Fourth period—at least the part that starts at 9:40 on Blue Days—has become a dreaded time to students. That’s when, at the sound of the bell, we rush to our designated Learning Seminar class.
Bogged down by homework, many are hoping the next 45 minutes can be used to knock out some assignments. Instead, they find another lesson crammed in and another round of homework to add to their already-crowded plates.
The Fairfax County School Board came up with the idea of Learning Seminar as time for teachers to help students better understand concepts and work done in their classes. But many teachers here have used this time to pile on more work into the “mini-period” that precedes Spartan Time.
Many students feel that getting an extra workload from LS is unnecessary.
“[It causes us] to worry about having more homework that night and learning [new] concepts,” said sophomore Jacob Hansen.
Behind the scenes, teachers aren’t privy to students’ homes, where arguments with parents, emotional meltdowns, and screaming at the ceiling abound.
A lot of this stress is caused by homework and its side effects. Teachers tend to think that one small 10 minute assignment won’t harm any students. Ten minutes could be all it takes to push a student, and their family, to the breaking point.
If teachers were not allowed to assign work during LS, then teaching itself could become easier. It is common knowledge that teachers complain about low class scores on quizzes and tests, as well as incomplete homework.
Allowing students time to work on homework and/or study with the help of the instructor would go a long way in cutting down on poor grades. This could raise GPAs—a win-win— and potentially positively affect school ratings.
I’m not proposing to cut Learning Seminar out in its entirety. It would require teachers, and students, to rearrange their entire schedule for the year. It would also remove the whole point of having extra time to work on homework and get help from a teacher.
Rather, if the school board was to restrict teachers from assigning work during this period, students stress levels could drop. Small assignments add up, and as soon as teachers can see this, the better it will be for all parties involved.