For a couple of days every week, some of the students at FHC don’t have sixth-hour class. After fifth hour, they leave the class, and then, they can walk right out the doors thanks to their hybrid classes. Alternatively, some other students can walk into school starting in second hour, not having to begin their classes until 8:50 a.m.
Junior Henry Schwarze is in AP Computer Science A, taught by Joseph Smith. On the days that they’re in class, they get taught how to code and then try to do it themselves.
“I think they do hybrid classes [for AP Computer Science A] because it’s not necessary to be in the class all days of the week,” Henry said. “If you were there every day, you wouldn’t get much work done.”
Senior Paige Harsevoort says that her class, AP Research, is a hybrid class because it’s a very independent class. After all, they do a lot of research in class. Since they already know what they’re supposed to be doing, it’s a very individual class, so it’s not very necessary to have a full class. While it is necessary to have them, there are a lot of things that Paige enjoys about the hybrid class.
“I like having a hybrid class because, after school, I can leave early and beat the traffic,” Paige said. “Also, I can kind of do my own thing before I have to come back and pick my sister up, which is pretty nice because I can get some stuff done without worrying about what everyone else is doing.”
Smith enjoys having a hybrid class just as much as Paige does. He likes having a relaxed class where he can get to know the kids and interact with them in a way that not all teachers can with their students.
“I decided to do my class as a hybrid class because we spend at least 50 to 60 percent of our time just writing programs,” Smith said. “And for some of the kids, that can be done completely at home by themselves because they completely get it and this is awesome to them, and I don’t need to make a class for that part, so I give them the opportunity to do their stuff someplace else.”
Smith enjoys giving his students as much freedom as he can and enjoys being a pretty laid-back teacher. One of the things Henry likes about AP Computer Science A is that Smith is a very kind and relaxed teacher.
“[Some things I like about the class are] being able to take an extra hour in the day to do homework or assignments,” Henry said. “I also like Mr. Smith. He’s a really good teacher and a really great guy.”
On hybrid class days, there really is a lot to enjoy. Henry and Paige both enjoy having an extra hour to just relax and catch up on some homework, but Smith also enjoys having the extra hour in his day.
“I like the relaxed nature of the hybrid days,” Smith said. “I like that I can get to know the kids that are here a little bit better and interact with them differently than if I had them in class every day.”
I like that I can get to know the kids that are here a little bit better and interact with them differently than if I had them in class every day.”
— Joseph Smith
Another thing that Smith likes about the hybrid classes is the opportunities that it gives his students. It gives students a feel of what college is like because of the hybrid classes, and also it’s a college-level course. Another thing that gives the students a college-like experience is it’s giving them the choice between going home to do it on their own or going to class to get extra help.
Something else that Paige likes about her hybrid class is the freedom that comes with it. She enjoys the freedom aspect of the class and would recommend it to the other students.
“I don’t know if I would take [the class] again per se, but I would definitely encourage people to take it,” Paige said. “I think it’s a really good class to manage things by yourself, and it’s really good for time management, which I really appreciate.”
