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| A Beautiful Multiage Class: Can you tell the 2's from the 3's? |
As always in June, I begin to wonder what challenges and
opportunities the next school year will bring.
As I plan for staffing, ordering planners, replenishing art and gym
equipment, I am thinking ahead to that first week of September, when we
configure classes and try to make the best placement decisions possible for
each individual student.
When we sit down to create classes, we try to balance
multiple factors, regardless of the grade levels. Teachers are teaching children, not grades,
and as such, we look most carefully at the social, emotional, and academic
profiles of the students. Combined
classes are a reality. Research (eg.
Veenman (1995); Mason and Burns (1996) has not found multiage classrooms to
have detrimental effect on student achievement.
In fact, it is argued that students will achieve more if teachers are
able to capitalize on the multi-age
arrangement.
We know, through such meta-analyses of educational research
as John Hattie’s Visible Learning, that what does have a huge impact on student
learning are strategies such as students self-reporting their on their own
performance, small group learning, teachers providing feedback and coaching
rather than “marking,” and reciprocal teaching (when students teach each
other). Also, incredibly important, obviously,
is the teacher-student relationship. I
do not remember whether I was in a combined class in Grade 7, but I sure
remember Mr. Nelmes, who, in sharing his passion for reading and writing and
history, and with his wonderful kindness and compassion, inspired me to become
a teacher.
As I’ve mentioned before, curriculum in BC is changing,
becoming more about big ideas, deeper learning, focusing on critical thinking,
creativity, communication, personal and social responsibility. In the future, we will focus less on what
grade a student is in, and more on these competencies and learning standards;
less on whole-class instruction of the same thing and more on personalized
learning; less on tests and percentages and more on authentic assessment; more
choice, more opportunities for each learner to show what they know in an
innovative way.
Change is not easy.
People resist it. But it is
necessary if public education is going to succeed. One of my reflective teachers recently said,
“I want to work next year with you as a team to help build community in the
class. I can’t rely on the students to
comply simply because I am the adult in the room. Kids are different now.” I agreed.
Students are powerful, independent, sometimes have a sense of
entitlement, and are very savvy. They will teach us about technology as we go. We can model ethical and safe use of
technology. If we can let go a little of
the need to control students, and coach them as all people want to be coached,
with kindness, encouragement and helpful feedback, we will deserve their
respect and appreciation.
To return to class configuration, for any parents reading
this, we base our student-placement decisions as much as we can on exactly what
I think you’d want us to: each child’s
social, emotional and academic needs. We
thank you for your trust.
