Class size is an issue that appears to be straightforward when looking at it from a teacher’s point of view; however, there is a great deal of debate over the effectiveness. The main issue, as I see it, is this: What matters more, the class size or the teacher? Before researching articles concerning class size, I believe smaller classes do indeed result in better test scores. At the same time though I consider myself an effective teacher, so with smaller class sizes I feel that I can be even more effective in getting my point across to the students. Through the articles that I am going to research, I hope to find opinions that support my thoughts, find differing opinions from my own, and I hope to be able to see a “trend” that I can predict based on economic, social, and political issues.

So far in my educational career I have experienced many different class sizes, from thirty in one class to nine in a class. I have taught classes ranging from Pre-Algebra with enrichment students to Algebraic Thinking where I am teaching “disadvantaged” and “at-risk” students. This has allowed me to not only see a wide range of different types and sizes of classes, but it has also allowed me time to form my opinion. It is my belief that an effective teacher is what matters the most in a classroom, but class does certainly helps. As McKenzie writes, “It probably is best to have both small classes and effective teachers,” but he agrees that he would “rather have a really good teacher with more kids in his or her room than a so-so teacher with a small number of kids” (McKenzie, 2011). This makes perfect sense to me as what I believe to be an effective teacher. With my class, students are benefitted from having fewer students as it allows me to do more one-on-one or small group instruction, rather than teaching the majority of the lessons to the whole class as a lecture.