Students express difficulties with H-block changes
By Jacqueline Zhu
STAFF WRITER
Hybrid learning has given AHS students more freedom as well as some complications in how they use their time during H-blocks, especially on remote days. It, however, remains unclear how H-blocks will change when students return to full five-day learning.
The lack of teacher supervision on remote days has enabled students to spend H-blocks doing activities they wouldn’t normally be able to do in school, such as taking naps or cooking breakfast. Other effects of hybrid learning on H-blocks include changes to teacher availability and loss of motivation to work on classwork.
One of the many things that students miss in H-blocks this year is that students haven’t been able to schedule themselves into a teacher’s classroom.
“Usually, the teacher that you wanted to see is sometimes occupied with other students or out for a mask break, which limits the time they are available for help,” said sophomore Vivian Tang, adding that she now has to ask her H-block teacher for permission to visit another teacher for help in a class.
Other students feel getting help from their teachers is more accessible than before, especially on remote days. “I think it is easier to visit teachers for help,” said junior Janice Lee. “I can sometimes meet multiple teachers during the H-block period, which is something that can’t be really done in school.”
Another change for students is to use remote H-blocks to take a break from school. “During the remote H-Blocks, I typically spend my time making breakfast and conferencing with teachers,” said junior Jeffrey Conners. “If I do not have questions for any teachers during a given H-Block, I might also just take the block to relax before my next class.”
Senior Katherine Song enjoys the breaks, too. “On remote days, I do homework or study if I need to, but usually I like to take a break, which usually means doing something that’s not on the computer and getting a snack,” she said.
These aren’t the only changes to H-blocks this year. Health teacher Betsey Desfosse designed the H-block curriculum for this year and told ANDOVERVIEW that the process for organizing the curriculum involved “look[ing] at the needs of the students and …[getting] input from other teachers/counselors as to what they think is most important right now.”
She added that some of the difficulties in organizing the H-block curriculum were expectations. “Everyone has their own ideas. Some teachers and the freshmen have never done H-block before. Others think it should be like it was in the past but that wasn’t possible this year.”
So after a few years of H-blocks being done a certain way, the pandemic changed things up and Connors is opposed to increasing teacher involvement during H-blocks.
“I think it is at the student’s discretion about what they do with their H-Block period,” he said. “If a student chooses not to complete any work, that is no fault but their own. I do not think it is an H-Block advisor’s role to regulate what gets done during an at-home H-Block.”
And some students aren’t fazed by distractions and instead use remote H-blocks solely for school-related purposes. Tang utilizes time during H-block to try to get her homework done as best as she can.
“During H block on remote days, I usually do homework or go to meetings that provide extra help for a certain class,” Lee said. “If I don’t have homework that day, I organize my work and workspace. Sometimes I would read a book…for leisure or get prepared for my next class.”
