the a.m. class add up to the same amount in any other class. Just as people must adjust to new things in their everyday life, students and teachers will have to learn how to take full advantage of the time they are given. This valid fear, however, is being addressed, as Samo will be piloting a new flex schedule for two weeks in February that addresses the shorter a.m. time.Overall, the Blue and Gold Flex Time is successful in allotting students time to be productive at school and minimize their workload once the school day ends. Flex time is preferential for classes that require extra time to ensure understanding or carry out complicated or longer activities. It fulfills its goal of reducing the stresses of high school and giving students opportunities to seek assistance.