Thoughts About Block Scheduling…
Don’t burn your candle at both ends! Work with other teachers who are teaching the same course; develop lessons, assessments, and activities together. Two heads are almost always better than one.
Successful teaching in a block schedule is not about presenting two lessons one right after the other. Look for opportunities to weave concepts together in a meaningful way.
Don’t reinvent the wheel. Many previous lessons may just need a little cosmetic makeover with a few minor adjustments to give them “block vitality.”
“Variety is the spice of Life” so strive for three activity changes during a class to keep the students active and the class alive. However, don’t overdo it and leave your students wondering what they were supposed to learn. Be sure the changes make sense and that transitions are made smoothly. Changing activities just for the sake of changing activities makes no sense. A few well-planned activities work better than a multitude without a focused target.
Include plans for your students to provide evidence of the concepts they have learned. Plan to assess students in the same ways they received instruction. If labs and calculators are integral to concept building, they should be included in a plan for assessing learning.
Incorporate ways to check for understanding during each class. Moving around the room to watch student interaction and work gives an instant informal assessment. A short quiz or writing assignment may help both the teacher and the students to clarify understanding.
Laboratory activities are an excellent method for incorporating many skills and concepts into the curriculum. Try a few simple ones and work with other teachers until you feel comfortable. Ask a science teacher for help. Include prelab activities to make the lab’s purpose clear and postlab activities to pull all the concepts together in the end.
Teaching Mathematics In The Block
Susan N. Gilkey and Carla H. Hunt