Big classes? No big deal.

Kate Alaks, Opinion Editor

September 10, 2012

Bigger classes will be a challange, but they don’t have to ruin the whole year.

For me, the first two days of school were pretty repetitive. In all but two classes, they consisted of seating charts, syllabi, and textbooks, with just a few variations. Why was it so monotonous?

Well, almost every class had more than thirty students in it.

All over the building, class sizes have grown since last year. As I found out, the largest single class in the building is a music class, with 57 students in it. The largest class within the mainstream academic subjects, one of Mr. Geltner’s Geometry classes, had 36 students in it.

It got me wondering: how will we get anything done this year?

The answer, though, isn’t to blame the numbers. Instead, we should try just as hard, If not harder, to make this year a success.

During class, you may not have as much time to ask the teacher questions as last year or the year before. That doesn’t mean you should go away confused. Stay a minute or two after class (there are hall passes for that purpose), or make an appointment to come in for help before or after school. All the teachers I know are certainly willing to explain things.

And what if your teacher is just too busy? Or you’ve got a sport or club that takes up all your after-school time? Ask a friend or acquaintance who’s good in that subject. You have enough options not to have to muddle through the year confused and blaming your teacher and your class for everything. Larger class sizes even make it more likely that you’ll know multiple people in each class.

Another way to stay on top of schoolwork is by using technology. Skyward can help you keep track of your grades, and teachers can be reached by email. Some teachers, such as Ms. Young and Ms. Stiel, have their own websites that you can get to from the school’s homepage, and you can find homework assignments and useful resources there. Other teachers like Mr. Geltner have a wiki page for their class. Ask your teacher what online resources you can find for extra help, and be sure to use them if you need them.

Finally, what about disruptive students? The main thing here is not to be one yourself. You may not be the only one talking, but the fewer people who are, the quicker you can get back to the class, the happier your teacher will be, and the more information you’ll be able to cover each day.

Larger class sizes are certainly going to be a change, even if all you’ve noticed so far is that it takes a lot longer to get your seating assignment. But they are not an excuse to give up on a subject, or place the blame completely on the other students. It may take a little extra work, but it doesn’t have to be the deciding factor of the whole year.

class size

About the Contributors

Kate Alaks, Opinion Editor

Kate Alaks is actually from the 60’s. As a child, she fell through a wormhole in time and space and ended up in the 21st century. As such, she is not very good with 21^st century technology. She also frequently obsesses about the Beatles, Doctor Who (she really likes both the old series and the new series), Star Trek, Godzilla, and numerous other things with origins in or near the sixties. Even though, happily, most of these have been revived to some extent in today's culture, she still misses the cheesy special effects of the good old days. On the plus side, she got to grow up with Blue's Clues and the Magic School Bus. While waiting for the Doctor to come and straighten out her timeline, Kate (aka Kadet Marshmallow) is now a senior, and is reprising her role as Clarion’s Opinion Editor. She is planning to continue her Freakonomics-style column, For What It's Worth. Besides Clarion, Kate is in Eco Club, GSA, and NHS, and is a black belt in TaeKwon-Do. She spends her precious free time compulsively writing, watching Star Trek, quoting things randomly, and stressing out about applying for colleges. You can email Kate at [email protected]

Katie Maxwell, Editor-in-Chief

Katie Maxwell is baaaack! Once again, her enthusiasm is helping the paper to continually improve itself. But wait,there’s more! Katie is the new Cyborg Super Editor-in-Chief! Her untapped power over her minions has inspired her to concoct an EEEVIL plan to take over RBHS and eventually rule the world. But for now, she will be content with perfecting her diabolical plan, and of course, helping the Clarion Staff create a newspaper they can all feel accomplished about. In her spare time, Katie can often be found hanging out with Mary Carole McGovern, her Best Buddy, reciting German poetry from memory through the hallways, promoting environmental literacy, or working at fundraisers and events related to NHS. She can be contacted at [email protected].