As the 2015-16 school year starts, students may notice something missing. Advisory.
Homeroom, or advisory, was between two classes in the morning, a few minutes saved during the school day meant for students to bond with their classmates, organize themselves for later classes, or for some even to take a nap. Some teachers really enjoyed having a group of students they got to spend time with every day.
Mr. Jim Haney, history and government teacher, said he was a little sad and disappointed about not having advisory. He said he always enjoyed it and he had a great group of kids the past few years.
Mrs. Brenda Nelson, math teacher, thinks not having a time for kids to bond with an adult, or bond with other students is awful.
“Once students are sophomores, juniors, we make traditions and make relationships [in advisory].”
Senior Lucas Collins said some kids will miss the few minutes during the day to relax. Students don’t have a few extra minutes in their day to make calm relationships with an adult who isn’t grading or judging them. It’s just time to talk and bond. And teachers remember the kids they had in their advisory.
“I still remember the students I had in my advisory from my first year in 1988,” Haney said.
Some students are just confused about it. Collins commented about how much is going to change. How will finals work? And after graduation, the former seniors would pick up their actual diploma from their advisor. Now where will they go?
“There is just so much that is going to change because of it and we as humans hate change,” Collins said.
Now there might be some students or staff members who are glad they don’t have 15 minutes interrupting their morning classes, others might miss the teacher they had as an advisor or the friends they made. Only time will tell how this change will affect the school.
Building principals did not offer comment when asked to comment for this story.