Large Class - Help!

[maceo]

I have a full day Kindergarten class of 28 students with no assistant! There are two other K classes in the same situation. I am ready to lose it. This is my fourth year teaching, but every other year I have had an assistant for at least half of the day. On top of that, I have twice the number of boys as girls, so the rough housing is out of hand! I also have been given a child that was previously kicked out of a private school and in three other classes (2 1st grades and a K) before mine in our school, in addition to a host of other children with extreme behavior issues. Our contract allows 30 students, so I could potentially get 2 more.

Anyway, is anyone else in the same situation? Do you have any advice on how to get everything accomplished? I am also having trouble keeping a positive and happy environment because I feel like I am always reprimanding students. I also need a behavior plan that works for this situation. I appreciate any ideas! Thanks!

 

[Leslie G.]

What in the world?

Is that legal in your state? That just seems so ridiculous that they expect you to have a group of KINDERGARTENERS that large. You may want to check with your union representative, because that just does not seem right! Good luck to you!

 

[teacherish]

that's nothin'

Hi, listen, every year i have 30 Kindergarteners with no aide. This year tho, i had an aide for only a few hours in the week-- i have 20 boys and 10 girls, so it's crazy- messy and quite loud...but the other teachers say 'your class is so quiet....' to me it's loud.

So good luck. Sometimes it will be a case of just 'SINK OR SWIM'.
Be consistent and buy lots of CD's. Good luck and i know how you feel.

 

[Leslie G.]

Seriously...

is that legal? I feel SO bad for both of you! I live in TN and I think the most that we can legally have in a kindergarten room is 20. Have you checked on it?

 

[jap]

How about this

When we lived in Florida, my son's K class had 29 kids in it. It was impossible for them to get the attention that they needed from the teacher alone. The teacher asked for parent volunteers to come in for 2 hours a day and assist with art activities, reading, rotating centers and general clean up tasks, so she could teach. We had a weekly rotation and it worked very well. It was a great option for her. Good Luck!

 

[teacherish]

it is legal

Yes, unfortunately, it's legal. I am not in the US and I'm the one with the 30 Kinders full-time. Here, I am in the private system and the Principal's wage is determined by how many children per head he has in the school. We all have big classes.

There's 300 in the school, and he just keeps loading kids into my class. He'll even go to 31 if he has to.... he just makes money from it I suppose.

What can I do? He also does not really understand what it's like-- he doesn't like visiting the class- they're too 'out there' for him (young/ active) .... he has said that he'd rather be around the older ones... so how does he think we manage with such big classes?? It's hard and so unfair. No wonder I don't want my own kids.

 

[Leigh]

Feel for Ya!

In my 17/18 years teaching, one year I had a class of 29 students (no associate- never have had one). My lower numbered class was my baker's dozen. The class of 29 had lot of behavior problems. I remember my motto for the year was "I hope to get through each day and send them home each afternoon with as many bruises and no more as they came to school with." Survival was my mode. We did only the necessary curriculum things - no thrills and/or "fun" activities. I was awake until 11:30 every night making materials for all 29 for the next day. I took one day at a time (I was younger that year I had 29. I don't know whether I could do that again). The payback was the very next school year, I was blessed with my "baker's dozen."

Maybe because I survived the year of 29, that year of 13 students was the most rewarding year that I have ever had in teaching. I had a few behavioral challenges in that 13, but I was able to handle them with ease like water running off my back. We completed the necessaries in the curriculum but we did so many activities that were fun, challenging, and rewarding to everyone involved. I still to this day talk about that class of students that I ran to school every day -and enjoyed working with. That class graduated from high school two years ago. I think everyone in that class invited me to their graduation and their individual parties. As for the class before them, I think I got one invitiation. I did the best I could that year. . . that's all I could do!