A Peek Inside My Classroom

I'm very fortunate to have small classes. And in my experience, it makes all the difference.

Not to get too political here, but in the last presidential election, Mitt Romney was harshly criticized for claiming class size doesn't matter. And while that assertion is supported by some research, it's not exactly what he said. He said class size doesn't matter as much as teacher quality. And that's an important distinction.

If you give a bad teacher a small class, it won't make a difference. But if you give a good teacher a small class, it can have amazing results.

My district has committed to Scholastic's READ 180 program and they support it well. My freshman class is limited to 15-ish students. (This year it was 17, but 12-14 is really ideal.) And I have them for two class periods. During that time, they basically have four 20-minute activities. There is a whole group lesson, a small group lesson, an individualized computer lesson, and independent silent reading.

(I don't follow the READ 180 program perfectly. My students are more advanced than what the program was designed for. My district uses READ 180 in the middle school, also, so by the time they get to me, they are only a couple of years behind. I created a hybrid of our district's English 9 curriculum and the READ 180 program.)

Absolutely the most successful part of class is the small group time. I can go so much more in-depth with students and really figure out their strengths and struggles when I'm only working with 4-6 of them at a time. I get a full 20 minutes every single day with each small group of students! Until you get the opportunity, you can't fathom how valuable that is!

Instead of teaching a few lessons and then having a test over something, here's what teaching looks like in my class. I teach a lesson during whole-group time. Then, I get to help students practice the skill or concept in a small group setting. I can get real-time information about how well they understand it, rather than having to wait until a quiz or test. And I can give immediate feedback to students so they can revise their thinking and try again right away. And by the time we get to the test, I know they are all ready for it. I could never do that with 30 students in a class!

And it's certainly not for nothing. My students average at least two years worth of growth on standardized reading tests each year. And they are able to truly master things, instead of just retaining them for one unit and cramming for the exam.

So for a good teacher who knows how to maximize the opportunity to have small class sizes, it can make all the difference!