For some time now there has been a debate between block scheduling and shorter class periods. And there are excellent teachers and administrators on both sides. We all realize that there is no perfect decision to make. There are advantages and disadvantages to both concepts. So then, in light of the conflicting views, are shorter class periods better for students?
After many years teaching in many different school types and grade levels, I have some opinions and experience regarding this. And honestly, regardless of the school policy, I have been able to make all kinds of different schedules work with whatever class I was working with.
Are shorter class periods better for students? Yes, shorter class periods are better for students than large blocks of time. But having a block schedule in your classroom does not mean that you have to rigidly teach only one style and one subject during that block of time. There is great flexibility in any type of scheduling that your school requires in its policies.
But to add to my opinion and experience, I did some research and looked into what other teachers were saying and doing so that I could answer this question in the best way possible. And this article is the result of putting all of these things together in one report.
Here is a chart that will give you a summary of what my research showed:
Table of Contents
The Problems with Longer Class Periods
Most kids have short attention spans. And with technology, they have gotten shorter instead of longer. This may not necessarily be a great thing, but it’s still a thing. And somehow as teachers, we must reach our students in spite of it. Short class periods helps with that problem because the students aren’t stuck in a chair for extended periods of time.
The vast majority of kids can wait 45-50 minutes between bathroom breaks and other classroom distractions. But when you make that time frame 1-2 1/2 hours long, you start to get a lot more distractions. But you also get squirmy kids who can’t really sit for that long, let alone give you their undivided attention.
Even my college age son admits that it is hard to sit through a lecture that lasts for 90 minutes or more. And this is coming from someone who can sit and read a book for hours.
Actively learning takes energy and focus that is hard to keep going for such a long time. Because of this, there comes a time in a class that students are just no longer taking in the information they need. This is especially true in the younger grades (this is being implemented as young as 6th grade).
Why Shorter Class Periods are Better for Students
There are several reasons in addition to attention span issues that make shorter class periods better for students. I will highlight just a few of them here.
Boredom
First, the kids don’t have time to get bored because they are always on the move. Boredom will still be an issue, especially for the subjects that certain kids just don’t get into. That is something that the teacher’s lesson planning has to work with. But you are at least eliminating one way that boredom can take hold in the classroom.
Paying Attention
Students also tend to be more tuned in because they are eager to see what comes next. Once again, this is where great lesson planning comes in in addition to shorter class times. Although it takes a little bit more thought and research initially, it is so worth being able to move smoothly from one subject to another without feeling like you have to drag your reluctant students along with you the whole day.
Physical Health
Next, the students have a chance to get up and stretch more often, which is so much better for their health. Sitting for extended periods of time is extremely unhealthy, especially in growing kids. This can still be done in a larger block, but if you are trying to teach a concept straight through that block, it can become very disruptive. And once one student asks to go the the restroom, guess how many follow after that?!
Absences
Another great reason for shorter class periods is that absences don’t become such a huge deal when they aren’t losing such a huge chunk of material. For example, if you happen to be teaching a critical concept in math when a student (or students) can’t make it, then they have lost their ability to move on with the class. Any new concepts will be lost on them while they are trying to catch up on what they missed. This snowball effect can be very hard to get over.
Productivity
The time spent in class is more productive because everybody feels the need to be more on point. When larger blocks are being used, it tends to be much easier to take a more chill approach to learning, feeling like you have plenty of time left. Until you don’t. And then you are scrambling to get the last details done.
On a shorter class schedule, there is more of a feeling of getting down to business. Because of this, the students tend to have their minds more sharpened and ready to go. They aren’t walking in thinking that they have all the time in the world. Well, usually. Some students are going to be that way regardless.
Special Needs Friendly
For those students that have attention deficit disorder or the many other special needs that make sitting and learning difficult, block classes can be torture. This is true for them AND the teacher! You could spend more time trying to avert disaster than teaching your material. And by the end of the day, everyone in the class is frazzled from the controlled chaos.
Shorter class periods definitely make special needs in the classroom more manageable.
Check out this short video on some of the advantages of shorter class periods:
Why Shorter Class Periods are Better for Teachers Too
Because the kids aren’t getting bored as often, the teachers aren’t constantly trying to come up with things to keep them occupied in a more satisfying way.
We get more bathroom breaks too! Enough said!
Lesson planning is easier because you feel more like you are teaching to the material than teaching to the time. This makes the work more productive in the long run.
You don’t have to worry as much about bringing kids who have been absent up to par so they can continue the ongoing work with the rest of the class.
Solutions that Work Amazingly Well
The bottom line is that most teachers cannot decide which method they would like to use based on what works best for them. The school administration will decide based on their research and advice from experts how they would like the school day to be scheduled.
But that does not mean that the teacher is unable to function the way they need to in the classroom and with the students.
The bottom-bottom line is that you have the same number of hours in a day regardless of which method you are required to use.
With a little bit of strategy, you can transform your block schedule back into a shorter class period schedule!
Making Your Block Schedule Look Like Smaller Class Periods
For those of you that are working in the block system, here are some suggestions to make it function more like a shorter class period day.
