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Research shows that “smaller classes are an apparently foolproof prescription for improving student performance: Fewer students means more individual attention from the teacher, calmer classrooms, and consequently, higher test scores.” 

But is it really this easy? Will removing a few students from the classroom hold up to these standards that research has shown? Let’s dive deeper into the study. 

There truly are benefits to smaller class sizes, however, to yield long-term, lasting results, it must be a more thought out process than simply pulling a few students out of the classroom. In a setting with 28 students, reducing the class size to 25 students showed no significant difference. Even moving the student count to 20 (which may be considered a small class in some schools and grades), still did not show a big enough impact. Class sizes need to be 13-17 students in order to be considered small enough to yield impactful advances. 

The cost is a factor in this study because the expense of these class sizes may not be worth the small growth. The fewer students per classroom, the more classrooms and teachers needed, which creates higher costs to the school in salary as well as resources for each room. It is suggested that placing a more capable teacher in a bigger class can be just as effective as a less capable teacher in a smaller class. 

Obviously, in a class with fewer students, the teacher can place more time and attention on the students that need extra help. It can also cut down on disruptive behavior, noise levels, and student or teacher stress. These are all factors that last short term, and truly are beneficial for the school year, but can be costly to the school. 

The best way to create a successful system with smaller class sizes, the research suggests following the guidelines of starting the students early in kindergarten or first grade. It also suggests that a “small class size” is a range of 13-17 students. If every student cannot be reached based on funds and resources, at-risk students should be placed in smaller classes first. The small-sized class also needs to be consistent for the students, letting them experience it every day, all day. They also need to be consistent over the years, placing them in the smaller classes for at least two years, if not more. 

With all of these factors, we truly do need to step back and think, is the smaller class size worth it in the long-term sense? Will the funds, time, and resources spent on these smaller class sizes benefit the growth of the students enough to use them? 

It is so easy to place a better education system in the hands of small class sizes, and it can be true, given the correct circumstances. However, better alternatives may be out there. 

What are the benefits you have found in a classroom with fewer students? Do you think shrinking numbers can fix a broken school system? 

Photo Credit: deathtothestockphoto.com

In my post about a blog schedule, I mentioned I wanted to write about where my realm of teaching is currently in my life- Working with my children through their own process, which is play. Children, especially young children, make the most connections and advances when given the opportunity to play and learn in their own way. However, I feel this idea has been skewed over the years, and play-based learning needs to be defined. 

Lexico defines play as to: “engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.” Play is for enjoyment and recreation. 

Play is not a task given to the child. 

Play is child-led. 

Play does not have a definitive ending. 

Play does end when the child decides. 

We are so quick to structure the day for kids, placing them in classes and providing them with educational activities, calling it play-based learning because they are active and having fun. However, this makes learning a task and not over when the child is done, but when the adult says it is. Do not get me wrong- There is a time and a place for structured learning with agendas and goals, but this should never be categorized as “play-based learning”, regardless of how “fun” it may seem. 

Play is a child using their imagination to build, create, and move. 

Play is not a child going through structured stations in the classroom. 

Play is how children grow and learn. Sara said it best in her post over at happinessishereblog.com, “be mindful of your agenda. Children should feel free to play and use what is available however they like, with no expectations. Maybe Johnny paints a picture of a flower with the paints you left out for him. Maybe he experiments with mixing colours. Or maybe he just wants to squirt the paint in his belly button. It doesn’t matter, because it’s his choice. He is learning through play, and that is always surprising and beautiful to watch.” 

It’s surprising and beautiful to watch because children will not make the same decisions in situations as we would make because they are aware of what they need and how they want to accomplish it. Watching the discovery happen in children can be magical if they are given the opportunity.

Let’s let the children be kids a little longer, using their imaginations a little more. Let’s let them play.    

Photo Credit: deathtothestockphoto.com

I recently read the book I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition) and to say it changed my perspective on education does not come close to how vastly this book impacted my life. I have heard the words “Taliban” and “terrorist” in my lifetime, in fact, quite often. However, I was completely blind to what exactly has been going on with these parties, and I regret that. Fortunately, Malala helped me fix that.

