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What is Hammer Time?
What is Hammer Time?
HT Reel_1.mp4How does HT benefit students?
[video produced by Johansen's VPN]
Hammer Time is one of the supports that we offer students as part of the MTSS implementation on our campus. MTSS stands for Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports. It is an educational framework that categorizes supports for students into three different tiers (universal instruction, targeted group interventions, and intensive/individual supports). MTSS includes both academic (RTI) and behavioral (PBIS) systems.
At Johansen, we have voted in favor of an embedded MTSS period during the school day, which we refer to as HAMMER time. It is just after lunch and before 6th period. Different than the rest of students' schedules, students can self-enroll classes (called sessions) in which they need more support. Students can also be scheduled into specific sessions by teachers or other non-instructional faculty, based on their individual needs.
"Hammer Time" is also an acronym that stands for the different types of sessions students may sign up for:
Help: teachers offering one on one support or reteaching lessons
Advisory: one-on-one conversations of advice or intervention
Mastery: sessions that allow for students to have extra time or extra practice to master skills and concepts
Motivation: positive reinforcement or support for student behavior
Enrichment: teaching of supplementary lessons or getting students involved with campus activities or groups.
Relationships: Building of the teacher/student relationship or peer to peer relationships.
Students do not receive a grade for HT sessions because it is meant to help support them with all of their academic classes and is not a traditional class period. However, many teachers do use HT as a way to recover credit for missing or late assignment, and attendance is tracked as it is for the rest of the school day.
Please encourage your student(s) to take advantage of Hammer Time by scheduling sessions they need to improve their academics and/or positive behaviors at school.
How do Students Sign up?
How do Students Sign up?
Hammer Time, or MTSS sessions, take place right after 5th period lunch and before the students' 6th period class. Students are asked to regularly check RTI Scheduler (found in the MCS App Portal) to both sign up for available sessions and see details about the session (location, teacher, description). Teachers set up daily sessions and either pull students in as needed or open their sessions for students to self-enroll.
Since student sessions can be different each day and can be in different locations, it is important for students to check RTI Scheduler, found in the App Portal or at RTIscheduler.com. Students log into RTI Scheduler with Google and use their school login to access their Hammer Time schedule and to sign up.
Student View of RTI Scheduler
Types of Sessions
Types of Sessions
WHAT IS HAMMERTIME - WOW WEEK - VPN - HADDEN.mp42025-2026 Hammer Time introduction, produced by Johansen VPN
Depending on available sessions, students can attend a variety of session types, from academic support such as extra time on projects and tests, to enrichments that support things like academics, positive behaviors, or college prep, and can even see their counselors during HT instead of missing valuable instruction time during other classes. The most common types of sessions are advisory, intervention, or enrichment sessions.
In advisory sessions, students may be scheduled with teachers for general extra help sessions, or perhaps meet with their counselor to talk about their four-year plan or schedule.
Intervention sessions are scheduled when a teacher hosts a session based around a specific skill or assignment that students may need extra time or support with.
Enrichment sessions may be for social-emotional learning, where students are able to connect with others, or may be academic enrichment that may focus on extending learning in a specific class, or may be college & career readiness sessions.
When Do Students Sign Up for Sessions?
When Do Students Sign Up for Sessions?
At the beginning of the week, teachers create their sessions for the following week, and pull in any students they need. Then, on Thursdays starting at 7am, students may self-enroll into sessions if they are able (See slide 2 above).
Students can see their schedule for the following week and can self-enroll starting Thursdays at 7am. Enrollment closes the same day as the session at the end of first period (see schedule below).
Note: Although student enrollment is open until the morning of the session day, it is highly recommended that students schedule each Thursday to ensure they get the sessions they need for the following week.
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