Class Size

For years now class size has been growing tremendously, the population has grown and that leads to be for more kids in the classroom. Not to mention, since the Covid-19 pandemic teacher burnout and resignation has been incredibly common. This is because teachers have many issues that inhibit them from wanting to continue within the educational field. Which leads to a teacher shortage and that leaves multiple students without a teacher. Funding is also a problem that causes class sizes to be larger or smaller; and is a factor of teacher resignation. A large class size is not only a problem for teachers, but for students as well. Having a class full of students has an effect on a child, as they may not form strong bonds with the teacher or have the assistance they need. Teachers cannot be expected to be able to have close bonds with 27 students at once, so an educator may not be able to connect as much as a student may want. Not to mention,  having to assist all the children at once is an impossible task that may leave a child feeling left out. Children may also feel disconnected from their peers, so it is not advised to have such large classrooms. Recently the state of Tennessee has tried to pass a new bill that would allow school districts to set the maximum of how many students could be in their class. This can be either beneficial or harmful to the students because again class sizes is important in creating a  stable environment for learning. Experiencing a smaller classrooms setting can be beneficial in the sense that research has shown that it can lead to students advancing more on material, peers are better acquainted, and teachers can be more hand on. Students would benefit a lot, however, smaller class size could increase student anxiety because they are practically on the spot all the time. Not to mention having smaller classrooms are more expensive to have and impractical with the current teacher shortage. Many would argue that class size does not matter as long as the teacher has a technique to control the classroom, and is able to provide students with all their needs. Which is true for some individuals but not true for other. A stable class size that is not to large or too small is essential to creating a stable learning environment.  A stable learning environment is needed for students to reach their academic goal and overcome their issues concerning education. Not to mention, the ability to interact with others is essential and class size is important for that reason. There are a lot of limitations with class size, but the number of students in a classroom matters.

Classroom with Students

 

I believe class size is very essential in the way a student succeeds in class. There are multiple factors that class size affects and having an unstable class size can lead to issues with students. I know when I was a student I went to a low resource school so classes were usually very full. They were so full some of the kids had to sit on the floor. This led me to feel unconnected to my teacher and peers. Group work was chaotic and it was hard to communicate ideas/needs within the classroom. That is why I think classes should have a small maximum amount of students. I am not saying super small class size but more of an average, such as 20 students. An average size class would allow for both better participation and connection within the classroom. I know when I experienced this in high school, I really enjoyed being in class and participating. Though, there are a lot of issues inhibiting class size from being perfect I think as educators we should strive on making future class size average and workable so both parties benefit.