Schools across the nation have picked up on this young readers edition of I Am Malala, having their students read the words of Malala Yousafzai, one of these schools being Edith Bowen Laboratory School in Logan, Utah. I spoke with a few older students reading this book and their reactions amazed me! They made comments on how brave she had been and how inspiring she was to each of them. 

“She loves going to school and getting good grades and I want to be just like her!” one girl told me. I was inspired by her story before I had even read it. Once I did get my hands on a copy, I was not disappointed. Malala truly does have such an influential story that everyone needs to hear. 

Malala writes about her experience gaining a hard-to-obtain education in Pakistan because the Taliban is against girls learning. She speaks up to news stations, writes online under a pseudonym, and gives speeches when possible to speak about how unfair the Taliban treats everyone, especially women. While standing as an advocate for education, she was also studying hard for exams and even breaking rules to continue going to school. 

This book can be so beneficial in schools not only for the inspiring, hard-working story that Malala wrote but also because of the raw information she tells of her first-hand experience watching the Taliban in action. In parts of the book, I was emotional trying to imagine my family going through similar situations, leaving homes and pets, sometimes even loved ones. My life here in the United States is very comfortable living. I have ready access to food, water, shelter, and love, the simple, absolute needs that may not even be available in other countries. 

Why is it important for students to know and study current events? It can teach empathy, tolerance, and build communication skills. This article from Education World goes into more detail on how impactful current events can be in the classroom. 

I Am Malala is a book that should be on the shelves of every classroom and library. It brings two worlds together, inspiring and educating students. 

Have you read I Am Malala? Did you feel like it inspired you or your students? 

Research shows when teachers spend time greeting students as they walk into the classroom, it can improve student behavior. There was higher academic engagement with the students, as well as less disruptive behavior. It increased their learning time by one hour. Teachers also commented on how easy the effort was for such a great outcome. 

One key point that I find very interesting in this study is the simplicity of human engagement and interaction. Students may come to school for an education, but long for relationships and trust to be built before real learning can happen. Another way I have observed this in my teaching is the use of personal storytelling to connect concepts. I often retold stories of my childhood to my first-grade students that would assist them in understanding concepts, which helped them feel connected to me in a new way by knowing me on a personal level. I truly believe that relationships are key in teaching, and research now shows that it is, even by simply standing at the door to greet students. 

Another aspect I find very interesting is the ratio of time spent to time earned. How long does it take to stand at the door to greet students? Maybe five to seven minutes max? In return, the study suggests that because of increased student engagement and decreased disruptive behaviors, a full hour was added in instruction time. 7 minutes: 1 hour seems to be a very fair ratio to me! 

Less disruptive behavior is appealing to any educator. Time spent redirecting and keeping students on track is not only unprofitable to the classroom but can also be wearing on the teacher over time, causing both the teacher and the students more stress. Spending a few minutes every day standing near the doorway to greet students truly can be very lucrative.     

Applying this to the classroom may look simple at first, however, once put into action, it can also seem too time-consuming. How often are you running through your classroom sorting last-minute papers, or writing up information on the whiteboard as students walk in? It can be so easy to use these last few minutes to finish up work before the day must begin. 

When we check our expectations of ourselves and remember that relationships must come before learning can happen, spending a few minutes greeting students will come before that last-minute work. It also does not happen in one day. This happens over time and with consistency. 

I challenge you to give it a try for a few weeks and let me know what you find. Do you have less disruptive behavior in your classroom? Are your students more actively engaged in the learning process? Was it hard to give up that time in order to greet students, or did you find it easy? 

Photo Credit: deathtothestockphoto.com

It was a beautiful summer night and I was outside spending time with my family. My two-year-old with less than perfect gross motor skills walked toward the playset in our backyard, looking at the rope ladder with a light in her eyes like she was about to accomplish something monumental. We spent time practicing this rope ladder with her often, however, this would be the first solo trip she would take on it. 

The second her foot hit the rope, I ran to her. 

I immediately stood directly behind her, putting my hands close to her without touching because obviously I would never be a helicopter mom. “Be careful! Be careful!” I kept telling her. All while her feet never left the ground. 

“Your blades are turning,” my husband said from across the lawn. That’s our code for me to take a step back and stop letting my “helicopter blades” do the parenting for me. I always promised myself I wouldn’t become a helicopter parent, but after becoming a mom I quickly realized it was much harder than I initially believed. I’ve come to realize this is a common story for many parents. Why is this? 