Here is an example of a block schedule that I got from the Newport News, Virginia school system:
The blocks of time are split into 80-minute increments. This looks like a huge amount of time for the students to be sitting and listening to you lecture. Because it is. This is where differentiated lesson planning and some creativity comes into play. You can read more about this in one of my articles here.
So here are some suggestions that will help you transform this block into more manageable time slots for you and your students.
Keeping Things Flexible
Just because that time slot is set apart for one subject doesn’t mean that you can only teach to the class on that one subject for the whole time. You can use that time to do activities that will reinforce what you taught. They will retain these other activities many times better than you standing up there lecturing them. And life is better for them because there is variety.
Kids, especially in the younger and middle school grades, love to see how things tie in. So giving them the next activity and letting them tell you how they think it ties in is so much fun for them. And it’s good for them too, because it is making them think outside the box.
The key to making this work for you is to not have to be spending all of your time online trying to figure out how you are going to get this type of program organized and the lesson plans completed.
It helps to have a go-to source that will let you plan in just a few minutes because they have done all of the legwork for you.
An Example
In the reading/literature realm, my website has a well-rounded curriculum section that will allow you to decide exactly what you want to do with your kids to expand your lesson. Most of the chapters of the books I did were completed in two-hour blocks. So you can expand to two days to complete all of the activities or just choose your favorite activities from the choices provided. There are several hours worth of options available.
You can see a sample of the activities that are provided if you click on this Sample Chapter link. Here is a list of what most of the chapters do include for activities:
- Teacher Assistance sheet with expanded instructions for the activities
- Comprehension Questions (worksheet or discussion)
- Vocabulary worksheet
- Vocabulary Visuals
- Crossword Puzzle
- Bible Lesson worksheet
- Character Questions Worksheet
- Snack Ideas (from small snacks to full meals)
- Craft Ideas
- Game/Activity Ideas
- Homework worksheets
- Memory Verse Poster
- Famous Quote Poster
- Essay Starter worksheet
- Picture Starter worksheet
There is more in each chapter than you can possibly do with your class, which gives you creative control of your own classroom program.
But the best part is there is tons of material for you to use. And you will not have a problem filling your time slot, at least in the grammar/writing/reading realm.
Gaining Even More Time and Flexibility
One thing you can also do is add the craft project to the arts block in your day. And the game/activity can be added to the P.E. block of your day. You can even add it to your math program by using the story to make up a scenario for word problems or other concepts you are teaching your students. The kids will enjoy seeing the theme play out through the day, and you will regain even more time to do more things in your block of time. All of this is done without feeling like you have a huge block to fill because you have broken it down into manageable smaller time slots.
At the end of the day, it is your classroom program to do with as it works for you. The only constant you have is when your students have to be in other classes for the other time slots. Most schools give great flexibility, especially as they see your students thriving with the program you are doing with them.
My kids will say yes! I think some are too long. I think my kids have 43 minutes per class? I’ll have to ask them.
Kids would definitely love shorter classes!
I really think what you say is true, in the end what matters is not the amount of hours but the quality of the studio.
I personally think that shorter classes might not work as well as hoped, however there should be a short break within each class. Not one where they leave (unless to go to the bathroom etc) but one where they can just take 10 minutes to eat, get a drink of water and just process the information in the classroom. When studying for exams they tell you to study for 30 minutes and then take a 10 minute break because the human mind can only retain so much. Shouldn’t it be the same way when in a classroom?
Yes, Nyxie, younger kids have an even harder time focusing for so long at a time. That is why there has to be a variety of activities within the class periods. The mini-break is also a great idea!
Just like anything new, it would have it’s pros and cons. I am actually just okay changing it or not. More likely half heart and don’t want to be bias.
With younger learners it’s hard to keep them active for a very loong period of time. When it comes to older students longer classes do well. So it all depends on who we teach. 🙂
I agree that shorter classes would be more beneficial. As you wisely stated, with the rise in technological devices, kids dont have the attention span they used to have.
When I was in high school we switched from 45 minutes classes to 90. As a student it was great for classes I loved, such as political science and creative writing. But sitting through a 90 minute math class was TORTURE. Pluses and minuses I suppose.
Very true, Krysten.
Interesting. I hadn’t thought of this this way. My kids aren’t quite there yet, but I can say with certainty that at university, when I had a weekly class versus a class that was held two to three times a week, the 1-day a week class was THE most difficult — regardless of subject.
Yes! My son is a junior in college and has some 3-hour blocks. Even though they are in subjects he loves, he is still dying by the end of the 3 hours.
My kids have long days (since pre-k). They’re used to it now though my kindergardner does sometimes complain. The classes themselves are not long but I know for me a long class would drive me crazy so I can only imagine how they would feel, especially my son.
Yes, Scott, longer classes are hard on kids of all ages. But there are some great teachers who have figured out excellent ways to work around it.
I had 45 minutes perclass and I would say longer would be too much
I agree shorter classes are better. I prefer them to longer classes. Longer classes can be draining.
Shorter class periods sounds like a good idea. At my school we had three 100 minute lessons each day and it was a killer.
