The first source
was a newspaper article written by Morgan Jerkins titled “Too Many Kids.” In
this article Morgan states, “Small
classes meant that students who struggled could be easily targeted, lessons
could be tailored to individual needs, and progress could be expedited.”(Jerkins,
Morgan. "Too Many Kids”) What Jerkins means by this quote is that it is
easier to address children who are struggling learning the lessons they are
being taught if the teacher is having to focus on less children. Being able to
notice if a child is struggling is very crucial to the learning process to make
sure no kid falls behind academically. The district that Morgan is working in has made it difficult to get
class sizes smaller than 24 students due to budgets being cut, and the school
board making the decision to decline renewing contracts. Due to these contracts
not being renewed ended up in the district cutting 220 jobs.
As Morgan goes on in the paper, she explains
how her class sizes have increased in the past couple years and how it has made
it harder for her to “manage her classroom, properly supervise reading groups,
and encourage her students to complete projects efficiently.”(Jerkins,
Morgan. "Too Many Kids.") Many teachers deal with the struggle of class sizes being to large to
maintain a healthy learning enviorment for these children. In this news article,
Morgan explains how budget cuts are making class numbers increase and making it
harder for teachers to maintain a successful learning environment.
Another source was an article written by an organization called Parents Across America. This organization main argument was that smaller class sizes do
positively improve student’s ability to learn and succeeded academically. The
organization states, “Studies
from Tennessee, Wisconsin, and states throughout the country have demonstrated
that students who are assigned to smaller classes in grades K-3rd do better in
every way that can be measured: they score higher on tests, receive better
grades, and exhibit improved attendance.”( "Why Class Size Matters." Parents
Across America.)
As Parents Across America states “Although there have been no large scale
experimental studies done for the middle and upper grades, a there are numerous
studies showing that smaller classes are correlated with achievement gains
and/or lower dropout rates in the middle and upper grades as well.”(Why Class
Size Matters." Parents Across America) Although
smaller class sizes did not directly affect the higher grades in the long run
it did have an affect on them.
I find your topic very interesting, and find that I can relate to it. When I was in school the average class size was 31 - 35 kids, and I remember the few classes that I had that were smaller I felt like I took away more. I even felt that more was expected from me, which encouraged me to participate more actively.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this I wonder about the differences in skills built by learners in smaller environments as opposed to larger environments. I wonder what is behind the "magic" of smaller class sizes. Does class size have effect outside of academic performance, and does it hold an effect on emotional development as well?
I agree that class size can effect the ability of the teacher to provide a conducive learning environment. I feel like the teachers with the absolute best intentions and dynamic motivation can become overwhelmed with too many minds to nurture. It seems overwhelmingly unfair to teachers as well as their students.
I'm excited to see more!
Tala,
ReplyDeleteI also chose FRCC because of smaller class sizes. I never understood why a class of 100+ students is beneficial to anyone's learning. If you get sick, it makes it even harder to catch up! There is really no room to ask questions or retrace your steps to better understand the material. For younger kids, do smaller class sizes contribute to their social development as well? Do smaller class sizes and what the kids take away from that correlate with higher education? If there is no studies supporting that what is your opinion?
I believe you are going to be a great teacher! Hopefully you get the small class sizes to devote more time to your students!