As teachers, we know every grade level has its own special elements. The time spent with our students per day also varies depending on the level. Pre-school and elementary school teachers spend a majority of the day with their students, which builds a very special family type of unit each year. Middle and high school teachers and students typically spend an hour a day together or two hours together every other day, depending on the scheduling. What would it be like to keep up that familiarity for a second school year in a row by staying together? This brings us to the concept of looping.
What is looping?
The term looping refers to a teacher moving up to the next grade level with her or his students. It typically takes place for two consecutive years. There are plenty of benefits to it for both teachers and students alike. While the idea may be new to some, according to U.S. News & World Report, children in Montessori schools often stay with the same teacher for several years. Likewise, Waldorf schools have been using this practice for over 100 years.
Benefits of looping with students
Most teachers feel they had a favorable experience when looping with students. Education Week polled teachers who have looped with their students at some point in their career. The results found that 79 percent described their experience as favorable,16 percent reported it was neutral, and only 5 percent said it was negative.
As someone who looped with my second grade class to third grade this last school year, I can tell you first hand that there are plenty of advantages to it.
For starters, teachers who loop with their students already have built a strong rapport with them and their parents.
This strong bond brings along many other benefits. A 2022 research study by Leigh Wedenoja, John P. Papay, and Mathew A. Kraft found “having a repeat teacher improves achievement and decreases absences, truancy, and suspensions.”
Looping saves a great deal of time at the start of the school year, as well.
Teachers know where their students left off, and ideally know their strengths and weaknesses already. There is no lost time having to figure out where to start with each child when it comes to reading levels, mathematical abilities, and behavioral issues. The guesswork has been taken out of the equation.
As Papay mentioned, with a new teacher, “There’s an upfront cost – learning names, talking about goals, getting to know families. If you have students a second year, you don’t have to do that. There’s less diagnostic work.” Just like my experience, students and parents are already familiar with the teacher’s rules and routines, making a seamless transition to the new school year after the summer break.
Studies also show an increased score across the board on standardized tests with students who have looped with their teacher.
In a study by Andrew J. Hill and Daniel B. Jones published in the Economics of Education Review in June 2018, they reached the following conclusion: “students who are matched to a particular teacher for a second time score higher on standardized end-of-grade tests than they did in their first pairing with the same teacher: student-teacher familiarity improves student achievement.”
Disadvantages to looping with students
The benefits to looping all point to favorable results for all parties involved. Of course, as with anything, there are some disadvantages with looping.
First of all, not all teachers and students are always going to get along.
So any issues from the previous school year aren’t just going to go away. This rings true for unresolved teacher-parent issues, too. Regardless of the level of relationship, students and parents who were high maintenance are still going to be high maintenance.
Second, not all students are always going to get along, just like with any class.
The kids who had issues with each other are not going to suddenly change. The cliques also seem to stay the same. Students who had a hard time making friends most likely will be in the same boat.
The few new students to the group (if applicable) added to the mix may not always fit in.
They may feel left out or have a hard time, depending on their personality. I witnessed both elements happen with the four new students added to our group, but for the most part, they luckily fit right in and made friends immediately. We had a wonderful rapport and it didn’t take too much time for me to get to know them. It actually made it easier getting to know just four new students versus twenty. I also gave them extra attention to get to know them and make them feel comfortable.
Wednoja’s research supports my experience. She reminds us that “teachers have a limited amount of time and energy. If there are only a few new kids to get to know, you can spend more time building those new relationships.”
Let’s not forget when teachers move grades, they have to learn an entirely new curriculum.
Regardless of how long the teacher spent in the previous grade, teaching a new curriculum is never a walk in the park. In addition, when a teacher stays in the same grade consecutively, it’s easier to make improvements on something already familiar.
Some people just want a change or a fresh start every school year. This goes for everyone involved: teachers, students, and parents. As reported in Edutopia, “Parents worry about the prospect of a child drawing a weak teacher two years in a row. Educators worry about being stuck with a difficult class.”
Tips for teachers looping with students
- Start the year with a clean slate. There is no need to carry over negative things that may have happened with a student or parent from the previous year.
- Do a mix of old and new. Keep up what worked last year with rules, routines, and rewards (my 3R’s), but always mix in new and fresh methods to spice things up. This is a great time to find books to share as read alouds that you did not read aloud last year.
- Don’t repeat the same activities for holidays or special observances. Not only will the kids be bored, but so will you!
- This is a great time to challenge your students with higher level activities when applicable. You already know the strengths and weaknesses of the class as a whole. At the same time, find fun ways to remediate topics where a majority of the class struggled so you can build upon it.
- Accept the fact that while some people change, some just don’t. This goes for students, parents, and even colleagues.
- Surrender to the flow! At the same time, as students grow and mature, you may be shocked with some behaviors and new developments, in good ways and bad.
- If parents are given a choice (which they should), don’t take it personally if a few choose to have their child with a different teacher the following year. They have valid reasons that probably have nothing to do with you and most likely will share their concerns with you. But if not, don’t take it to heart. (I know, I know, easier said than done!)
Final thoughts
I had such a wonderful experience looping with my class this past school year. As soon as I heard I was moving grade levels, my first question immediately to my principal was, “Can I loop with my class?” Sure, I was super annoyed that I had to change grade levels, learn a brand new curriculum, join a new team of teachers, and pack up and move to a new room. But it was all worth it.
This was one of my favorite groups of students and parents the first time around, so I figured it didn’t hurt to ask for a second round with them. It was a first for me and them. Having them a second time was truly special. The bonds we made were indescribable and the universe kept us together for a reason. I will miss these kids and their families so much and just thinking of them gives me the warm fuzzies!
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