Content ‘Learns’ benefit all

There I stood, in a seemingly endless line of students, waiting for essay help from my English teacher. I had been standing for a good 20 minutes, and Lunch & Learn was nearly over. A couple of other students were trying to get ahead on reading assignments or were making up class work. All the while, pockets of students were chatting nosily.
I remember how chaotic the Lunch & Learn situation was in English last year. With Marshall’s renovation underway, it seems that the English department is its giving Learn policy a much-needed face-lift.
Rather than each English teacher having his or her room open to all students, English rooms are categorized by purpose. Two rooms are devoted for English 11 reading and writing, as well as an English 10 Honors reading room, an IB English 1 writing room, an IB English 2 writing room and English 9 workrooms. There is an additional ‘quiet room’ and a ‘laptop’ room.
“The math department organizes classrooms by content, so I figured English could do the same. It’s much more efficient this way,” English teacher and department chair Martha Noone said.
Efficient is the right word. The orderly set-up of the English rooms is a far cry from the disorganization of the past. Observing the English rooms during Learn, I was truly impressed by how quickly students were getting help. Gone are the interminable lines and crowded work environments.
Now with only a 35-minute window for visiting teachers, this efficiency is needed now more than ever. I can’t imagine implementing the old system with Learn; this organization is needed for Marshall’s present conditions.
If anything, this schedule should be employed on Thursdays and Fridays. It could potentially be expanded to other subject areas as well.
Take the Social Studies department, for instance. Last year, Government Honors, IB HOA and IB Topics teachers are overwhelmed with students wanting to retake assessments on different units.
This year, an after-school remediation system was introduced. One history teacher stays after school and administers remediation for all history classes. While not a carbon-copy of the English department’s content-based plan, this after-school system has lessened the burden of teachers. Thus, the efficiency and practicality of this new, organized approach is undeniable.