Small Class Sizes are Beneficial for All Students

 Class size has become one of the most significant issues within our modern classrooms. When we talk about class size, we are referring to the number of students in a class. Currently, the average number of students in a classroom in Tennessee is 20.7, and the maximum amount of students that are allowed in each classroom is 25. This will continue to increase with the teacher shortage that America is facing right now. A classroom size that is smaller than 20 students allows for so many benefits for student growth, development, and learning.

Teacher working with students in a small group

My mentor teacher teaches 3rd grade, and the number of students she has in her classroom is 16. I have had the opportunity to see how this smaller class size has allowed her to work with her students in smaller groups and really dig deeper into their learning. I have seen this beneficial for her students by catering instruction to their specific needs. While students are working on different activities and worksheets, she can call students back into a small group and work with them in a smaller setting rather than having to try and do it all as one big group. If her class size was bigger, she would not be able to pull those small groups and work with them on their specific needs because there would be too many students for her to get through in a short amount of time. Another way that I have seen small class size benefit her students is by encouraging them to participate in class more. It can be scary to raise your hand and answer questions in front of a big group of students. I have witnessed so much participation from this group of students. They also encourage each other to answer questions, and when they get it right they cheer them on with a little chant. This small class size has allowed them to feel comfortable participating and asking questions while also getting to know their peers better to push them and encourage them as well. Small class sizes are very beneficial for the students as well as the teachers.