Wow, I can imagine one being hard. Three in a row would be killer. I bet you are glad those days are over!
now that kids are out of school and distance learning i’m learning more that classes can totally be shorter…kids are getting their school work done so quickly!!!
Yes! When they realize that free time is on the other end and they don’t have to sit there the whole day, they start to work a whole lot faster! This is one of the biggest benefits of homeschooling, although there are certainly rewards and work-arounds in regular school settings as well.
As a former pre k teacher I really do think shorter classes through the day is much better. I know when I was in school ( not just elementary) even in college the long class periods alone where enough to drive me away. Especially since I am not one to sit still and I get bored pretty easily. I feel that if my class times had been broken up say into half hour to 45 minutes MAX I would have been able to keep my focus. instead i spent anywhere between 1 hour and three hours ( later in college) fighting off sleep, short attention span and being a distraction. If we cut down class times to say 30 minutes per class and then give them 1 hour of an extra curricular of the students choosing. extend the school year out ( so instead of 8 to 12 weeks of summer vacation the kids would get 3 to 4 weeks. ) This makes for 4 hours a day. If my schools had done this I think that I would have been so much more invested in classes. I would tell myself it is just a half hour. that is it. I will get through it and get done! I think I would have been okay with sacrificing the extended summer of boredom to have more of an interest in school!
I think there are so many positive changes that we can make, Tia. I appreciate your thoughts.
Actually, it depends. There are lots of factors. The combination of the optimal parameters can answer the question. <3 But for those unwilling students, YES. shorter periods are the best for them.
Yes, Cha! Everything kind of depends on the circumstances around it. That is why it not a black and white issue or easily solved. There are so many mitigating circumstances. Teachers can only do what they know is best for their students in the format they are required to work through. But there is actually a whole lot of liberty in that seemingly narrow space.
I agree the shorter class periods idea is good, but it depends upon interest in subject, as like Math was interesting topic for me but same time chemistry was boring for me…. but now my daughter don’t like Maths so she likes very short period on Maths…
This is all true, although some teachers can make even the most boring material come to life. Those are the teachers we remember forever.
I fully agree that shorter class periods are the way to go! It allows things to stay fresh, breathes new energy into both student and teacher. I think everyone benefits!
I agree that shorter periods are better. You cannot focus for so long so at one point you get distracted and if the class carries on, you do not remember anything. I was always sharpest during shorter than longer classes.
All very true, Michael. Thanks for reading!
Now that students are getting virtual lessons and showing up or not showing up at all, I hope they realize the value of those long or short periods. I’m sad for them at this time.
I think the vast majority of kids are missing their school time. At least the social and getting out of the house part of it if nothing else. I pray this time will end soon. I am finding that looking ahead to normalcy is my best strategy to get through this really difficult time.
I think shorter classes are better because the information and the education is more precise. And they don’t miss their time during bad times. They can do more projects and more critical thinking at home.
I personally preferred shorter classes when I was in school. I felt like they held my attention more and I didn’t get burnt out like I did when we had longer classes.
I have actually never heard anyone from kindergarten through college say they wished they had a longer class period! That should be a pretty good indicator. Fortunately, some great teachers have figured out how to make block schedules into shorter periods for the sake of their students. And it has worked out well! Thank you for reading, Jessica!
I think they both have their own pros and cons so it would have to be case by case determination. I will say when I was in night school for 3 hours a crack, my mind shut down the last hour for sure, maybe even sooner…
Personally, I wanted a shorter class but what longer classes taught me was that.. patience. 🙂
I agree with shorter class periods. As a former teacher, and now a homeschooler, time is being wasted when the attention span is gone. Students need to be engaged and that’s not something that can be forced.
Very true! And it also makes the teacher’s job harder to have to further engage the students once their attention span is gone because of time. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts!
This is pretty interesting topic. Well I agreed with you in so many points. I bet shorter class must be capable to learn students a lot.
The time span that the human mind can focus or is approximately 50 minutes on an average. One also needs to consider that a class has students of a variety of concentration levels. Better to keep shorter classes than loose the attention of the students.
I think it really depends on the projects or topic of class. If the class is long and boring then something needs to change because not even adults have long attention spans.
I can see shorter class times helping a bunch especially with how short attention spans truly are. Kids are less focused and more distracted than ever now!
As always, it is a pleasure reading your posts. Interesting to know the advantages of shorter classes. I hope to see more schools following this.
Thank you, Sudipta! ♥
I think smaller classes are better because information and education is more accurate. They can do more projects and more critical thinking at home.
I feel like with longer class periods the attention span is lost!
It can be if teachers don’t know what to do with those blocks of time! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Amber!
Personally, I think shorter class periods are better but I do understand that certain subjects have so much content that is not possible. Some college classes are 3 and 4 hours.
That is true, Cindy. And my 21 year old son hates those long classes, even though he doesn’t have problems with low attention span. A lot of it depends on what the professors do during that time.
Personally, I think both long and short class periods are great, It depends on the teacher or instructor. if there are more practicals and balance portion of fun/joke, I think the pupils/student will definitely forget the minutes/hours.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Davido. I could not agree with you more.