School Story
Our school did not use a traditional class schedule; instead of repeating the same slate of classes day after day, we had roughly 20 or so "modules of instruction", with each module (mod) being 20-mins in duration.
Homeroom consisted of one mod at the start of each day, whereas an English class devoted to John Steinbeck might only meet for two mods, twice each week. Science classes with labs usually met for four to six mods, once per week. We had several subject options in many areas of study; the scheduling system was more akin to how courses were offered & scheduled at the collegiate level.
One of the options we had available was a work-study program, with students leaving campus to "work somewhere on base" for school credit. I started with the program in my junior year, working at the Base Post Office through Christmas, then transferred to the Base Theater where I operated and maintained 35mm Motion Picture Projectors. The theater had showings scheduled as early as 12-noon to accommodate shift workers; as a junior, I ran the mid-afternoon, or 2nd show of the day.
In my senior year, I had the first show of the day, which meant I needed to leave campus NLT 11:00am to catch the bus back to Yokota. Fortunately, I already had most of the credits I needed to graduate, so my class schedule was very light. In fact, I had one day each week that I had no classes after Homeroom, but I still had to hang around the campus until. at least 10:30 before I could leave for the theater.
When we weren't in class, we had common areas to hang, study, play cards, or whatever. We also had several resource centers, with teachers available for one-on-one assistance as needed.
I'm glad to have had the experience.
