This year, a tradition of the Albuquerque Academy has disappeared. Pods, a staple of AA since the beginning of the 6/7 division, were removed, along with the idea of a building dedicated to each grade. Multiple changes to 6/7 and Academy overall have occurred since 2021; however, the removal of Juniper & Piñon and Red and Green Chile is one of the largest and most unexpected ones by far in the history of 6/7. This means that the class of 2031 will be the first class that is not split up into pods.
If you do not know what pods are, here’s a quick summary. Pods were groups of students in 6th and 7th grade that each had around a half of one grade. Each teacher was assigned to a specific pod to teach so every student in one pod had the exact same teacher. To create some competition, intramurals were hosted between both pods to build competition and determine which was better than the other.
Before 2023, the idea of ditching pods was unthinkable. Nearly every 6/7 teacher still taught only one pod, one subject, and one grade, with a few notable exceptions such as Mr. Levin and Ms. Abbott. However, in the 2023-24 school year, multiple teachers started to have at least two courses they led, usually between grades. AA was hiring faculty who had multiple talents and wanted them to use all of their potential, and sometimes, the teachers wanted to teach more than just one course. According to Mr. Dineen,“it would be impossible for the pods to happen” if teachers were to teach two courses at once. Additionally, pods were originally designed when each graduating class was about 120-140 students, requiring fewer teachers. Now with classes of ~170 and more faculty members, the only solution, if pods were to exist, according to him, would be if “pods were mixed-grade.” However, that was not an option as pods were supposed to be grade-specific, hence why each grade had two pods. He also said that the head AA Administration, not himself, made the decision to remove Juniper, Piñon, Red and Green Chile. In the end, it was mainly a scheduling issue.
It is also important to consider the students’ and the teacher’s perspectives. It is a mixed bag, but most are content with the fact that pods no longer exist. A few of them said “it sucks” as their response to my question, whereas one student said “good” when I asked him about his opinion on no pods. Some 6th graders have also heard about Juniper and Piñon and one wished that those still existed. Overall, most students in 6/7 have received this change positively. Teachers, on the other hand, say that “it is impossible to have meetings [about students],” that “there is no more identity,” and that they cannot communicate with other teachers clearly. Their reasoning is that when pods existed, each group of students and teachers was smaller which made it simpler to spread ideas throughout a group of 6-8 teachers and 80 students. However, some teachers have remembered how convenient the pods were, but have accepted the fact that they cannot bring them back.
The significance and meaning pods had to 6/7 was strong. Anyone who was here before 2024 can at least remember what pods were or have some fond memories about them. So when the class of 2029, including me, heard that pods would be removed starting in 2024, it was a major shock to many of us. My history teacher, Mr. Herrin gave his opinion on why it would be challenging to remove pods and make faculty teach two grades. His perspective was that if 7th grade went on a field trip or Ex-Ed, all teachers with a 7th-grade family would also have to change their schedules. That would mean any 6th grader with a teacher in the 7th grade building would not have their class and scheduling issues would occur. However since the administration has addressed these concerns, no field trips are to happen this year, nor WoW week so no overcomplications should happen. Mr. Herrin himself has said that “this new format is a challenge to get to know all 7th graders,” which is a slight change from his thoughts from last year.
Personally, I enjoyed pods and the competition surrounding them. There is a good reason why many people in the community will ask for another person’s pod; it is a sense of identity, personal pride, and belonging. Many my age also have fond memories of Juniper and Piñon and Red and Green. However, most students, even those in 7th grade, do not mind the removal of those from the school system as it wasn’t ever crucial to them, even though a piece of culture was deleted from Albuquerque Academy.
The removal of pods from 6/7 has left students and teachers with varying opinions on whether or not it is a beneficial decision for both grades. Most do not see any problems with how much 6/7 has changed over the last few years, yet some students and teachers who benefited from the separation of a grade appear to have a pessimistic viewpoint on this topic. Outside of the West Campus, many students have positive memories whenever they are asked about what pod they were in. The cultural identity of pods was ingrained in AA’s culture for so long that this was one of the most unexpected changes to ever occur in Academy’s history. However, what should be monitored is what this decision does to the Academy community over the years.