Double lessons?

[PumpkinPie2016]

Hi,

I am a science HoD and next year, our GCSE classes have a double lesson at some point in the fortnight.

They are timetabled together with no break I'm between. They will be either 2 hours long or 1 hour 40 (if on a day when we have different timings).

I have taught doubles before but only at A-level and my team haven't ever done it.
It will be great when we do practical work but I am conscious it will need some thinking about to support people with planning them well (especially ECTs).

Has anyone taught similar length lessons? What worked well?

Thank you 😊

Yes and it was horrific! Practical lessons were fine because you could fit in the predictions, planning, experiment and then conclusion and analysis. I always gave them a 5-10 minute break in the middle of non practical lessons though and tried to have a range of shorter activities.

@Stiffnewknee that's what I think- practical will be fine but it will be tricky otherwise.

Definitely need to plan a variety of activities to maintain engagement.

I quite like the idea of a bit of a break midway but honestly not sure my school would like it - it's a great school in many ways but things are quite 'rigid' and SLT are not fans of anything out of the ordinary 🤣

Also a science HoD and I loathe the idea of this for GCSE - other than like you say for practical lessons - but they can’t all be those. It’s ok for A level, at the school I had this in we had small class sizes and could give them staggered breaks to stretch legs etc - they didn’t take the piss too much so it worked ok. Letting GCSE students off en masse won’t work so any break can only be within the room. I’ve been fortunate never to have this on my department’s timetable.

the only thing you can maybe do is make your SOW timings very prescriptive - sit down with the whole teaching team before start of term and map in all the required practicals and other substantial practical lessons to the doubles, then structure the rest around it. Build in mid lesson ‘fun’ like an interactive game type activity to break it up on the long lessons. But stuff will get in the way. Whoever has the double on Mondays or Fridays will find it hardest as they will miss them for bank holidays and event.

my own DD is starting Y10, I noted this on her new timetable too and raised an eyebrow. It’s in every subject. Lazy, poor timetabling IMO.