Technology has completely shifted the way schools function. Gone are the days when teachers submitted handwritten lesson plans and students began the year with nothing but a notebook and a no. 2 pencil.
Student Information Systems (SIS) and Learning Management Systems (LMS) have become the new standard for online communication, grading, videos, document submission, and more. Surprisingly, there hasn’t been a similar breakthrough to address Flex Period scheduling — until now.
FlexTime Manager optimizes Flex Periods to better suit the specific needs of teachers and students alike. Here are the top 3 ways teachers benefit from FlexTime Manager:
FlexTime Manager Allows Full Customization of Flex Periods
For teachers, Flex Periods — sometimes referred to as activity, advisory, or personalized learning periods — generally function as “open office hours” for students or can also be used to run more formalized remediation activities. While some teachers may find it useful, spending all that time remediating can also feel unnecessary and repetitive.
One way to make Flex Periods more engaging is to diversify their offerings. But this is easier said than done. The problem has always been one of implementation. Schools would have to keep track of which teachers are offering which activities, plus account for every student’s plans during that time frame. The logistics feel impossible, which is why most schools haven’t even attempted it.
Now there’s Eduspire Solution’s FlexTime Manager, which does the logistical work for you. Using a simple scheduling interface, teachers can fully customize their Flex Periods. No longer are teachers restricted to repetitive remediation projects and study hall-type supervision. Schools and teachers can offer the activities the regular schedule leaves little time for, including:
- Social-Emotional Growth
- Labs
- Enrichment Projects
- Clubs
- Genius Time
- Peer Tutoring
- Service Organizations
- Makeup Tests
Not only are the activities customizable, but the periods themselves can also be adjusted. For example, teachers can offer multiple activities during the same period, effectively creating two (or more) separate flex sessions.
In addition, teachers can also customize the activities’ availability to students, choosing whether to open them to all students or only those they’ve authorized.
FlexTime Manager Reduces Teacher Workload
FlexTime Manager’s software makes it easier for teachers to control and oversee Flex Period offerings. With the easy-to-use interface, scheduling a variety of activities throughout the week is as simple as a few clicks. Teachers can choose capacities for each activity they monitor to ensure manageable class sizes.
Other FlexTime Manager settings, such as automatically preventing two challenging students from enrolling in the same flex activity, are designed to make a teacher’s life less stressful. The program even syncs with your school’s SIS to help you prioritize students with specific academic needs. It can even take attendance!
FlexTime Manager Produces Superior Results
During traditional Flex Periods, students who need remediation can receive it – but what about the students who don’t need extra help? Kids don’t all learn at the same pace. Placing students together in arbitrary advisory classes is a disservice to them and the teachers. Forcing students to sit in a room without any clear instruction or benefit is a wasted opportunity for their learning. Likewise, it doesn’t make sense to require teachers to supervise a group of bored students – when their focus should be on helping those struggling with the subject matter.
With FlexTime manager, students can learn what they want to during Flex Periods — without taking any authority out of the teachers’ hands. Attendance in a particular activity (such as a makeup test) can be mandated by teachers through the software, providing the students with both structure and options. The result is more specialized learning, greater engagement, and a higher chance of student success.
Improved student outcomes is one of the most meaningful ways teachers benefit from Eduspire Solutions’ FlexTime Manager. Teachers’ effectiveness is often measured by student success. When you can optimize each student’s time to best suit their needs, you create conditions for them to excel.
