Andy Shea

If students were able to design a school and a schedule for themselves, it would certainly be much more different then what they are used to.  Students would definitely amend the hours of the school day, with more choice in when school would happen for them.  Some students would certainly prefer to come to school later in the day, and others would like to get school completed in the mornings.  I imagine that students would like to have more options for classes, and would like to choose which teachers to take classes from.  Students would definitely design outdoor classrooms, as my students are constantly asking to go outside on nice days.  I imagine they would also prefer to have a non traditional setting for lunch and a different set up for common spaces that are available to them.

Hi Andy,

I agree with your thoughts on this subject.  My high school students also ask to go outside to work or do labs. It is as though they are missing going out and playing as they did as a younger child and want to recapture that again. I am hoping that someday schools will be built without walls so that there is always a feeling of openness.

You have a valid point, in regards to when school would begin/end; that completely slipped my mind.  We too have many students who would prefer and probably benefit from school starting later in the day, if possible. The outdoor classroom is an excellent idea too!  Do you think there would be a higher success rate overall if students had a set up like this? With a variety of options available to them and the power to choose, do you think there would be fewer behavior incidents, an increase in grades, and possibly a higher graduation rate?

Thanks for posting Andy!

Jessica-

I think there would definitely be a higher success rate for students who had more options at school.  It would especially help those students who really struggle with the traditional school setting!