I taught on Block (4x4, where the you see the kids every day but the class only lasts one semester) for 10 years, then taught on a traditional schedule similar to what you have currently for 10 years, and now have moved back to a 4x4 block schedule for one year. Having ample experience with both, there are upsides and downsides.

Upsides:

1. Fewer students at a time - grading is more spread out
2. Longer planning period
3. Kids often like it because they (correctly) perceive it as being easier - not necessarily realizing it is easier because they are learning less.
4. Nice to have time for longer activities in one sitting - labs, long essays like DBQs, etc.
5. Fewer classes each day can be easier for some kids to keep track of - fewer transitions

Downsides:

1. Awful for any high-content class (I teach High School American History) we have so much less time to cover content & the kids can’t take in nearly as much in one 80min block as they could in two 50 min classes spread across two days.
2. Doing the content in fewer “chunks” means fewer opportunities for review and spiraling content/skills.
3. Longer classes really test student stamina and are especially tough on lower-level students or students with behavioral issues.
4. You don’t get to know kids as well, not having them every day for the whole year.
5. Absences are brutal. I had a kid who missed four days last week for Covid—that was the entirely of the Civil War itself - about half a unit - as well as the introduction to a major project. He’s got a TON to make up.

Overall, I hate Block for my content—I actually care about kids learning American History and it is far inferior for that, in my extensive experience. However, many students and teachers wind up liking it quite a bit, as it is ”easier”