Registered: Aug 2005 Nationality: American Posts: 139
Tue 24-Jan-06 11:10am
My largest class ever was 96 students. They called it "Senior 4" because these students failed to get into college on their first try and ended up coming back another year to try again that next Spring - all Senior 4 students do is study for the Spring College Entrance Exam. Competition (and under the table bribing) is fierce, and only 1 in 10 students who graduate from high school in the spring will be seated for college that fall.
Classes of 60+ students is the average for public schools - that's what makes teaching for the Business / Crash schools so attractive to foreign teachers, Chinese parents, and Chinese students - the hope is more individualized attention. (There were 8 students absent on the day of the picture, but you'd never miss 'em - you could have 15 students gone and it would barely make a dent.)
Managing a class of this size is not too difficult if the majority behave - but there have been some few problems once they get some silly idea in their head. A rolling laughter (like the kind you're not supposed to make in church so it only gets worse the more you try to stop yourself from doing it) is a class ender right then and when it happens. Getting any "group" work done though is completely out of the question. You'd lose the entire class as soon as they were in groups. Class debates (class divided down the middle) is the closest I ever came to groups.
As for issuing homework - not a chance. I'd never have the time to grade 60 + papers times the number of classes I had to teach, the students know it, and so any assignment I give is always "voluntary" for those few "Go Getters" out there.
------------------------------ Hypiereon's Maxim:
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Elysa ESL Newbie
Registered: Feb 2006 Posts: 3
Sun 19-Feb-06 3:39am
Rating: 10.00
Excellent photo! My largest class was 219 students. I lectured on American culture. Final exams were fun to grade! It was essay format and oh the English... The funniest things in the essays were how they interpreted what I taught them about dating in America.
english grammar man Moderator
Registered: Jun 2005 Posts: 111
Sun 19-Feb-06 4:26am
Rating: 9.00
219 students? How many teachers? Did you have a mic to teach? I wonder what the largest class ever is in the Guiness Book of Records? May just see your name there!
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eric_canada Junior Member
Registered: Dec 2006 Nationality: Canadian Posts: 10
Mon 8-Oct-07 3:00am
I think it would be fun teaching a large class. Difficult too, but fun.
Those "go getters" who do the homework are helping themselves. If you don't do the work, you don't learn. The people who didn't bother might regret it if they aren't chosen!
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