Is WYN Time Really What You Need?
Katya Olshansky | eolshansky23@dtechhs.org
Cynthia Shi | cshi23@dtechhs.org
WYN time is a completely new schedule addition to d.tech this year, but is it really meeting the d.tech communities needs?
This year, Design Tech has implemented a new schedule for students as a new version of “LAB Days of previous years. Whereas LAB Days consisted of one day per week with 5 customizable periods called Labs, everyday after 1:40pm students can participate in two What You Need (WYN) time periods to participate in clubs, activities, honors, programas, office hours or just independent work time. WYN is intended to be dedicated time for students and teachers to communicate, and is also a chance for students to collaborate on projects and connect through common interests. Ninth and tenth grade students are required to stay on campus until 3:35, but it is optional for 11th and 12th graders.
But, there are some mixed feelings in the d.tech community as to whether WYN is truely meeting their needs. Samantha Oey, a Junior, uses the time “for club meetings and for independent work time if I need to go. Also, I have honors, which are in What You Need time, but mainly for club meetings.” She says that she likes to go home whenever she can. However, she also thinks WYN time is helpful so students can have time for activities like Independent work time, honors, and clubs. She just prefers to do her homework at home instead of staying on campus to get it done.
Perry McHale is a 10th grader at d.tech. She said, “I either do clubs or spend it in the DRG or homework time.” McHale doesn’t have much homework on the days that they have WYN time, but adds, “The days that I’m not doing homework time, I do stay.” McHale does not have the option to leave early unlike 11th, and 12th graders, but still finds ways to fill the time in an effective way.
Alexis Frost is the Algebra 2 teacher at d.tech. She has a neutral perspective on WYN time. Frost states, “I feel like I’ll like it more once the next cycle comes around because then people may actually need help. But right now, in my office hours, there's no students coming that are from my class.” She goes on to say that most of the people that sign up for her office hours are not her students, and [they] just use it as an independent work time, rather than office hours. She says, “I feel like this cycle I didn’t get to see it in action cause I only had one content class, and it just didn’t seem like any of you guys needed my help.”
The feelings in the d.tech community are mixed; there are both good aspects and aspects that could be improved in WYN time. Overall, the time has been an at least somewhat useful addition to the schedule. Students have more freedom to do things such as spend extra time in the DRG, and get things done during the school day that they would have had to stay after school for such as: clubs and honors courses. Although WYN time is not perfect yet, the d.tech team is making progress using feedback, so hopefully in the future it can be.