If so, can you please describe how crowded they are.
Yes AP Biology. There is not enough room. We squish together on desks and some students have to take notes on their lap away from a table.
2. Does the crowding affect your ability to learn in the class? Explain how.
Yes tremendously. The class becomes less focused and it is harder for the teacher to teach. Labs are chaotic because there is no breathing room and the lack of specialized attention causes students’ grades to plummet. Also, with a budget deficit, resources are reduced drastically.
3. How many students are in your most crowded classroom, which class is that?
35, AP Biology
4. What is your opinion on classroom crowding?
Although the physical size of the student body has increased, I believe that the overcrowding of classrooms is a direct result of the new School Grading Policy. This new system evaluates a school based on a combination of the number of AP classes taken, SAT scores, and FCAT scores of students. Because of this, Dr. Sidner and the rest of the administration has forced unprepared students to take AP classes. Large class sizes and a lack of proper prerequisite courses cause many to struggle in the class. If they ask their counselors to switch them out of an advanced course, the counselors refuse to switch them, encouraging the students to study harder and to hire a tutor. Unfortunately, many students don’t have any more time to study and cannot afford to pay for a tutor. The counselors say that the student can switch out after the 1st semester, but at that point, what difference does it make? For the personal gain and satisfaction of the administration, much of student body struggles to survive in AP classes and all classes continue to be huge.
5. Are there any benefits to classroom crowding? What are they?
Of Course! Texting during lectures is easier, the class moves slower so students are eventually less prepared for their AP tests, and the increase in students result in an increase in sidebar chatter that overwhelms the class with noise.
6. How are your teachers conserving resources? (for example teachers are making students copy notes from the smartboard as opposed to just printing out the document)
They aren’t. Larger classes are drastically depleting teachers’ resources.
On a different note, still related to the article though…
7. How do you feel about having two lunch periods?
Awful. Although an attempt to control the chaos created by the increase in student population, it hurts numerous aspect of Beach High (ie having clubs and eating with your friends)
2. It for sure affects my ability to learn in the class. Teachers aren’t going to yell over you soo everyone has their own conversations and only some listen. Sometime there aren’t enough books but that isn’t a big deal, its called sharing.
3. At the beginning my AP Environmental class has 40+, they even had to open another period, poor mr.gutherie, he gave up a planning period!
4. My opinion on the classroom crowding is neutral. If a student really wants to learn, they will listen, if not then they can continue talking and slowly fail the class. It’s all up to the hi tide.
5. The only benefit I can think of about the classroom crowding is, you’re more likely going to be placed with a friend. No one is ever alone in a class.
6. Well since my freshmen year, I’ve copied notes from the board, so its not that big of a deal. I guess, teachers are giving out online textbooks since they don’t have enough to pass out.
7. Two lunches is perfectly fine with me. We are pretty much the only school in dade county that is making a huge scandal over NOTHING. Two lunches is the best way to go for beach high at this moment. There are way too many kids in our school, and two lunches feeds them all. And as for club meetings during lunch, if a student is honestly dedicated to a club, they will stay that extra hour or whatever.
If so, can you please describe how crowded they are.
Yes. AP English 3, Mr. Reese. Some kids don’t even have their own desks they just sit on chairs.
2. Does the crowding affect your ability to learn in the class? Explain how.
No.
3. How many students are in your most crowded classroom, which class is that?
I have no idea.
4. What is your opinion on classroom crowding?
It’s annoying because people are fighting for seats.
5. Are there any benefits to classroom crowding? What are they?
No. Except getting less work done.
6. How are your teachers conserving resources? (for example teachers are making students copy notes from the smartboard as opposed to just printing out the document)
They are printing 1 set of papers to use for every class.
7. How do you feel about having two lunch periods?
I hate it. 1st lunch is to early and i am not hungry at that time. Plus you do not get to see all your friends unless they have the same lunch as you.
