Student-teacher ratio: Part II

This post responds to some comments made about the “Student-Teacher Ratio” post. Therefore this post will not follow the blog’s typical fact-or-fiction format. Future posts will resume with the original format unless otherwise noted. Thank you for your comments, and I hope this exchange will continue throughout this blog.

Part II
It is clear that having desirable student-teacher ratios in classrooms is restricted due to current budget cuts and policy across the board. It is also clear that maintaining the ideal student-teacher ratio (described previously as 3:1 or 1:1) is not always attainable for teachers, especially for those teaching students with special needs in inclusive classrooms. Therefore it is imperative for educators to come up with increasingly strategic ways to reduce that ratio to the best of their ability. One particular way to reduce that ratio is through group work. Research supports the effectiveness of group work in the classroom, as it provides alternative ways for students to learn. Group work also reduces the amount of stress teachers put on themselves to manage a large number of students. By creating groups, teachers create an environment in which students can monitor each other, work together, and learn from each other. Research in the field of group dynamics highlight several characteristics to develop productive and well-structured groups.

• Clear expectations: Students should know what is expected of the groups. Teachers should provide guidelines for group expectations and processes.
• Shared leadership and responsibility: All students in the groups should be held responsible for their individual contributions. They should all strive to actively participate and contribute.
• Open communication: All students should feel comfortable sharing their opinions and work with others in the group. The group should serve as a sounding board for ideas and opinions.

One particular example of group work that is supported by research is the formation of literature circles. Literature circles are formed when small groups of students (preferably 5 or 6) discuss books or texts. For example, in English classes, a list of books can be developed from which students are to select one to read. Literature circles can then be formed including students who choose particular books. Some important characteristics of literature circles:

• Students have a choice in material: Although this factor is not always the case if literature circles are focusing on course texts or specific material, student choice in the material will increase their initial level of interest in the group and can lead to increased participation.
• Regular schedules and predictability: According to research, literature circles work most effectively when all students understand the format. Initial sessions should cover the more basic formalities of the expectations for the group so that later sessions allow students to have opportunities to expand their discussions.
• Notes should be used as guides for students: Students should be instructed to take notes during the readings. The format for these notes could be instructed by the teacher or left up to the students themselves. The purpose of these notes is for students to keep a log of their thoughts on the material and serve as a reminder of important issues they want to bring up during the literature circle.
• Students create discussion topics: It is vital in literature circles that the students come up with the topics for discussion regarding the material. This puts students in the role of facilitators during the literature circle. The teacher’s role in this scenario can be to oversee the discussion topics on a daily basis to make sure the students are on track with their discussions and still benefiting from the conversations — but not to take away student freedom.

An important part of the success of literature circles is the different roles students can have. Having a variety of clearly defined roles helps students understand their particular assignments each week/lesson. Roles allow students the opportunity to stake a claim in the group discussion by focusing on one particular aspect of the literature circle. Harvey Daniels describes several different roles that can be included in the literature circle. These roles should alternate between students for different weeks or lessons accordingly. This ensures that each student has the opportunity to take part in the different aspects of the literature circle, so that the work distribution remains relatively even throughout the class. For students with learning or behavioral problems, it is particularly important that they participate in all of the roles so as to seem just as competent in the different areas as all other students. The following are some common roles that can be assigned within the literature circles and brief descriptions of their responsibilities.

Connector

The connector’s job is to relate what is read to the students’ own lives and experiences, as well as to other materials read for class and to the world itself.

Questioner

The questioner’s job is to write down some questions regarding the assignment. This person’s task is to try to create questions that the group can discuss and perhaps questions that lead to future discussion.

Literary luminary

This person’s job is to find and highlight a couple of key sections of the reading for the group to discuss. The student in this role should identify these areas and note why they picked those specific points, as well as their reasoning for the discussion.

Illustrator

This person is responsible for creating some kind of graphic or image that applies to or summarizes the material covered. This person has the freedom to illustrate visually the significance of topics in the material read.

Summarizer

The summarizer’s responsibility is to briefly summarize the readings. This person is key in establishing the topics of interest for the assignments as well as providing a reference for future study.

Although these are some examples of the different kinds of roles that can be assigned to students in literature circles, it is important to note that they are not the only ones and do not have to be incorporated in all literature circles. As a teacher, you have the ability to adapt these roles according to the topic of the material read. For instance, science teachers creating literature circles for class texts might use different roles than perhaps an English teacher using this format to discuss a novel.

A common concern for teachers of students with learning or behavior problems when it comes to group work deals with making sure these students participate the appropriate amount. One way literature circles address this concern is through the alternating roles. Each week/lesson, each student takes on a different role, which ensures that each student does the same amount of work as everyone else.

Another concern teachers may have deals with particular weaknesses these students have in certain areas. For example: Perhaps a particular student struggles with summarizing text in writing, but has an aptitude for the arts. The teacher might want to start this student in the role of illustrator the first week, emphasizing her ability to draw or artistically represent the material. This enables the student to start off the group experience in a positive manner by showing the group her aptitude for art. Additionally, through group participation, this student will have something to refer to as a guide when she moves into the role of the summarizer.

Having examples to refer to when they move into different roles can allow these struggling students to have more confidence in their ability to contribute to the group. With this kind of group work teachers also have the opportunity to strategically map out when they need to pay more attention to particular struggling students. If one of their struggling students has a more detail-oriented role for the upcoming lesson, teachers can set aside time to help these students in a more intimate setting — perhaps working with a student one-on-one to fulfill the duties of the student’s role, or working with a particular group of struggling learners from different groups.

Additional information on Literature Circles can be found in:
Daniels, H. (2002). Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in Book Clubs & Reading Groups. Maine, Stenhouse Publishers.