Students at Carlsbad High School sit in a classroom for two hours straight in three separate segments all in one day. The students have one hour total of breaks, one 15-minute break and one 45-minute break between classes. The classes can be exhausting and long, and by the time students get home, they only have the energy to do some of the homework.
When sitting in long classes, students tend to lose focus or concentration. With only a 15-minute break between the first two classes, when students enter the second period they are still trying to regain focus after the first period. The exhaustion hits early and students are racing the clock just wanting a break.
Long classes have changed student’s mentalities and attention spans because of how much more time they spend in the same classes. Kids are draining themselves in just three classes. Many kids struggle with mental health and these longer classes make it harder for kids to attend school knowing classes are so long.
Sage Creek High School has five classes in one day so the students aren’t stuck in one class for too long. The grades are good with 82% meeting or exceeding ELA CAASP standards and only 73% meeting or exceeding at CHS. With the shorter classes, students are not stuck in long classes losing their attention.
Some people might say students would do better staying in longer classes like our two-hour classes because it is more time to work and understand the topic, but a study conducted by The Dispatch states that “many students might feel unmotivated to do their work because of how long they have been sitting in the class learning the topic.”
School hours affect how our brains work and long hours slow students down and change how effectively they think and take in knowledge. Constant exhaustion and overworking lead to bad grades and poor attendance, something that only lowers the school’s reputation.
Thinking that forcing kids to stay in one class for long periods is going to help them is an outrageous assumption. Many students already feel very negative about school and sitting in a two hour class does not help them. Lots of students get bored and exhausted sitting for two hours. As more and more students become burnt out, their overall grades begin to drop due to a lack of motivation.
Students need to have a life outside of school. Classes need to be shorter and less consuming. With shorter classes, students can stay focused and understand what is going on. Students will retain more information in turn making homework easier and test scores better.
