Opposite ends of the spectrum: Large and small classes on campus provide different learning opportunities

With about 1,350 students on its campus, Saratoga High has an average class size of about 28.  And although 28 is lower than the state public school average class size of 30, some classes vary significantly from the mean.

With differences in class sizes come differences in learning among students.  According to teachers and students, there are advantages and disadvantages to working in exceptionally large and  small classes.

Science teacher Kristofer Orre’s Anatomy and Physiology class is one of the smallest classes on campus, with just 14 students in his first-period class.

Typical days in the class are quiet and efficient, with intent discussions and students who feel comfortable.

“I think the best thing about smaller classes is that [the students] get to know each other better,” Orre said. “In class, students interact with each other more and it’s easier for everyone to have a voice that’s heard.”

Orre also said that a benefit of smaller classes is that his time isn’t divided, so he can spend more time helping one student rather than switching from student to student.

When the classes get too small, however, there becomes a shortage in diversity, and according to Orre, this limits the amount of different students he gets to know over the year.

“With more students, there are different personalities, backgrounds and learning abilities,” Orre said. “In smaller classes it is harder to bring the perspective of those who aren’t there.”

For science classes specifically, Orre said that with too small of a class, it can feel like a lot of time and money spent disproportionately on few students.

“However, if you look at the depth of learning that can come from labs [with smaller classes], it’s definitely a worthwhile investment,” Orre said.

Senior Claire Strickland, who is in Orre’s first-period Anatomy and Physiology, views smaller classes primarily as a way to better connect with classmates and ease the stress of a larger class.

“There’s less stress in smaller classes because it’s easier to get closer to people,” Strickland said. “If you get an answer wrong or are having trouble with something, you’re so close with your classmates that it isn’t as embarrassing.”

French 2 and French Language AP teacher Laura Lizundia also has smaller than average classes, with a 14-student third- period French Language AP class and an 18-student French 2 class.

“Last year French 4 there were a number of seniors, so because of that we lost those seniors to graduation,” Lizundia said.

Because of this drop, Lizundia thinks her classes are no more efficient.  In a language especially, according to Lizundia, smaller class sizes allow for each student to have plenty of time to speak.

“Speaking is key in learning a language,” Lizundia said. “And so in smaller class sizes, its easier to interact with the teacher one on one and that makes it easier to learn.”

But small classes also offer their fair share of problems.  Financially, smaller classes, especially electives, run the risk of being cut, and classes of around 30 stand a far better chance of being offered than classes with lower numbers.

Still, that doesn’t mean that large classes are easy to have either.

Differing greatly in number from the smaller class sizes, the largest academic class on campus is math teacher Kristen Hamilton's fourth-period Geometry Enriched class, with 34 students.

“I think that the hardest part about teaching a large class is crowd control,” Hamilton said. “In a large class, there’s more talking and with more students it’s harder to maintain quietness.  It’s easier to have control of a smaller class.”

Freshman Alex Yu, who is in the 34-person class, also thinks that smaller classes are easier for not only the students, but the teacher.

“I think that in larger classes, it’s harder to not only divide up time but to control the classroom setting,” Yu said. “Personally, I don’t mind a large class, but I think for most students and teachers, smaller ones are more efficient.”

Larger and smaller classes differ more than in just number: teaching changes according to the number of students.

“I think both class sizes have their benefits,” Hamilton said. “Large classes allow diversity, and small classes allow students to get more teacher attention and help if they need it.  At the end of the day I think it comes down to what kind of student a person is and how they learn.”