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Improving education in Jamaica is a mission we all share. Among the most important and persistent, but perhaps least discussed concerns in the sector is the existence of mutigrade classrooms in Jamaica. This practice, which has diminished over time, but nonetheless continues in a significant number of our schools, is in need of revision, but in the meantime, teachers need to be specially equipped to deal with the challenges these classrooms present.Over the next three days we will examine some of these challenges, focusing our thoughts on how to overcome them and provide students in these classes with a quality education. Although practiced successfully in some other countries, Jamaica has not quite found the formula for making these classrooms high performing, or for that matter, even average. Teacher training institutions do not officially recognise multigrade classes as a peculiar classroom type and so do not specificially perpare teachers to teach in such an environment. The result? Teachers improvise and adapt, making it up as they go along and hope for the best.It is my pleasure to moderate this potentially useful forum and hope you will join me as we bring our collective experience, intellect and plain common sense to assisting our community members to meet the challenges of our multigrade classrooms. Our children can only benefit.Wesley Barrett
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Comments (11)
Multigrade
Teaching more than one grade is truly a challenge especially when you are using two different curricula. For far too long we are expecting the teachers in these settings to have the skill, competence and attitude without proper training and the necessary resources. If you should examine where these schools are located you would realize that they are in the hills and valleys of our country. Many of the families are econimacally and socially deprived. These schools do not attract highly trianed teachers and principal mainly because there is nothing to attract them.I know that the Core Curriculum Unit in the Ministry of Education developed and implemented a multigrade curriculum recently to replace the old one. This curriculum is not a "walk over" and teachers need to be appropriately trained. Yes, teachers were trained then, but what about those who joined the system later.I am old and when I was young I was told that multigrade schools would be short term. Why don't we fully staff these schools? We can afford to if we make the effort.
I taught in a multigrade
I taught in a multigrade classroom for one year. This was at a small, independent school in Kingston. It was very challenging, but I had the benefit of a small class room with only 16/18 students. As a new teacher, I had to survive and I eventually did well. However, I agree with Delrose that multigrade classrooms should not be the norm.
Multigrade teaching
Multigrade teaching should not be anything that is encouraged in today's education system. On the other hand however, it is a condition similar to teaching a multi-level class where the levels are from one extreme to the next. the way to overcome some of the challengesthat the teacher may encounter is by serious planning, engaging students in activities that will cater to the several intelligences.
I don't think the
I don't think the issue is about encouraging or not encouraging multi-grade classrooms. Multigrade classrooms are a fact of life globally and the challenge is to make them as effective and efficient as they can be. If the society were less concerned about covering the prescribed curriculum and passing an examination and instead be more concerned about educating children functionally, then there would have been a greater appreciation of multigrade classrooms. Notwithstanding, there are huge difficulties with managing them well and this is now a major issue. You have proposed an excellent strategy and it is recommended to everyone
We should not embrace a
We should not embrace a system where students in these situations are treated like “second class citizens”. My focus is not on passing examinations, it is on providing all our citizens with same opportunities. Relevant curriculum, well trained teachers and the resources needed. As a country we love to partially embrace other people’s ideas. Nowhere in the multigrade literature you see where these students are taught by teachers who are not equip with the skills, knowledge, concepts and attitude .We embrace a culture where teachers that are less effective are placed with students that have the most learning challenges. I totally believe that if we cannot implement the tenets of a true multigrade we should desist from such a practice. The strategies, methodologies and resources needed to prepare these students must be in place for this system to work. It is over twenty years that we have this ineffective system .We have not measured up to the standards of true multigrade and so we cannot reap the benefits. We need equity. Let us not embrace the equity shown in Animal Farm by George Orwell
Though I am not a trained
Though I am not a trained teacher, I find it extremely challenging to teach the students in my after-school programme. I have on average ten students who attend classes in the evening. I have at least two pupils from each grade beginning from grade 1 thru to 6. I am most effective however, when I collect each child's book and go through the pages of each book, identify the weak areas and apply individual attention to that child so as to strengthen the weak areas. Even in the same grade you can come across students who are performing at various levels and the need to meet each child where he or she is becomes extremely important if you are going to have a lasting and effective impact on that child's education. One of the biggest challenge for our teachers is time management. How do you spend quality time in assessing each child's work book and prepare the appropriate practise exercises that will assist in the improvement of weak areas, while simultaneously addressing the immediate needs of your family and self. Many times the assessment of students' workbook and the preparation of practise exercises is put on pause indefinately, and other pressing matters to the teachers are pursued, resulting many a times in unprepared teaching lessons and a frustrated teacher . In this changing world where information technology is king, we have to find a way as teachers, to utilise this medium to compliment the classroom teaching. Teachers should be available to the students via emails and other ICT , so as to get those who are lagging on par with the others. It is important that we develop our students from early to be able to study and learn from their own initiatives and that our communities organise events and projects that enhances positive classroom activities and learning.
Face the facts,it is very
Face the facts,it is very difficult to teach multigrade/multilevel. Writing lesson plans, indicating what activities to be done with each child/group (differentiation instruction)is not an easy feat. Many teachers will tell you that lesson planning is very tedious and time consuming. Technology is an art to be learned, much more to use it and use it effectively and efficiently. If we know where these schools are then we would realize that they have no access to the internet. The telephone providers are not in many of these areas. These teachers need the assistance with pre- written lessons that they can adapt/adjust to meet the needs of the children. Speaking of the children, many need to be assessed(sight, hearing) before be can improve their performances. Too many of them have learning gaps and other learning problems. This system must be properly supported or eradicated. Our greatest fear --it is our light not our darkness that most frightens usOur deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.Lorna P ThompsonMathematics AdvisorUSAID/Jamaica Basic Education Project
You have analyzed
You have analyzed the problems associated with multigrade classrooms well and have proposed some solutions. I would suggest that we make use of any technology that is both appropriate and available. Some 'low-end' technologies can in fact be effectively used both in urban and rural areas alike. We need to identify these first and then use them efficiently. Of course diagnosing learning difficulties and physical disabilities as you have suggested is critical.
We must must embrace the
We must must embrace the tenets of multigrade, if we are to fix the system. No way should we forget the concept of ' all students can learn and all must'. As educators we must help our students in these situations learn their way out as well as learn to learn. We must provide them with the tools to do so.Now if we can't do this then let us not fool ourselves. LET US GIVE ALL OUR STUDENTS THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN. ARE WE DOING THAT PRESENTLY? HAVE WE DONE SO IN THE PAST? CHANGE IS NOT EASY. Our greatest fear --it is our light not our darkness that most frightens usOur deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.Lorna P ThompsonMathematics AdvisorUSAID/Jamaica Basic Education Project
Your analysis of
Your analysis of some of the problems in multigrade classrooms as someone not formally trained is remarkable. Painstakingly going through the work of each and every student and determining what each needs to know and be able to do is most crucial in managing the multi-grade classroom. Put another way, observing the children in the learning environment and identifying their needs is a first step in planning for them. Multi-grade/level teaching is first and foremost about facilitating learning and diagnosing gaps and needs must start this process. Using appropriate and available technology to enhance the teaching/learning interactions is most important also.
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