Amy Chen ’19: Domino Block is the period of time between the last class and sports that is meant to be productive for students and teachers alike, yet it usually ends up being just the opposite. When introduced to the concept of Domino, students were told that it was meant to be an opportunity to meet with teachers for help or to make up assessments. However, Domino is usually wasted due to the hubbub that occurs at the end of the school day. Those students who do, in fact, try to use Domino productively are discovering that their teachers often disappear before Domino begins and are, therefore, unavailable for help.
When asking fellow students why their teachers were missing, many agreed with what Theo Vadot ’19 had to say: “When I go to visit teachers after school, they aren’t there most of the time. The other teachers who are present usually say that they’ve already left for sports or have left school altogether.” While it is understandable that some teachers have coaching positions that require them to leave Domino early, it makes little sense why they have to leave before Domino even begins.” Does this render it a pointless period of time if said teachers are absent?
Those who have free periods in their schedule have found it hard to coordinate a time where both they and the teacher have a free block, making Domino the only guaranteed time for help. Students who have busy schedules suffer from the absence of teachers during Domino, as Alexis Reape ’16 states, “I take seven classes and rarely have free periods outside of activity and the occasional drop block. I also attend many clubs, so meeting during lunch or activity isn’t an option for me.”
Many can sympathize with the struggle that Reape goes through every day and when asked to elaborate further, she responded by saying that, “Domino is the only time I have to meet with teachers and it’s frustrating when you’re struggling and a teacher isn’t there. I understand that they have other commitments and that they’re trying their best to be available, but it’s hard for a student with limited time to not be able to meet with them.”
A fellow upperclassman also has the same thought as Reape, saying that although she understands that some teachers have a need to leave Domino early due to sports or other outside commitments, she thinks that, “They shouldn’t be leaving before the end of the period because some students only have that time during Domino in their entire day to meet with teachers, especially if it’s before a big test or something else that they need help with. If they didn’t understand the material and the teacher isn’t there, the students’ opportunities to improve their skills are limited, stunting the student’s potential since they aren’t receiving the time and attention they need in order to succeed.”
After asking students what could be done to improve the Domino situation, the best and most common suggestion came from Helen Tamrat ’19, who suggested that, “There should be a rule that teachers have to stay until the end of Domino because it’s made for people to talk to their teachers and if they aren’t there, Domino Block is purposeless.” If there was a rule in place that required teachers to be in their offices until a certain time, students would be able to visit them and know that their teacher would be there to help.
Tamrat also suggested that “Sports should be later in the day because people aren’t even doing anything during Domino since their sports need them to leave early.” Many students know that to be true, as it takes time to go to the athletic center, change, and arrive at their designated fields for practice. Some sports also have different starting times and earlier ones would take even more time out of Domino Block. Patrick Zhang ’18 voiced another common suggestion, saying, “The situation could be improved if teachers gave their students a heads up if they planned to leave early.”
The problem concerning teachers and Domino Block is ongoing and can be resolved, as many students believe the teachers are blameless in their actions and they understand their teacher’s coaching requirements and other outside commitments. However, the fact remains that many teachers are absent during Domino Block, and this condition prevents students from getting help and reaching their full potential.