Making It Work with 39 Students

Spoiled by the small size of the sixth grade class which is my main placement, I wouldn't have imagined that 39 students could feel so manageable. Today my dyad-mate and I observed five ninth grade math classes at a local junior high. Due to various factors out of our control, this will not likely be our permanent dyad placement. However, we welcome the opportunity to spend time in a variety of classrooms.

Second period found 39 ninth graders seated in pairs, ready for a daily dose of honors Integrated II. The kids clearly were well-schooled in classroom routines designed to maximize learning time. From the weekly 2 minute drill (roots and squares) to the systematic homework checking time to the group work on "constructions" (angles), the class proceeded with amazing efficiency. When it was time for group work, the kids speedily turned desks around to form foursomes, retrieved supplies (compasses, etc.), and assumed roles (Reader, Writer, Coordinator, and Gopher) according to the day's rule: longest hair to shortest. With the exception of a pair of chatty girls who took a few minutes to settle down, the students were uniformly engaged and productive. The noise level was moderate, which seemed quite appropriate for the circumstances.

The MT explained that one advantage of group work with such a large group is that it better enables her to get around to all the kids. It's a lot easier to have "face time" with 10 groups than it is with 39 individuals. It also enables her to answer common questions only once per group. The kids mostly seemed able to work together to solve their own questions. Rarely were hands in the air, and, when they were, they represented a group issue, as questions are to be posed by the coordinator.

Over lunch, the MT also explained that several of the math teachers work together to develop systems for classroom procedures so that students move from grade to grade knowing what to expect. She also emphasized the importance of spending the necessary time each September to establish procedures, and then to work to enforce procedures through the year. The benefits of such clearly established operating procedures were evident in the smoothness which with this large class moved through the day's lesson. We were impressed.