As a result of the ongoing pandemic, schools around the world are adjusting and adapting to facilitate meaningful learning for students. British Columbia is no exception. It seems at this writing, most if not all BC schools will be implementing some kind of quarter semester system. While every school timetable system is different and has advantages and disadvantages, I think it’s really important for parents and students (and for that matter teachers) to realize that the quarter system is the least forgiving system for anyone who gets off to a bad start.
The quarter system involves students taking just two courses during a ten week period where half of each school day would be dedicated to each course. Needless to say a lot of material has to be covered in a very short period of time. As a comparison, after just two weeks of a quarter system, the students will have covered the same about of material that would have been covered in two months of a linear system. If the teacher is on board and prepared and the students are keen and diligent this could be an awesome opportunity for learning and experiencing a wide variety of educational activities that might not be practical when the students and teachers only meet 2 or three times a week for an hour at a time. Hopefully many teachers and students will rise to the occasion and make the best of this unexpected opportunity.
Having said that, in this situation, students and teachers for the most part are being forced into this quarter system with no experience or choice. While it may be the best way to operate schools for efficiency and safety in this particular environment, it is critical for parents to recognize that many students and teachers (on such short notice) will be less than prepared to make the most of this new and quite extreme change. It will be of utmost importance for students to learn the material immediately as it is presented. They need to realize that getting one week behind will be the equivalent of a month in the linear system. Any stutters or stops or confusion on the part of teachers or students will be greatly magnified. Unexpected interruptions will be difficult to deal with and the time dedicated to learning curricula will fly by.
Throughout my career, at the beginning of every year, my most important piece of advice to students was always to learn material as it is presented or as soon as possible thereafter. In this environment, that advice will be more important than ever.
_______________________________________________________
If you or someone you know would like help with Chemistry 11 or 12 please feel free to contact me. Keep in mind that during any given time period, I will likely be working with fewer students but on a more frequent basis.