small class size

Is being ‘small’ considered a ‘big’ thing? Yes, especially if it involves English tuition! Small class size tuition or big class size tuition? Unerringly, parents choose the former over the latter whenever they are offered a choice between the two while enrolling their children. Why is it so?  English tuition complements a student’s classroom learning experience. If students are exposed to a large classroom setup as seen in mainstream classrooms, it is perceived that students may not get the necessary help they need.

It is an open secret that big class sizes overwhelm a teacher so much so that they eventually limit the efficiency of instruction itself.

Here’s why….

  1. A good teacher teaches but a great teacher inspires. The purpose of teaching is not just to teach!It is to inspire students to take responsibility for their learning eventually. Small class size offers a golden opportunity to all teachers to motivate, offer personalised feedback and give a leg up to find their footing. Teachers connect with students personally by observing them closely to ascertain the following – the learning style of each student, the strengths to build on, the shortcomings that require guidance and so on. These help in chalking out the appropriate teaching tools to reach out to the students. From time to time, the teacher checks the effectiveness of these tools to tailor them according to the needs of the student. Through such interactions, students warm up to the subject. Consequently, they develop a positive attitude towards learning itself, which in turn, transforms them into lifelong learners.
  2. At a time when creativity is the order of the day, how do we stoke out-of-the-box thinking among the students? Small class size tuition is the perfect answer to this! The fewer the number of students in a class, the more significant time a teacher has on hand to explore creative approaches to teaching and learning.Critical thinking skills are practised and polished precisely because the small group allows time for that. Such approaches achieve maximum learning outcomes for every student – a desirable factor that parents take into account while enrolling their children in English tuition. If teaching methods have changed with time, class sizes must also keep up with them to see positive changes in the way students learn.
  3. Small class sizes translate into fewer distractions and greater coverage of learning material for the students. Disruptions from pockets of distracted students, which mostly happen in big class sizes, are impediments to constructive interaction between the teacher and learners in a classroom. Inability to manage such misbehaviour in a classroom leads to wastage of time and less learning material to be covered during lessons. On the contrary, small class size minimises distractions, increases students’ attention spans and allows more time to cover adequate material for gaining an in depth understanding of the rudiments of the language.  All these eventually lead to better results for students.
  4. Imagine self-conscious or introverted students in a big classroom setup. All that they may usually do is to listen passively to their teachers and peers. They are gripped by this innate panic to not make any slips for fear of being ridiculed. How do such students loosen up and contribute to discussions? A small class size English tuition is the ideal platform. No child can hide in such a setup. Drawing out each student in a small group is much easier because it is cosy and comfortable. Moreover, the students are tolerant and respectful of their peers. In such a climate, it is little wonder that even bashful or introverted students, who are normally side-lined or lost in a big class size, come out of their shells to air their views and defend beliefs.In fact, such interactions could be a prelude to opening up in larger settings when these students acquire self-confidence and poise while progressing towards adulthood.
  5. A sense of community prevails in a small class size. Students form cohesive groups and work in perfect harmony. A small group fosters sharing and even a sense of teamwork as concepts are explored in the give and take of discussion. Lasting friendships are made, and this enables the students to learn from one another.

At Write Edge, a class size of not more than 6 to 8 students is the norm. Every student gets to interact with the teacher closely during the writing process. Teachers are thus better able to oversee the writing progress of every student under their wing. Immediate and frequent feedback to students nudge them forward in the right direction. Sensing the pulse of the students, teachers periodically customise their teaching strategies to meet their requirements. Write Edge’s small size English and writing classes have certainly helped to make it big!

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