Asynchronous Wednesdays are not a useful addition to the schedule. These days were meant to be used as a catch up days for students to finish missing work or catch up with their teachers, but are only enforcing the opposite. Some students might see them as off days, or break days, like the weekend. Or just forget to do the work assigned due to lack of reminders. 

In reality, asynchronous days can be helpful to a handful of students, with more time to do what they enjoy after work is done. But, if they are only seen as a break from schoolwork, then they are not a necessary addition to the middle school’s schedule. Also, quite a few teachers give off days to students who have all of their work completed, or give catch up days every now and then. For example, the third nine weeks just began, and most teachers convert the last days of the nine weeks to catch up days for their students to turn in any missing or late assignments, so most students might actually have everything turned in from the end of the second nine weeks.

¨I think that a lot of students will look at it as a break from school like the weekend and not try to catch up on any work,” Beau DeTthomas, eighth-grader said.

“I feel like some people don’t actually do work, they just take it as a day off from school,” Megan Ellis, eighth-grader said.

In conclusion, asynchronous Wednesdays are not a useful addition to the school’s schedule, due to some students not taking them seriously. 

I think that kids should have asynchronous Wednesdays because some kids really need to finish work that they’ve fallen behind on, and this day is a good time to try and catch up before they fall further behind. Those kids can work at their own pace with the help of teachers on the questions they are confused by or don’t understand. 

Because we are using computers during the day for more than six hours, students’ eyes hurt and they can get headaches after a long day of doing nothing but staring intently at the computer screen, just click-click-clicking away. Some people need time off so they can be themselves. The kids who have nothing to do should rest or run around outside to stretch their cramped legs, not playing on electronics when they could be taking a break, which is what this day is for. And the kids who’ve finished all of their work deserve a break from school work.

Troy Reynolds, sixth grader, states that he likes that it gives the people who keep up on their work free time, and if some kids are already on track, then they get extra time to do whatever they want, and it also gives other students time to get on track. He’s not sure if they’re necessarily necessary, and he thinks it’d be a little better if the students still have assignments but they have the chance to work on them on their own.

“What I like most about asynchronous Wednesdays is that I get to work with students a little more one on one. I think it helps some of the students that could benefit from that kind of instruction. This time also allows time for independent/self learning, perhaps of topics/ideas of interest that are not covered in grade level curriculum,” Mrs. Strati, sixth grade teacher, stated.

Kids can also use this time to recharge, because unfinished assignments can keep them up all night, and worrying about a project that’s due tomorrow that they still have yet to finish. 

Students need a break from all this, a day to push away that dread, and a day to do that project. They can just sit down and do it with no interruptions. I’m not saying I’m against school. I’m just saying that some kids really need a break. And, plus side: No waking up early!