Education professor weighs in on changing classrooms

Imagine teaching a class where some students are still learning English, some have learning disabilities and others have diagnosed behavioural issues.

That’s how education experts describe the reality teachers face in the classroom today.

Addressing the issues of classroom composition and complexity has dominated the discussion between Saskatchewan teachers and the provincial government in meetings this month.

Jay Wilson, an education professor at the University of Saskatchewan, explained how the range of student needs has evolved significantly in the past several years.

“I think we are better equipped to diagnose and understand some of the issues that are troubling our students but there’s certainly a rise in a number of other factors that have not traditionally been in classrooms that we may not have all the answers to or we’re just learning how to best support the students who are dealing with those challenges,” Wilson said.

While many people in the public may assume they understand education because they all went to school, Wilson said modern classrooms are very different in terms of how teachers handle such a wide range of students.

He pointed to behavioural issues, mental health issues and language needs as examples of some of the things that put additional pressure on teachers to help every student succeed. He said sometimes teachers don’t have the specialized training or external supports they need to help every student.

“What we need is to provide those supports for teachers but we also have to do it in a way that is efficient, systematic and does the best job of making our learners successful,” Wilson said.

With more diagnosis and understanding of behavioural issues, Wilson said teachers are trying to help those students achieve success but time and energy can sometimes impact the experience of other students.

While classroom size may be the easier element for the public to understand within the message of teacher negotiations, Wilson suggested it is not the full picture. Sometimes the number of students in a class is not nearly as significant as the range of student needs in that class.

“You can have a small class with a number of students with behavioural challenges that can be very dysfunctional and not work,” Wilson commented. “You can have a big class with lots of supports and EAs and the resources that are necessary and that can be a really successful learning environment.”

While smaller class sizes do offer more opportunity for individual attention, Wilson maintains classroom size is not really the defining element of the pressures teachers are facing.

After bargaining talks broke down last year, Saskatchewan teachers voted 90 per cent in favour of a job sanctions mandate which could see them withhold services like lunchroom supervision or extracurricular activities or even stage a walkout.

The minister of education met with the teachers’ federation and the school boards association this week to specifically address the issue of classroom composition and they are having more meetings outside of official bargaining talks.