Students find it annoying and confusing not to have a solid schedule to rely on. Especially with double block schedules this year, many struggle with knowing which classes to plan and what homework to prioritize with different schedules. They often walk into the wrong period, losing the email about schedule changes in the many other emails they get. Many have to be told by their friends right before class starts or even after their first class that the day has a different schedule. Students often complain about not knowing the actual Monday schedule because it changes so much. 

Teachers also find it hard to work their lesson plans around these constantly changing schedules when changed at the last minute. They must change their lesson plans to fit the different period lengths while making sure everything is orderly. On top of that, teachers have to accommodate all students who forget the schedule for that week, like constantly reminding them or accepting late work. 

At Mills, we need to realize that a regular bell schedule is not a schedule guarantee. We need to be flexible and resilient and do our due diligence to check the class schedule each week and plan accordingly. The changes tend to be minor and for students’ good, like rallies and assemblies, so we need to become more adaptable. There are ample resources available including the Mills website, the PTO weekly newsletter, and even your Canvas dashboard.