These days, many schools are increasing class
sizes to reduce their budget gaps and teacher layoffs. In Los Angeles, schools
increased the average of students in a class from 20 to 34 for ninth grade. In
addition, 11th and 12th grade classes to 43 students.
According to Marguerite Roza, a professor at the University of Washington,
because many states are having serious budget gaps, the class size will
increase. However, increasing the class size makes the teachers to struggle and
it is less effective for students to learn. According to the research,
having small class sizes is more effective than a large class.
Teachers get
stressed when the class size increases. For teachers, it is important for them
to support students and interact with parents. When the class size gets to over
20, teachers cannot easily handle it. Rachael Maher, a math teacher in
Charlotte, N.C, indicated her average class size had increased from 25 students
to 31 students. She says that even though there are only about 5 students in
her class, her work overwhelms because she has five more papers to grade, five
more students who need to make up work, five more parents to contact, and five
more emails to answer.
What are the benefits of having small class sizes? First,
it simply benefits students to get better test scores, fewer dropouts, and
higher graduation rates. This is possible because the teachers can give
students better, more tailored instruction in smaller classes. Smaller classes
have more engagement, and more chances for teachers to interact
with students. For example, subjects such as English need more connections
between teachers and students. Having small classes helps teachers to focus
more on students, and lead them to practice their skills.
Additionally, students could pay more
attention in class when they are in smaller groups. For example, if there are
over 30 students crowded in one classroom, there will be students who will not
follow along with the teacher, but do their own things, because they can hide
in a crowd. If a class is smaller, students have more opportunities to
participate. Therefore, a student’s potential will flourish in that kind of
environment.
Because of budget gaps and layoffs of
teachers, it is hard for schools to keep classes small. However, schools should
make an effort to keep classes small, so it benefits students more.
Works Cited
2.
http://www.seattletimes.com/education/does-class-size-matter-research-reveals-surprises/
