Mayfield High School Principal Jeffrey Legan has set up a new form of scheduling for the class of 2020 called Self-Paced 2.0.

Self Paced 2.0 is designed to make senior year easier for students by working at their own pace. Legan is heading this initiative with assistant principal Jarrod Mulheman, and Legan said there will be other exciting opportunities such as capstone projects and internships, too.

“We wanted to create a learning environment where kids were able to go at their own pace, while providing support and flexibility for kids to be able to go out and take whatever elective they want to take,” said Legan.

Legan said he wants students to be successful and be prepared for every obstacle they may encounter after they graduate. “Why not allow kids to learn at their own pace, while gaining real-world experience?” Legan said.

This whole idea came about because Legan wanted to make students’ educations more meaningful to them. “We have school set up so that we have eight periods a day, 50 minutes a period, kids are just taking notes, [so] it’s not relevant. For the most part, kids are just memorizing facts, and they lose it when they leave high school and that’s not what we want,” said Legan.

This will be the first time a full-year self-paced option is offered for a whole grade level, and Legan said that Mayfield staff and students are really looking forward to it.

“It will be a late start every day. Students will be able to come in and journal for about 15 minutes and schedule what their day is going to look like. The four core classes [math, English, science, and social studies] will be taken in this learning environment with the help of teachers,” Legan said.

Students will also have more one on one time with their teacher if needed, according to Legan. “If a teacher realizes that students are having difficulty, they will set up quick mini-lessons to explain key concepts. Everything is going to be individualized so that if you don’t need the help, because you don’t necessarily need to come in and be with your teacher,” said Legan.

Mulheman believes that Self Paced 2.0 will give students a great chance to accomplish the goals they may have. “The next version of this self-paced is to provide that flexibility all day for seniors, whereas it’s not just one course but potentially for all courses,” Mulheman said.

Mulheman knows students will love the idea of doing work on their own. “Students will have freedom and flexibility to work on what they want when they want, they know their own needs. They can advocate for themselves by asking teachers for help and their teachers being more available to help them throughout the day,” said Mulheman.

Junior Jenna Loprich is very happy about the chance for a new experience next year. “I am planning on using the self-paced option for my classes because it seems helpful to take your time on assignments, and work classes into your schedule,” Loprich said.

Loprich believes Self-Paced 2.0 could have a strong potential to help students. “I think it would benefit students if they use it the right way. Along with helping us prepare for college, it can also help us with our time management skills, and keeping control of our work pace,” said Loprich.

Juniors who are interested in taking Self-Paced 2.0 next year should see their counselors or Mr. Mulheman for more information.