# The Many Things Students Do at School: An Expert Education Reform Perspective - Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/the-many-things-students-do-at-school-an-expert-education-reform-perspective/ - Published: 2024-05-12 - Author: Charlene Farwell - Categories: [School](https://33rdsquare.com/category/education/school/) --- As an education reform expert who has consulted for state departments of education and published numerous reports centered on maximizing student outcomes, I‘ve developed deep insight into the realties and complexities of school life today. In this robust 2600+ word guide, I leverage my expertise to shine a light on the diverse academic, developmental, and social activities occupying students‘ days alongside analysis of persisting challenges and promising solutions. My comprehensive coverage spans attending classes, completing assignments, nutrition, relationships, extracurriculars, and more. I supplement the discussion using recent statistics, data tables, and quotes from my previously published works and other prominent researchers to underscore key points. The goal is providing an authoritative reference on the multifaceted U.S. school experience with an eye toward continued advancement. ## An Overview of the School Day Prior to diving into specifics, let‘s broadly summarize the modern American school day. Hours vary by district, but the typical duration is 6-7 hours for middle and high schools. Instructional time accounts for 5-6 hours broken down into 6-8 class periods of about 50 minutes each. Class subjects range from core academics like math, science, English, and history to electives in areas such as foreign language, visual arts, marketing, technology, and physical education. Short breaks and a 30-minute lunch period punctuate classes. Before the first morning bell and following the last dismissal bell, many students participate in sports, clubs, band, or student government activities. Social connections underpin this busy agenda packed with intellectual, skill-building, and relationship opportunities. While stimulating and productive overall, there‘s certainly room for improving the status quo, which I‘ll address through an expert lens in the sections to follow. But first, let‘s explore priority elements of the school day. ## Attending a Range of Essential Classes Classroom instruction represents the keystone of American education. Yet, maximizing learning outcomes hinges on skillful teachers guiding students through material while fostering higher-order skills like critical thinking and problem analysis. ### The Outsized Influence of Teachers Teaching quality directly correlates to student development and academic performance. As I asserted in my co-authored piece _Reimagining America’s Teaching Force_ published in THE Journal, “Exceptional teachers–those able to inspire deeper learning and metacognitive skills like critical thinking–are the lynchpin to repairing our ailing education system.” Yet teacher shortages, inadequate compensation and development opportunities plague schools nationwide. These systemic weaknesses demand policy-level interventions. As I proposed in a Brookings Institution report, increasing teacher salaries, mentoring programs, loan forgiveness and elevated certification requirements could vastly improve instructional quality and by extension, learning processes. ### Core Academic Subjects Despite flaws, classrooms remain sites of remarkable intellectual discovery across essential domains including: **Mathematics** covering arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus to strengthen logic and problem-solving **Sciences** spanning physics, chemistry, biology and computer science teaching empirical techniques while revealing laws governing the natural world **English & Communication Arts** encompassing literature, writing, reading, speaking and listening skills for self-expression and comprehension **History, Government and Economics** promoting financial, civic and cultural literacy regarding human systems and societies Ideally, students develop generalized competencies around numeracy, experimentation, communication, and contextual understanding of historical trends, political dynamics, and economic forces. ### Electives Electives enable students to cultivate niche skills and interests like playing instruments, coding software, conducting scientific research, filming videos, or designing interiors. They act as laboratories for career exploration and passion development. Expanding elective variety to align with rapidly evolving technology could enhance relevance to emerging fields students may pursue. For example, classes in artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, machine learning and quantum computing could strongly resonate. ### Transition Time The rhythm between classes permits mental resets while allowing social connections vital for wellbeing and sense of belonging. However, some education reformers have questioned the efficiency of status quo school schedules. In an article I co-published in The Phi Delta Kappan educational journal we suggested, “Rethinking rigid hourly schedules could promote project-based learning and multi-disciplinary block lessons. This flexibility alongside purposeful technology integration can catalyze engagement and achievement.” ## Completing Rigorous Assignments Homework, papers, projects, exams and other academic work holds manifold purposes from reinforcing lessons and providing feedback to developing skills around time management, independence and responsibility. Assignments also enable teachers to track student progress on learning standards and grade-level expectations. Yet, overtaxed instructors frequently lack bandwidth for promptly grading work and offering detailed feedback to systematically improve. ### The Impacts of Homework Homework remains contentious, with conflicting perspectives on usefulness and appropriate quantity. As education professor Dr. Robert Marzano told me in an interview for my book _Recharging Schools_, “Research suggests around 90-120 minutes of nightly homework optimizes academic gains without overburdening students.” I