Does Class Size Matter?

Positive behavior in students is the outcome of a quite and good learning environment due to smaller classes. Individual time between teachers and students lets teachers help the students more. And teachers would be in favor of reducing class sizes so they are less stressed and tired from grading assignments and tests for big classes. We would like to see reduction of class sizes for Valley Center Middle School so we can all improve academically.

With a better learning experience and a will to strive higher, smaller classes in elementary school lead to better decisions in high school. Class size can have many affects on a student.The push for class size reduction in the United States is becoming more and more known as states like California, Florida and Washington do studies on the topic. Overall, there are many positive impacts to society using class size reduction. Class size reduction aids teachers and parents in finding students with learning disabilities and behavioral problems quicker, it leads to better student behavior and more academic improvement, and fewer high school drop outs and more successful high school students. Class size reduction has a positive impact on students, teachers, families and communities and should be done more in the future.

There are many short-term and long-term positive affects of small class sizes. The positive affects of small class sizes on students can differ. A huge factor is that a small class size means more attention from the teacher or professor. It also allows for more interaction with other students. Participation is usually a key factor in a class and connects with the grading so smaller classes allow a higher level of communication in the class.

It has been an assumption that if a student is in a small class setting, there are fewer distractions and the learning experience is greater. People feel children have more individualized attention, which may lead young students towards greater academic success. Research has been conducted across the country to see if smaller class size is really better. The number of students in a classroom recently became a controversial issue. There has been research that shows that class size depends on many variables.

More learning creates better grades for students. There is research which shows the addition of having high-quality teaching time benefits everyone. Low-income students and the others with little opportunity are the ones who benefit the most from more time in school. Students also tend to behave better when they have more guidance. (Silva).

Being in a small class doesn 't always mean that your student achievement level will go down, but being in a larger classroom could encourage a child to be better than the person beside them. Being in a small classroom doesn 't always give a student the opportunity to do better. “Small classes do have a positive effect on student attitudes and tend to improve classroom management as well as teacher morale” (Class Size: Issues to Consider). It is easier to create a bond with a group of people and get to know them well when there aren 't a lot of them. Being in a small classroom does create a family, but does it give your child the best opportunity for success?

Teachers from around the United States find that they can teach with more variety and depth in a small class rather than a large one. Teachers also feel they have more time to cover material and have better organization in class. Teachers with small classes spend less time on grading and paperwork which gives them more time to spend on instruction. A studen... ... middle of paper ... ... classes, and are more enthusiastic about teaching. Overall, educators believe that these methods to create smaller classes will allow teachers to help their students (Dixon-Krauss & Januszka, 2008).

Therefore, in a class of 20 students, students have higher chances of receiving high levels of teacher attention than a class of 35 students. High levels of teacher attention not only enhance the students’ on-task behavior but their learning efforts as well. Student success usually results from smaller class size due to their determination to achieve teacher expectations. Student-teacher relationships could be form and eliminate any feelings of negligence that students may feel in large classes. Once a bond has been form between teachers and students, students are more likely to ask for assistance and participate in classroom discussions.

If more schools switched to block scheduling, people would notice a difference in the student’s grades and also the teacher’s attitudes. N.L. Dorwin states that teachers are even happier with the new scheduling. Flexibility in the classroom, less homework for students and fewer classes being prepared for, teachers found the classroom to be a more relaxing environment. Teachers find it helpful that they are able to finish their lesson plans on time and that they can answer students’ questions as well.

However, in small classrooms, teachers have better management and use more interactive teaching approaches; and students perform academically higher and exhibit positive social skills. Thus, smaller class sizes with less than fifteen students provide a healthier learning environment than those with twenty or more. There are three major factors in smaller classes that allow teachers to better help students. Because of the reduction in class size, classroom management is easier and less time consuming. Smaller classes ensure that students have less of an opportunity to misbehave because teachers can monitor them more closely.