from Darin's Poetry Blog: Pedagogy Entry - Week 7
"I'm not sure what the solution to the problem is or even if there is one, but I have believed for a while now that education en-masse has the effect of de-sensitizing the student to the information. From the various subjects that I have taken, it seems that smaller forums and one-on-one time discussing the finer points of a subject are the best way to encourage critical or creative thought."
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As Darin's post was a lengthy one, I am choosing to respond to a particular piece that stuck out while I was reading. Darin brings up a good point here. Smaller classes and one-on-one are significant helps in the classroom. Being a special education teacher, I have been in both the small group and general (inclusion/co-taught) education settings. I can honestly say that enjoy my small group classes more. I am limited to twelve students tops, and even less if I have an Autistic or EBD kid in the mix. This setting allows me to interact with each student on a daily basis. I have more time to student-conference. I can focus on their individual needs, goals, and objectives. I can tier my daily assignments and activities to accommodate each learning style in my classroom. They might be a struggle in terms of depth of knowledge or curriculum pacing but the level of interaction is greater. Ultimately, I feel I am a better teacher to my small group students than when I am in a co-taught/inclusion class.
Currently, I teach with a wonderful general education teacher. We work very well together and the kids seem to enjoy our class. We have a great group of kids. Even the annoying ones aren't that bad. The problem stems from the fact that there are thirty-five 10th graders in a classroom with two teachers. Even with a block class (110 minutes) Anna and I cannot get to all the students. For example, we were working on memoir writing pieces this week. We went over the assignment, showed them some examples, and gave them time to work on their own writing. Anna started at one end of the classroom; I began at the other. As the desks have to be arranged in rows because space is limited, this meant we were each taking approximately three and a half rows a piece. We had spent about forty minutes on instruction, leaving us with over an hour for the kids to brainstorm and begin drafting their work. By the time the bell rang, Anna and I had each made it through only half of our students. The kids in the middle did not get any conference time with us and were forced to wait until the next day. This happens consistently, though we make a concerted effort to work with every kid every day. I hate having to tell a kid, "I'll get to you tomorrow." They shouldn't have to wait. They should be able to receive even five minutes of my time each class. I am only with my co-teacher one class a day; I teach small group the rest of the day. I cannot imagine how long it takes her to reach every student in her general education classes with no other teacher.
This is part of the reason I work in special education. I enjoy working with students with disabilities but I also like the fact that I can reach each student in my class on a daily basis. It's very difficult in a small group class of five students for someone to slip through the cracks. My sympathy goes out to the general education teachers. I.D.E.I.A and No Child Left Behind would have to be changed before my small group numbers changed.
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