At TIA Class Size Is Important
Imagine a large classroom with close to 30 students and only a single teacher. Many of those students struggle to get the attention they need, and their difficulties only increase as the school year continues. A few kids manage to do well on paper but remember very little from each lesson. Most students need more individual attention than a single teacher can provide. The quality of the teacher’s instruction to every student is inherently diminished because he or she is spread so thin.
Reasons Why Small Class Size Is Important
Most students have different needs and one of the best ways to ensure a good education for every student is to keep class sizes small. While maintaining smaller class sizes is difficult for many public school districts, it’s worth the effort here at TIA. Schools offering smaller class sizes tend to report better academic performance and overall student satisfaction. Small class sizes offer other advantages. Consider the following three reasons why a small class size can be a boon to your child’s education.
Better Class Culture
In larger classes, cliques tend to form at almost every grade level. A smaller student-to-teacher ratio makes it easier for teachers to ensure students’ individual accountability. Also, this will encourage students to forge lasting friendships with each other and be happy for each other’s success.
Getting your students to work together in the classroom should be every teacher’s goal. At TIA, maintaining smaller class sizes ensures students are more supportive of one another and that each student receives the same level of interaction from the teacher.
More Opportunities for One-on-One Attention
In a large classroom of nearly 30 students, it’s very easy for some students to “slip through the cracks.” Unfortunately, those are the students who often need the most help. In the largest classrooms, the quiet students and the unmotivated students tend to suffer the most.
At TIA, our smaller classes enable teachers to provide more one-on-one time for each student. Our teachers can more easily approach each student on their level and provide the type of instruction they need. One-size-fits-all solutions do not work in the education world; students may all receive the same lessons, but the way a student navigates those lessons can be entirely unique from the next student.
Greater Opportunity for Better Relationships
With the additional one-on-one time, our smaller classes provide the added benefit for our teachers to have the opportunity to create stronger relationships with each student. Smaller classes make it easier for teachers to identify each student’s strengths, weaknesses, and unique needs. Ultimately, when teachers can identify how their students learn, they will organically be able to explain complex concepts more easily.
Ultimately, smaller class sizes increase student engagement levels, provide individualized learning experiences, and help students feel more recognized and more included, even when they have very diverse educational needs.
TIA is a charter school with small classes. This environment allows the teacher to focus on teaching each student.