Going full force into the second semester, students have already started to complain about the workload being thrown at them so early on in the new semester. Gretna Public Schools has been back in session since Jan. 4, but with the onslaught of four snow days interrupting full school weeks, some students are having trouble getting back into the routine of being at school.
At the start of the first semester, teachers typically ease into new subjects, starting with simpler units and easing into more challenging tasks. However, because of Due to Gretna’s built-in snow day calendar, students didn’t have E-learning on snow days, which most students and staff members appreciated. However, the days off, with no work being able to be assigned, caused them to be behind in whatever unit they were in. This resulted in teachers going faster through units and being forced to condense lessons.
“When you lose effectively four days out of the very beginning [of the semester], it becomes ‘how do we retool dates we’d already potentially set and make it all fit,’” English teacher Ethan Schuler said.
This kind of situation leaves students swamped with work, one class after another piling more work onto them, leaving little time for in-depth review. Adding to the stress is the fact that second semester is typically more challenging as students have already been in school for a semester and should have a foundation of skills to build on.
However, there is a solution to help students with this feeling of constant stress and anxiety. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., teachers from core subjects meet in centers where students can go to get extra help on assignments that they are struggling with. English in room 216, science in 232, math in 152, social studies in 248 and Spanish in 116. Elective teachers typically host centers in their regular rooms. Aside from centers, most teachers are often willing to meet with students before or after school to help them with assignments.
“I’m always there as much as I can be,” Schuler said. “I’ve been here, and I think I have students coming in every day of the week at this point.”
If a student doesn’t have availability to visit teachers during centers, there are other ways to cope with a heavy workload that can be useful as well. Writing in a planner can help students stay organized and keep track of different assignments. Additionally, writing on sticky notes and attaching them to the inside of a laptop is an effective way to have reminders throughout the day of things that need to be done.
Academic Enrichment Period (AEP) is also a great time to get caught up on work and destress. Many students use AEP to play games or watch videos on their laptops, but it’s important to note that this time is like a built-in study hall for some students. This 20-minute period is also beneficial for quick study sessions.
With that said, sometimes students need a brain break throughout the day to take time to just breathe; however, it is important to balance mental health and school work responsibilities.
Not having to make up snow days is one of the positives of having so many days of school, but making up so much work can negatively impact both students and teachers. However, teachers are there to help. By going to centers after school, using AEP time effectively and finding ways to destress, students can help ease their workload and feel less overwhelmed as they continue through the second semester.