It is so hard to watch someone, especially a loved one, fail or hurt themselves. If we can help our kids avoid pain or failure, why wouldn’t we stop it from happening for them? I know that if we all stepped back and analyzed it, the answer is clear. We shouldn’t intervene because mistakes are how we learn and grow. This video shows this concept perfectly. 

So how do we put ourselves out of a job as a parent? Here are a few ways. 

-Watch and wait. When your son is struggling to dismantle his new, bigger bike and you’re ready to run over and help, watch and wait. You may end up needing to help, or he may surprise you.  

-Remember that failing is learning. When you’re in full-on “lifesaver” mode, running your child’s forgotten history report to school minutes before she needs to turn it, take a split second to remember that maybe just maybe if you don’t bring it to her and she receives a poor grade this one time, maybe she will remember her English paper tomorrow. 

-Realize that we cannot protect our kids from the world. Bad things will happen, but good things will happen too. 

-Trust your child. Really trust them. 

-Scaffolding doesn’t make you a helicopter parent. Do it for them, do it with them, watch, let them do it alone. This process will look different with every task and every kid. 

-They will not solve problems or handle situations the same way you do, and that’s okay. Let them. 

-Most importantly, remember that YOU are the mom these kids need. There is no better mom than you, and you are doing an incredible job.  

I took a step back after I was reminded that my helicopter blades were turning, I watched and waited to be absolutely amazed by my daughter. I was convinced she couldn’t do it and that she would end up falling, I didn’t have trust in her. Once I presented her with the opportunity to prove me wrong, she did. She climbed that rope ladder with confidence and grace, one step after the next, showing me just how capable she was, putting me out of my “rope ladder spotter” job. 

How do you promote independence in your children or students? Do you find yourself being a helicopter mom too? How do you handle it? 

Photo credit: https://deathtothestockphoto.com/

When I found out I was able to write for this blog, I was overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions. First, excitement! I finally have a window back into the education world, one where I could stay updated on the latest trends and write while I’m researching and learning. Once the excitement faded, I quickly became overwhelmed. How in the world would I come up with enough content to write about? Writer’s block was bound to happen. 

I was gifted the best advice on how to combat this. I needed to come up with a weekly schedule on the topics I would write about, giving me a starting point with each post. Brilliant! Answer me this- What teacher doesn’t love themselves a great outline? I spent a few days brainstorming the three topics I wanted to cover, fine-tuned them, and came to a decision. The three categories I landed on are easy for me because I’m still new to this. My hope is to let these topics be fluid and change based on my comfort levels as I continue. I have plenty of other topics I would love to write about in the future, but confidence needs to build before I am willing to jump in and write about them. So without further ado, here is my less than perfect outline. 

Monday- Play is a Child’s Work: Writing in my Realm 

My current students are a two-year-old and one month old. I am choosing not to teach in a classroom setting right now because I have the wonderful opportunity to be home with my kids to raise and teach them instead. We learn every day through play, whether it’s them doing the learning, or myself doing the learning through their actions, we’re all growing. 

Wednesday- Research Shows 

I have often read articles or participated in conversations that state “Research shows…..” followed by a fairly bold statement. What is this research? Where was it done? How was it conducted? And how can we best apply it in our teaching? These are the questions I would like to explore and analyze in my writing, with the hope of using my findings to have a more solid idea of what research shows, how to find the real research, and what exactly the research means in the classroom setting. 

Friday- Using Books in Teaching 

Confession: I may have graduated with a degree in Elementary Education with every intention of using it to teach K-6 someday. (More on this in my introduction post) However, if you were to ask me what my dream job is, like what I really, really would love to spend my days doing, it would be a librarian in an elementary setting. I love reading and I love using books to teach, just like *almost* every other teacher out there. Fridays are my day to choose a book, or books, that have helped me in my teaching profession and share them with you on how to use and apply it in the classroom. 

I am eager to work on each of these topics and share it with you. My hope is that they will direct but not limit me. I am going in with complete fluidity, changing where needed, and expanding when possible, and my hope is that you will come along on this journey with me. 

What are some ways you have overcome writer’s block? Has a writing schedule benefited you in your writing, or limited you? 

Photo Credit: https://deathtothestockphoto.com/