Students praise ‘Flex Block’ as chance to study, vibe, and chill at day’s end
This year, ARHS made a major and helpful schedule change; rather than requiring students to attend “plus periods” at the end of the day with only their academic teachers, they are instead allowed to choose where to go from 2:55-3:35, and their attendance is tracked through a new system called MyFlexLearning.
Students can opt to meet with one academic teacher on multiple days during this “Flex Block,” can choose general study halls all over the building, or can sign up for exciting activities from engineering to bracelet making or a Taylor Swift Listening Party.
Some students on IEPs whose academic skills block used to take a whole period can now meet with their Academic Skills teacher in the Flex Block instead, freeing them up to take more electives. And seniors’ parents or guardians were recently sent home a permission form to allow them to leave ARHS during the Flex Block if they had the okay and were in good academic standing.
Students have said that they have more time to do their work, to interact with their peers, and to take part in things they enjoy.
Students can opt to go to clubs, meet with band or orchestra, attend extra dance classes, or just find a chill study hall.
According to fourteen year old freshman Colin Beganny, the Flex Block really benefits him. “It lets me finish my homework on time and connect with people,” he said.
During the flex period, Beganny said he mostly signs up for study halls and clubs. “I typically do homework if I pick a study hall,” he said “Since soccer practice is directly after school each day, sometimes I pick fun flexes like Blood on the Clocktower [a game similar to Mafia], or other different clubs,” he added.
Beganny has been to six or seven different flex blocks in total.
Though students have many good things to say about the Flex lock, some think there are some negative drawbacks that they wish could be changed, namely having Flex Block at all. Junior Shamell Nichols said Flex-Block doesn’t help him unless it’s fun or relaxing.
“Personally, I just choose random blocks, but when I don’t, my advisor chooses them for me,” he said. “I just like to be in the fun Flex Blocks my friends are in. Doing work is a no no. It’s the end of the day; we’ve been in many different classes. I’m pretty sure no one is going to want to do work.”
Flex block lets me finish my homework on time and connect with people.
COLIN BEGANNY
Freshman Daniel Bagdasarov said he sometimes feels limited by the choices and many places are too loud to get work done. “The limits can be annoying. Getting a quiet study in the library is practically impossible,” he said.
Not every student goes to the Flex Block. Some students leave for work, study, have a college class, or are released early for sports. Senior Jaden Caraballo, who leaves every day at one o’clock for work study, doesn’t need to attend the Flex, for example.
He was glad seniors were recently granted the ability to leave during Flex. “It’s our last year, [so it’s good they decided to] give us a break,” he said.
Caraballo said he noticed that some ”seniors don’t think it’s that serious to attend” and were just leaving without even having an excuse to leave, not even caring about their attendance, which led “to some underclassmen following along.”
Principal Talib Sadiq who wants students to both have more time to do work and also do things they enjoy, thinks Flex Block is a great opportunity for those who are required to attend.
The Flex Block as it now exists was proposed to Sadiq by a number of teachers in a Professional Learning Group last year aimed at improving school culture, climate, and structures.
“The MyFlexLearning system is way easier to use [than our previous Plus Block’s attendance] because the software schedules it for you, rather than plus-block having to do it by hand,” and students have more choices, Sadiq said.
Sadiq stressed the importance of 9-11th graders (and seniors who opt to stay) choosing smart options during that time. “I wish everyone would just give it an honest try,” he said, “to see if they like it or not.”
Feedback from teachers at ARHS indicated they like the Flex Block since it gives them a chance to offer things they want instead of being assigned to the same thing each day.
ELL teacher Stephani Lopez-Rodriguez offers one of the most popular Flex periods, Taylor Swift Tuesdays, where she and students listen to the artist’s songs; her other blocks include making friendship bracelets or playing trivia and Kahoot.
Lopez-Rodriguez also offers karaoke for students to come in, choose a song they like, and sing for the rest of the group [if they want]. Lopez-Rodriguez loves the idea of Flex Blocks.
“I love it,” she said. “I think this system is much better for students. Also, if a student had a particularly hard day in a class, they don’t have to go back and be in the same environment that made them upset earlier. It’s a good place to build community outside of class, and to engage students in their interests.”
