I am a 4th and 5th grade teacher at a public school in Northern Michigan. This is my second year teaching the 4th and 5th split (putting students from two grades into a classroom with one teacher) at my school. I was the only teacher who volunteered to teach a split. If a school of fifteen teachers only has one teacher who is willing to volunteer for a split, why do we have splits? My district uses splits to save money. In my school the 5th grade is composed of 70 students and the 4th grade consists of 65 students. Rather than creating six classrooms and paying for six teachers, we have two 5th and 4th grade classrooms and a 4th and 5th grade split. The district then is able to employ five teachers rather than six. I enjoy the learning and collaboration that happens within the classroom between a mix of ages but one teacher trying to teach two grades within a day is very difficult. My problem with teaching a split is trying to meet the needs of a diverse group of learners while teaching to the standards put in place by the state of Michigan. Students in my classroom are istening to two grade levels of instruction during one day thus getting less indiviualized instructional time. I wonder, does research show splits or mixed age groups being beneficial to students? If research shows splits are beneficial to students, how are these taught to accommodate the needs of all learners?
Photo Credit: Kelly Vujea, 2021
Comentários