Every Tuesday and Thursday, the halls fill with the hurried footsteps of Gabrielino students as they stream in and out of their Embedded Time classrooms. The Embedded Time period, which takes place right after lunch every Tuesday and Thursday, can be used according to the student’s personal preference; some dutifully complete schoolwork, others wear headphones and nod along to music as they take a mental break, and still others put their heads down and snooze away. Embedded Time has been a part of Gabrielino for a long time now, but the student perspective on it has yet to be evaluated.
Kimberlee Diep, sophomore, can be found tapping away on her Chromebook as she completes assignments during Embedded Time. As a member of the Track and Field Team, she often finds herself arriving home late and having little time to complete her schoolwork before the next day. Embedded Time gives her “a lot of time that students don’t usually have, especially if they play a sport,” which, for her, makes Embedded Time a “lifesaver.”
On the other hand, Samantha Estrada, junior, does agree that Embedded Time can be “a moment to get a refresh if your brain is fried,” but she finds that it could benefit from some improvements. Embedded Time often has mandated slideshows that teachers have to go through, especially at the beginning of the year, and Estrada feels that the period would be more valuable with less teacher instruction and more flexibility for students to engage in their own activities. She believes that there should be more time for students to do what they need to do without other restrictions, stating that required instruction during Embedded Time should be “short and snappy.”
When it comes to other schools, students also have a varied opinion of their Embedded Time period, more commonly known as a study hall. While some appreciate the break to complete assignments or study before tests, others find that the lack of structure leads to unproductive use of the period and makes the school day feel unnecessarily longer. Furthermore, some students use the time as a break from demanding schedules and find the period to be beneficial to emotional well-being, while others would prefer to be able to take another course during the time to use their time as effectively as possible.
At Gabrielino, Embedded Time has also experienced a recent change this year. For the first time, the school administration has decided to pull a couple of students who struggle in a particular class and place them in that room for Embedded Time to allow them to receive hands-on instruction. Lauren Kawai, math teacher, expands on how exactly this will work, explaining that for her class, “students who didn’t do so well on the chapter one test are going to do a retake packet to prepare them to take the test again.” She states that the hope is to “try and support these students and improve their grades in these classes.”
So, whether students conclude Embedded Time by finishing their studying, taking their headphones off, or waking up from a well-needed rest, Embedded Time is meant to serve and benefit students regardless of what exactly they choose to do with it.
