Planning ahead - Scheduling in High School

As most of you know, I teach at a high school (in addition to helping run Waketutors.com).
Just an observation, it seems as if there are a LOT of parents requesting schedule changes early in the school year and a LOT of parents and students who have been very disappointed in either the classes they got or the fact that can't switch into classes now.

This obviously is more important and relevant to high school than elementary or middle, but it got me thinking.

We plan our finances and budgets. We plan our schedules to the hour. We plan what we are going to wear from day to day. We plan our meals and our shopping lists. We are a society of planners and we constantly change and update those plans.

But, are we doing the same when thinking about the path our children are taking towards graduation? Interests change, expectations change, and most importantly, our children change. Do you have a long term plan in mind for graduation? And if so, do you constantly evaluate this plan? Have you talked to your school counselor recently to plan ahead instead of trying to fix a current problem?

If the answer is "no" to any of these questions, I think it may be important to add educational planning to our plethora of planning lists. Here are some important questions to ask:

1. What are our expectations after graduation? (Re-assess these expectations constantly)
2. Does our current schedule match those expectations?
3. Is our current schedule reasonable?
4. Is it challenging enough or too challenging?
5. If my student is going to college, have I truly looked at admissions requirements for the colleges I want to get into?
6. Does my class and extra-curricular schedule put me on track to be at the top end of the admissions profile of my desired schools?

This list of questions is in no way a comprehensive list. It is simply something that may help as you plan out an educational map.

Just a few thoughts that popped in my head as thought about the frustration I saw from parents and students this past week....it's a frustration that is understandable (especially when class sizes are so big and schedule changes aren't as accommodating as hoped and/or you have a challenging teacher) but sometimes that frustration can be avoided by planning ahead.