How do teachers see fewer different
students in a day?
Here are a few of the MANY ways it can
work:
Integrating Curriculum/Teaming
An easy way to form a small learning
community is to have a team of two teachers
integrate three subjects during three
class periods – that will allow
them to see only two sets of 50-60 students
(100-120 overall). Three teachers could
see a group of 75-90 students for four
periods and cut down the total different
students they see in a day by 30.
Example: If we added an elective, or
possibly an advisory/skills period to
our current TIESS program, the teachers
involved would see only two sets of 50-60
students while maintaining their current
student/teacher ratio.
An individual teacher can cut the number
of students they see by 50% by integrating
two courses and keeping the same students
for two periods instead of one. Integrate
a third course and you will only see 50-60
different students each semester. If you
are certified in two subjects this is
a no-brainer, but remember, one of the
courses could be an elective (possibly
from your subject area but not necessarily).
Example: Katie Taylor, who is certified
in English and Art, could teach three
sections of a two-period course integrating
those two subjects. She would see 75-90
different students during a semester.
Example: Jacqui Larson, certified in
English and Social Science, could integrate
those two subjects. She would see 75-90
different students during a semester.
An individual teacher could use the double-period
suggestion to complete a year-long course
in one semester simply by meeting with
the same students every day instead of
every other day.
Example: John Hill could teach Geometry
1st semester and then keep the same students
for Algebra II 2nd semester. He would
only see 75-90 different students.
Looping
Keeping the same set of students for
a second year will allow a teacher or
teacher to see up to 50% fewer different
students over a period of two years. Staying
with the same students for a third year
will change the number to a possibility
of 66% fewer different students over the
three years.
Example: Our current TIESS and school-within-a-school
programs do this.
NOTE: Integrating curriculum and looping
are not mutually exclusive – we
can use both to get the numbers even lower!
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