Do all 4th graders have 3 teachers?

[Anonymous]

My 4th grade daughter has 3 teachers, one for homeroom/science/social, one for math, and one for reading/writing. Are other schools doing this? I thought it was jut 2 teachers in 4th.

[Anonymous]

If they’re in ELC/4/5, they could have 3 different teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they’re in ELC/4/5, they could have 3 different teachers.

What is ELC 4/5?

[Anonymous]

Nope, we only had two. Math and everything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they’re in ELC/4/5, they could have 3 different teachers.

What is ELC 4/5?

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/enriched/programs/elc

[Anonymous]

A lot of MCPS schools are "departmentalizing" this year, making it so teachers teach the same subject instead of a variety of subjects for a full day with their students. Since math is tracked starting in 4th this could mean kids have 3 teachers. My son only has 2 but it's because his homeroom teacher happens to be his math teacher. Other children switch out of homeroom for a 3rd teacher. Departmentalization is the new thing apparently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 4th grade daughter has 3 teachers, one for homeroom/science/social, one for math, and one for reading/writing. Are other schools doing this? I thought it was jut 2 teachers in 4th.

Mine has three except he’s with homeroom teacher for math and science and switches for social studies and reading/writing. So slightly different configuration but same idea.

[Anonymous]

Yep, at my school the 4th graders have between 1 and 3 teachers, depending on if they are doing Compact Math and/or Enriched Literacy Curriculum (ELC).

[Anonymous]

Yes. Our school is doing 3 teachers for 4th, and departmentalizing it. They also combined ELC and non-ELC kids for reading class.

[Anonymous]

Some schools are switching up for say, math and science. So teacher A preps math and teaches it to class A, teacher B preps science and teaches it to class B. Then the students switch so that teacher A teaches math to class B, and teacher B teaches science to class A.

It can make sense because then the teachers need to only prep half the subjects and can do a better job on the ones they are teaching. Additionally, for lessons that need "setup" it is just setup once in one room instead of twice. I see this usually in 4 or 5

[Anonymous]

It’s honestly way better this way. You don’t get stuck with a dud teacher all day if there is one, the teachers can focus/prep better if they split up the subjects, the kids get a change of scenery or change of teaching style to prevent boredom. And it makes it easier to cohort for differentiated subjects so kids get appropriately targeted instruction rather than trying to teach to a mixed group of students with opposite needs.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the school. Each school can decide whether and how to departmentalize. I think its great prep for MS.

[Anonymous]

Mine is with a different teacher for compacted math 4/5, and with her homeroom teacher for ELC and everything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of MCPS schools are "departmentalizing" this year, making it so teachers teach the same subject instead of a variety of subjects for a full day with their students. Since math is tracked starting in 4th this could mean kids have 3 teachers. My son only has 2 but it's because his homeroom teacher happens to be his math teacher. Other children switch out of homeroom for a 3rd teacher. Departmentalization is the new thing apparently.

It’s not new in MCPS… been a thing for a very long time. It’s also normal all over the rest of the country. It benefits students and teachers alike.

[Anonymous]

My now 9th graders had 3 teachers in 4th grade, so this isn't new. His younger brother had 2, but that's because his homeroom/science teacher also taught his math level.