Griffith High School began switching classrooms for advisories for the 2025–26 school year so teachers can rotate every other week and have time to take care of responsibilities.

Each week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, students from one Advisory class move to another teachers classroom. The next week, the other students switch.

During advisory, teachers who do not have students can plan lessons for later in the day and create more engaging assignments. They also use the time to help students in the library or check grade books to identify missing assignments.

Human Services teacher Shannon Hassel said, “I do all the preparation for my classes at home, so during advisory I see what assignments my students are missing and help them get organized so they can get them submitted.”

Chemistry and Physics teacher Jane Kohanyi-Villaroman, who has taught at Griffith before the introduction of advisories, said, “switching advisories is necessary because it gives us teachers time to take care of our responsibilities, help students with schoolwork, and if possible, we get a little time to ourselves.”

The larger class sizes created by switching can make classroom management more difficult. Assistant principal Brian Jennings said teachers can call the office for help if needed.

The change affects students as well. More crowded classrooms can make it harder for some students to focus. Senior Erik Estrada said, “I like staying in my normal advisory. There are less people and it is quieter so I can focus more on my schoolwork.”

But the new schedule also offers some positives. It allows students to spend time with friends they do not see throughout the day. Estrada said that when he has no work, he likes switching advisories because it lets him see people who are not in his classes.