More on youth (the changed kind) and teachers
More pupils with traumas or cases of neglect enter our school system every year. These pupils need a lot more attention than our regular students. So we as teachers should be in a situation to give these troubled characters the attention and time they deserve. They have the same right to learn as the other pupils but have to come to terms with their life/circumstances to be able to do it.
Now, as teachers do we have the time or resources to help?
Classes in German schools have (differing according to the type of school) 25-30 students. Now imagine that you have 3 to 5 troubled pupils in your class of 30. Are you ready and able to work with them and help them on their way to learning?
Of course we are ready! But unless you are Superman or Wonder Woman you’ll wear out fairly quickly. This is an inevitable result of multiple mental pressures: curriculum demands, colleagues’ demands, parents’ demands and last but not least our students’ demands.
The powers that be know about this. As previously stated, teacher training takes the changed youth into account. But is there any other important support? Like a better student to teacher ratio?
This would result in smaller classes (perhaps around 15 pupils per class) and likewise more chance to encourage and support each student individually. I think this would not only change the ways to work with challenging students but also teaching in general.
But is this done in German schools? No, because it would immediately double the number of teachers. Needless to say this would be expensive. So, in these monetary challenging times smaller classes are not a viable option for the powers that be.
What a shame, because every Euro spent early in education is two to three spent less on dole-money later.
