What classroom size do teachers prefer?

Last year, due to a drop in enrolments, I taught a class of six students.

It was mostly delightful, but it also meant that the two kids who didn’t want to be there comprised one third of the class, and stood out like the proverbial sore thumbs.

This year, I am teaching German and History. I have a class of 14 students, two classes of 15 students, and a class of twelve students.

I have to say, I consider these to be fairly ideal class sizes. I think twelve is my favourite: if all the students are present.

I can have my students work in pairs, groups of three or groups of four.

Next term, when the class assignment is a debate, I have two groups of six kids. Two debate topics, three speakers for the negative, three for the affirmative.

I have enough students to play games.

I have enough students for a discussion, without having the louder voices drown out the more reserved students, or allowing those reserved students to hide.

I can give the students so much more one-on-one attention in class time.

I’m not swamped with marking, which allows me more time to differentiate the curriculum for those students who are struggling.

From the perspective of teaching a class of two, up to a class of thirty, I have to say, twelve is the golden number.