Combining classes- teaching 1st and 2nd class together etc...

Squirm

I am considering sending my daughter to a small school that combines it's classes, 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 5th and 6th are taught together in the same class by the same teacher.

Now, class numbers are small, it seems to have a good reputation, it is a feeder school for a secondary school I am very interested in and it is a CoI school, which I am happy with. BUT i am wary about this joining classes business.

I was not taught in this manner so am wondering, from people who were, what are the pros and cons and how do you feel about the experience in retrospect??

Thanks!!

byhookorbycrook

I worked for a few years in a two teacher school. I had junior infants to 2nd. It means as a teacher that you need to be super-organised, but it's great for the children, they hear the programme more than once,great for weaker children and more able children can work with older children. It makes the children more independent and there was never a bullying incident,it was like a big family.I cried when the teacher I was filling in for came back off careerbreak.

In a bigger class,where you might have 30 children all say in 5th,there will be groups of differing ability that the teacher must still cater for- but the numbers will be so much bigger.

pooch90

I can't sing the praises of split classes in small schools highly enough.
Lovely places to work. Normally a very community based approach in the school. Everybody clubs together and helps each other out. As byhook said it's great for catering to varying abilities too without making children feel 'different' or segregated.

Such lovely atmosphere as it really is like a big family. Pupils in the older class can also peer mentor and tend to really mind the younger ones. Teacher really gets to know the children better too, when having them for 2 years. Then throughout the school other teachers get to know them as school numbers are so small. You're definitely not just a face in the crowd.

I'm teaching in a large school at the minute. I could tell you about 40 other children's name in the whole school after 6 months. When I was in a 4 teacher school I knew every child (100) personally within 5 months.

If it was me, I'd definitely send my child to a small school if at all possible.

Squirm

Thank you so much for your responses, it has really reassured me! In fact, you've made it sound great!! The small class sizes are so appealing and that is an excellent point you've made, about the split classes catering to different ability levels, without segregating the children. Having good remedial assistance is another priority of mine. She may not ever need it, but I think it says a lot about a school when they cater for the less able children as much as possible and, is she does need extra help it will be essential of course. Thanks for your replies.

byhookorbycrook

My first year in that school I had ONE junior infant and I used to pick himself and his sister up on the way to work.

One of the senior infants fell in the yard-premobile days and I had to bring him to the dr. The teacher next door kept an eye while I was gone. When I got back 40 mins later, one the second class was reading a story to the smaller people. The rest of second class had tidied the games, written the homework up on the board and even managed to complete the work I had left. Those are the kinds of things children pick up from each other and that no teacher can teach!

huskerdu

All interesting replies, but all seem to be focusing on very small schools.

Just to be devils advocate - what about a situation where a teacher is teaching 28 kids, and trying to cover 2 syllabi at the same time and give
personal attention to all children.

Surely there is potential for problems, especially if the teacher is not very organised or committed.

What happens the less focussed kids when the teacher is teaching the other class. Are they expected to work on their own ?

I am not trying to be negative, but I have reservations about these situations.

D4RK ONION

I suppose if you have 28 students, you probably would have enough funding to hire the second teacher, right?

pooch90

Not necessarily dark onion, it depends on overall enrolment numbers in the school. One split class may have 35 in 1st/2nd and only 15 in 5th/6th so it depends. OP has said class numbers were small so that's why everyone's focusing on small class scenario.

byhookorbycrook

Huskerdu, most teaching nowadays is groups anyhow so the older form of teaching a whole class at a time is very much gone by the wayside. So in any classroom there would be different abilities and even if you had a single class -age wise, you would still have groups doing different things.

mumof2

I will have to say my piece her too I guess, as Im in the situation of having 2 in a small school scenario with mixed classes.

Im not happy with my decision and wish I had sent them to a large class school. Let me explain.

My daughter has AHDH - she cannot mix with the girls in her class or in the ones above or below her - she flits from one to the other, but not settling down with any of them. Had she been in a bigger class school, then I think she would be more comfortable and may have found at lease one or two friends out of a possible 15 girls (taking a class of thirty).

My son has a mild learning disorder, anxiety disorder and other undiagnosed issues, and finds it hard to socialise in a group setting, so altho this school seems to suit him size wise, it is not meeting his needs academically.

Anyhow, thats my short opinion, again it depends on the child. If he/she socialises well then small schools not a problem, but otherwise more choices are necessary in a bigger school.