80 AMINUTES RC
criticism of class length
Roza Sürme Mızrak
RC began 2013-2014 academic year with a shocking change in our programme. Considering the past year problems,
management decided prolong lesson hours to 80 minutes and the break time to the 15 minutes. However, we have still some
problems because of the lesson hours and this situation leave some question mark in students and teachers minds: Is it a
better system compared to last year?
To compare two things with each other; you need to have some information about both of them. So we asked Ada
who is a Lise 9 student, what he think about that: “ Both of them has advantages and disadvantages. Eighty minute lessons
are ruining us by the effort that we spend in class . But in forty minute lessons breaks were too short. For example,
sometimes you need to run to Bingham from Feyyaz Berker. In that regard things are more easy now. Also in that
programme, day end like the twinkling of an eye.” and he adds with a laugh:“Home groups must abolished!” But this is only
a persons opinion, right? So we made a survey and asked 37 other people what do they think about it. Answers were
supporting the Ada’s opinion. %51,35 thought that 80 minutes lesson are helpful.
80 minute can feel like 40 minute if, what you were doing was what you interested in. All interviewees and the
%75,61 who participate in our survey confirm that idea. but Can, has different approach:“It changes all ways of course. Math
and P.E. doesn’t feel like the same. But after a while even P.E. feels like very long. Nothing leave for teacher to say.
Sometimes they talking such back to back; I can’t follow the topic.”
If a student can’t follow the topic; what’s the good of lessons? But how can a teacher prove the lesson system;
something that everybody can follow? Mr. Carter has the answer for that:
“I suggest that they can change their class activities by the number of minutes and age of student. So, every 15
minutes, –for preps- class activities should change. For upper grades 20 minutes. So you should have 3-4 different activities
in class.”As Mr. Carter suggest that; Mehmed Can and Utku said that, Mrs. Standley’s order was great. She was giving break
times in every 20 minutes. Most of student who participate to survey share the same idea with them. But some of them think
that they can survive without breaks if teacher keep topic interesting.
According to this research we can easily say that most of student thinks: 80 minutes lessons are helpful but long and
this longness change according to topic of lesson. It can be boring sometimes but if teacher give break in every 20 or 15
minutes they can focus. Will teacher change the order of lessons? Or management gonna use a new programme? Time will
show us.
80 minutes is quite a long time.
Taken by writer.
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