In the mid-1990s, the administration of the school where I taught decided to change from using 40-minute teaching periods to 70-minute periods. The administration was allowed to obtain additional teaching time from each teacher within the provisions of the industrial award. In fact, it allowed the administration to teach English, science, and math teachers an extra class without spending more time in the classroom.
My school became one of the first to do so and became a role model for other schools in the following years. As a result, I was asked to give a workshop for the math department at a nearby high school to explain how the math department was beginning to adapt to such a major change.
Here is a summary of what I talked about during this workshop.
For educators, personally:
- It’s hard work.
- Class time must be seen as “untouchable” and you must fight to prevent it from being “borrowed” even by management.
- Detailed planning is essential. It is easy for a teacher to waste/waste time without realizing that it is happening.
- They need to develop a strategy for dealing with absent students because even one missed period is a huge part of their learning time.
- In addition, teachers need to develop a strategy for any absences they may have. In fact, teachers may be tempted to teach even when they are not feeling well so as not to waste valuable teaching time.
- Their lessons should become a series of mini-lessons to cover the course and survive physically.
- It is possible to teach an entire unit in one period.
- They need to work smart. They must use every available tool or teacher to get the message across to the students.
- Collective planning by teachers will improve the quality of lessons given to students.
For teachers and students:
- There is a lack of continuity resulting from fewer teaching periods spread throughout the week. (In some schools, there was a two-week rotation.)
- It’s hard to create a work ethic when you’re seeing class less frequently.
- Learning skills must be taught more comprehensively because students must become more responsible for learning, homework and studying.
- Learning to think mathematically should become a priority to help students accept more accountability for their learning.
- Guidance becomes a useful tool for reinforcing learning.
- Learning basic skills and procedures is critical to gaining meaningful success in learning them.
- There is time to pursue problem-solving in unfamiliar contexts provided that teacher planning covers compulsory learning.
Many of the ideas raised above have become an integral part of mathematics teaching since the late 1980s as a result of the introduction of new approaches to mathematics that have opened up mathematics teaching by moving from the traditional “Chalk and Talk” mathematics lesson to lessons using a variety of educators.
Personally, I found that teaching in 70-minute intervals challenged me to use a greater degree of teaching. At first, I found I was too quick to cover the course. I found teaching to be more motivating.
As the head of the mathematics department at my school, I have not seen any significant change in the level of work produced by teachers and students. It just goes to show how adaptable teachers and students can be.