That’s my class photo from 2nd grade. 1976. Aside from the dodgy clothes and bad hair, you know what stands out? There are 37 students in this picture. And, for all I know, there were a couple kids absent that day, too.
This was normal for the time. I was tagged on Facebook recently in some other class pictures from elementary school — there were 39 students in one of them! And get this: we only had one teacher! No teacher’s aides, no parents helping in the classroom, no nothing. One teacher and close to 40 kids.
And we got a GREAT education.
So, I can’t help but wonder … in this era when schools complain about having more than 22-24 kids in a classroom, when there’s a teacher and an assistant and often parents helping out, too … why are so many parents and educators complaining about overcrowding in the classroom?
2 Comments
When i went to school as a student, we always had 30+ students. Now, as a teacher for 16-18 year old guys and girls (in Belgium, Europe), learning plans oblige us not to have more than 16 students in one class (i agreed to divide classes into 2 classes only from 19 students). I have the experience we had to learn more by ourselves than students nowadays. But we know a lot more by heart than students of today. They are certainly better at using information, but they lack base information.
1) Parents are wealthier today and have led easier lives, therefore: are more prone to being duped into supporting paying more taxes/tuition… for the chiiillldddreeennnn! Our parents would have said: 30 kids in a class?! Why, in my day, our class of 350 stormed Normandy Beach and no one complained even after getting their legs shot off!
2) 24 hour flu– it may come back again and really slam you as a real flu. I’ve had that happen a few times with stomach flus. Sporadic flu-like symptoms and then bam! Down for the count. Or: did you have a window open? Allergic reactions to pollen/molds etc. can cause similar problems.
3) A while back you did a post on unreadable internet verification words (Greek to me or something you called it). YES! I was just wondering the same thing. Craigslist is getting bizarre with their verification words.