Objective+11


 * Objective 11: Assist with the school's schedule**

I have learned two different strategies to creating a master schedule. John Battle High School surveys the students first and then uses that data to create the courses that will be offered for the upcoming school year. Abingdon High School creates the master schedule first and then places the students into those classes based on their requests to what is available. The benefit to Abingdon's schedule in comparison to John Battle's is that it's completed much earlier and doesn't require as many changes. I have learned by observations that the principal must take ownership of creating a master schedule and not leave that burden to the guidance department.
 * Date || Time started || Time ended || Number of hours || Description of activities ||
 * 08/20/12 ||= 9:00 ||= 10:30 ||= 1.5 || Worked on the 2012-2013 club schedule for John Battle High School. ||
 * 08/28/12 ||= 9:00 ||= 10:30 ||= 1.5 || Made edits to the 2012-2013 club schedule after consulting with teachers. ||
 * 06/02/13 ||= 3:00 ||= 4:00 ||= 1 || Compiled reflections for Objective 11. ||
 * Reflections and learning |||||||| Creating a master schedule for a high school is equivalent to solving a puzzle. It is both challenging and time consuming.

The master schedule contributes to student learning in several ways. A school must offer the right amount of courses so that a student can earn enough credits to graduate. The schedule should create opportunities for teacher collaboration to improve instruction. In addition to core classes the schedule should offer time for students to participate in co-curricular activities such as school newspapers, plays, and band. The best schedules are developed using data about student performance, student learning needs, and curricular and instructional requirements.

At John Battle I was given the task of creating a club schedule for the 2012-2013 school year. This assignment involved designating sponsors for clubs, finding spaces within the school building for the clubs to meet, assigning a time for the clubs to meet and creating coverage for teachers' classes when they have to leave to meet with their clubs. I learned quickly there is a lot of trial and error associated with creating a schedule. I consulted with several teachers for input and data during the process of making the club schedule. Once the first draft of the schedule was completed and sent out to teachers I received feedback from the staff and made a few edits before finalizing it. After the first Club Day occurred I surveyed the staff to gain insight on how the schedule could be changed to improve it. The most valuable lesson I learned from this objective is to be flexible. A principal must be willing to make changes when they see problems in the schedule. Teachers are a valuable asset in making a master schedule. ||
 * Reading(s) |||||||| Williamson, R. (1998). //The schedule as a tool to improve student learning// . Retrieved from http://www.nassp.org/Content.aspx?topic=57198 ||