ADD/ADHD

One year, quite by accident, I ended up with one class with just 16 students instead of the normal 25 to 30. IT WAS HEAVEN. We could have class discussions without devolving into chaos. The kids didn't even have to raise their hands, just pay attention to each other and exercise common courtesy. Shy kids were more likely to participate. But even I can acknowlege that having small classes across the board would be unaffordable and we don't have enough qualified teachers as it is.

I wonder if any schools are experimenting with a different model. When I was in college I had an American History class that was in a big lecture hall with 150 to 200 students. We had that class twice a week and then a smaller discussion group, with 15 to 20 students, lead by a grad student once a week. It worked pretty well. I don't think every kid needs a small class environment for every class, 5 days a week, but there must be a way to offer it more often.