How should we prepare teachers in multigrade classrooms to make the teachers effective and efficient?
How should we prepare teachers in multigrade classrooms to make the teachers effective and efficient? We should reflect on the following. The need for combining classes is increasing in light of a decreasing school population particularly in rural areas. At the same time, for equity, the students must acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to their age group as students anywhere in Jamaica. How can this be accomplished with a class comprising two or three age groups and having fixed teaching hours in the school day? What skill sets and attitudes should the teachers acquire in order to cope with the scenario? Are the teachers' colleges equipped to prepare these teachers and what should the former now do differently? Is there a role for communities in making multigrade classrooms more effective and efficient?
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Comments (4)
Interestingly, organising a
Interestingly, organising a school with multi-grade classes is a choice some educators make. Combining classess, as we know, can reap tremendous success. Some of these benefits that teachers report include students learning from each other, developing positive self esteem and self confidence and teachers developing organisational skills that they perhaps would not have developed in a monograde classroom. Research indicates that children in a multi-grade classroom, given equal opportunities as those in monograde schools, are not at a disadvantage. Teachers must engage in interactive teaching strategies and provide for differentiated instructions to ensure that meaningful learning takes place in these multi-grade classrooms. Teachers' colleges should ensure that graduates are adequately exposed to the concept of multi-grade schools during their training as many of them will get jobs in these very classrooms. Norlette Leslie Yeard'e
Everything has its
Everything has its strengths and weaknesses A teacher can be effective in a mulitgrade classroom if1. The teacher identify a set of students that the others can feed from as it relates to language development, group work and role models - The teacher in a multi-grade classroom must creat opportuities where each child can learn from each other.2.The teacher is very attentive when students are interacting with each other so as to identify any area that need urgent development.3. The teacher works in partnership with the class to produce their own reading books with real stories and real pictures taken from the environment [and are relevant to the curriculum]. This should spark a new brand of interest in reading not just from the students but the entire family and community.4. Each school should have a practical math village constructed on the school compound consisting of banks, shops, hardware etc. [most items in the shops to be fake items] that give each student the opportunity to build important numeracy and eventually literacy skills. [ the use of fake money; not counterfeit should be used to give students daily practice of using money]. Important mathematical skills such as the four basic math operations, money recognition and usage [inclusive of 1 cent], measurement and telling time must be focussed in this fun-filled learning experience As it relates to the literacy and language skill development in the village: - students must be encouraged to use Standard English at all times, Jamaican dialect must be followed by the translated Standard English. [One of the strictest rule of the village]. Every item that is bought in the village must have its name written in bold print on them [ another village rule] ---
Multigrade does not
Multigrade does not only apply to a fusion of Grade 1 & 2 or any other similar physical arrangement that involves different age groups. The regular grade with similar age group is a multigrade class because there are sometimes more than 3 different academic levels in the one room. Hence, teachers need to be equipped to address this issue and so I trust that the Methodology will be adequately taught in the Colleges.