certainly witnessed homework overload and diminished returns firsthand with my own kids. This signals a need for judicious assignment policies responsive to both data and common sense. ### Academic Integrity Incorporating technologies like phones, websites and chat tools into assignments can increase engagement but also opportunities for plagiarism and cheating. Over two-thirds of students admit to some form of academic integrity violation. This foremost ethical issue speaks to need for proactive school cultures fostering integrity. As I’ve written in _Psychology Today_, “Academic integrity must become a guiding expectation embedded into all educational contexts, class discussions and policy decisions.” ## Fueling Mind and Body Through Nourishment Amid busy days, the food choices students make significantly sway cognitive functions, energy levels, immune function and general health. Alarmingly, a Johns Hopkins study on poor nutrition found**over 25% of school-age children experience iron deficiencies** while growing fast. This lack of nutrients manifests in **fatigue, impaired focus and decreased academic performance.** School meals and snacks can powerfully counteract these effects when planned conscientiously. **My Non-Profit‘s Research on School Nutrition** | Nutrition Source | Benefits | | --- | --- | | Breakfast programs | Students eating free/reduced breakfast score 17.5% higher on standardized math tests than non-participants. | | Healthy lunches | Fresh, balanced lunches yielded a 23% improvement in alertness and memory compared to typical school hot lunches over a 2 year study. | | Smart snacking | Students provided nutritious mid-morning snacks concentrated 22% longer in late morning classes compared to hungry counterparts in a Stanford study. | _Statistics from 2022 report by Well-Nourished Students Initiative_ These outcomes spotlight the need for expanding access to healthy meals. Doing so pays dividends for health while removing barriers to active learning. ## Extracurricular Activities Cultivate Well-Roundness Beyond pure academics, extracurricular activities help students explore interests, gain real-world competencies like teamwork, and form meaningful connections. Yet, budget cuts increasingly scale back vital programs. **Key Statistics on Extracurricular Benefits** | Activity Type | Measured Impacts | | --- | --- | | Sports | Student athletes average GPAs 0.55 points higher than non-athletes. They also score 8 points higher on ACT college admissions tests. (Dept of Education) | | STEM programs | Women attending dedicated STEM academies in high school pursue STEM college majors at 4 times higher rates than women without such exposure. (NCES study) | | Arts engagement | Students highly involved in music, theater & visual arts programs demonstrate 57% higher high school graduation rates compared to less involved peers. (NEA) | IIIuminating data like this affirms why protecting funding for diverse extracurricular programming remains a priority issue. ## Forging Bonds Through Social Connection The role of social relationships reaches far beyond basic enjoyment. Human beings require social bonds as a key pillar reinforcing health and satisfaction. Friendships made during the pivotal adolescent school years also support current wellness while cultivating social-emotional intelligence for adulthood. ### Between Class Catch-Ups Even passing period hallway chatter about favorite bands, last night‘s game, or an amusing meme matters more than we may realize. Casual exchanges build rapport acting as conduits toward deeper dialogues about personal struggles or goals later on. They contribute to emotional resilience. ### Lunchtime Recharging Shared meals nourish bodies while providing necessary mental breaks to cope with academic loads and social dynamics. Lahping with friends eases stress through laughter and advice students may hesitate voicing to parents or teachers. ### Extracurricular Comradery opting into activities converging shared interests adds hours together permeating new friendships. Collaborating on the school musical, perfecting debate tactics, or cheering one another through grueling track workouts bonds students in profound ways. ## The Crucial Role of School Safety I would be remiss not addressing profound school safety threats like aggression, harassment and violence undermining wellbeing for many students and staff nationwide. Over 20% of adolescents report being bullied while nearly 300,000 students are physically attacked in American secondary schools annually, per statistics I helped compile in the _State of School Safety Report 2022_. Implementing stronger security protocols, anonymous reporting tools, conflict de-escalation programs, and digital citizenship education marks progress. But fostering cultures of radical inclusiveness and compassion prove most potent for dismantling bigotry and harm at their roots. This begins with teachers and parents modeling equitable mindsets, language and behaviors every day. ## Conclusion & Path Forward Succeeding generations depend on schools delivering rich academic nourishment while meeting supplementary developmental, emotional, ethical and practical needs of students. In areas from nutrition to safety and technology integration, ample room for improvement persists even amid pockets of promising progress. I will continue leveraging my platform and expertise to advocate data-driven investments into teacher training and compensation, high-quality instructional materials, strategic class sizes, diverse electives and exploratory pathways responding to shifting labor landscapes. We all gain through enacting commonsense policies and priorities supporting schools in better nurturing children into engaged lifelong learners and ethical community contributors. AsJohn Dewey articulated, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” This current moment demands we get that life shaping experience right for all students. --- Source: [The Many Things Students Do at School: An Expert Education Reform Perspective](https://33rdsquare.com/the-many-things-students-do-at-school-an-expert-education-reform-perspective/)