Block scheduling is great – when it is utilized correctly.

It has become increasingly apparent this school year that the subject suffering most from block scheduling at the moment is English.

While many dislike, to varying degrees, the admittedly vague subject area, I would hope that students do not dismiss its importance. Reading, writing, and speaking are not only hallmarks of education and communication, but are the foundations of civilization and humanity.

And yet somehow I believe the focus on these skills is being shortchanged.

All of the English teachers I have encountered at Haverford have been laudably determined to improve their students’ reading, speaking, and especially, writing abilities. They are invested in the long-term development of their students, but this “long-term” does not exist due to our scheduling practices. After all, the maturation of language capacity takes time––time which it seems both teachers and students do not have.

Every year, the class feels like a race: a race to read this book, so as to ensure the class can move on to that one. Essays are rushed; how can any piece of writing attain a level of sophistication in a mere week, especially when students are preoccupied with other assignments, even in the same class? I remember in middle school each student having an opportunity to talk to his or her teacher about each individual writing piece, regardless if it was awarded an A or D, for a substantial amount of time. That is not the case anymore, and perhaps even diminishes student interest in writing. I can highlight an instance last year when the most important paper of the tenth grade English class––the research paper––was due on the final day of the semester. No time to talk to one’s teacher about the final product, no time to discuss one’s grasp on a fundamental mode of writing for college.

However, I cannot bring myself to blame the teachers. They have been given a curriculum––a fine curriculum, a rigorous curriculum––that they need to adhere to and complete. And most of the time it is in fact completed with commendable depth.

The bottom line is that the vast nature of the English discipline makes allotting sufficient time for the class difficult on both teachers and students. Personally I tend to enjoy a fast-paced course, but when I feel that the quality of my writing, reading comprehension, and overall retention and that of others is compromised by the speed at which the class is forced to move, there is a problem afoot. Maybe one semester per year is not enough.

Throughout high school, a multitude of teachers, in my experience, have insisted on the high quality and quantity of writing and reading necessary for success in college––that destination seemingly on students’, parents’, and administrators’ minds persistently. One may value a “college speed” in high school that I would go as far to say exists presently at Haverford. I would suggest, though, that we instead emphasize the development of English skills to a college level rather than to a “college speed.” Or perhaps even try to extend this “college speed” over a longer period of time to permit greater student success and achievement. Ultimately I simply hope to see our exceptional curriculum and English teachers used to the most effective level.