Student/teacher "looping"..who has experience?

[Disney1fan2002]

My DD brought home a letter saying that one of the 5th grade teachers has volunteered to teach 4th grade next year, so she can "loop" to 5th grade with the kids. This will be the 1st time the school has done this.

I am seriously considering signing my DD up to be considered for the class, but wanted to get some feedback from people who have children that experienced it, or even feedback from a teacher that loops.

Pros and cons of looping?

 

[Mary Anne]

We've never see it here, but the worst case senerio I can think of is that what if the child and teacher don't have a good relationship. It can be an awfully long two years with a teacher that you don't care for.

Then again if you do like the teacher and her methods, I would think it is very easy starting off the next year. Little class time would be lost getting into the classroom routine.

Onless I knew the teacher and her teaching method well,and knew my child would do well with her I don't know if I'd sign up, But that is just my feelings. 95% even with teachers my kids had that I did like by June, I was ready to move on and up.

 

[MichelleVW]

My daughter had the same teacher/class for 3rd and 4th grade. Personally I wasn't thrilled with her, but my DD loved her, so she stayed in the class. It was a good experience for her.

My oldest DD had the same math teacher for 6th and 8th grade...it wasn't planned, but the teacher just decided to move to 8th grade...DD was thrilled because she loved her.

It's a good thing if you have a good teacher and if teacher/student get along.

 

[Cindy B]

My daughter looped for 1st/2nd grade. It was a great fit--the teacher was fantastic and my daughter learned a lot.

It was a great experience for her. The teacher was able to formulate high interest plans that could continue through to the next year because she knew exactly what the kids did the year before. She knew the students were interested in plays/skits from the previous year so she went for the gusto and did a Shakespeare unit with 2nd graders. The students loved it!

She was a wonderful teacher and I couldn't say enough good things about her. This teacher no longer has a full classroom (she is a Reading specialist/resource teacher now) but that looping experience was wonderful for her.

 

[ChristmasElf]

Looping is very common here when the different grades get over crowded or they have too many 4th graders let's say.

The advantages are the teacher already knows your child! So if they get along well with each other, it is a win win situation. If for some reason, your child didn't like that particular teacher, the school will allow the parent to request their child not to "loop".
Usually the whole class "loops" Another advantage as the kids all know each other as well.
We had great luck as one of our children was very shy. When the class looped, the teacher was aware of the shyness, but since she was familiar with my child, we didn't have to go through the "new teacher" stage and things went MUCH smoother!

 

[tkd lisa]

Another loop experience here. My kids did it in 4th and 5th grade. All the benefits stated above. The teacher doesn't spend time finding your child's style of learning, etc.

Their school focused on this at the top end of elementary because of the social issues. Kids at that age are maturing in fits and spurts, and stability seems to help.

Again, the entire class looped. It was a military town, so I should say that everyone who stayed looped.

I do know they did make exceptions on specific cases where there were personality issues (either with the teacher or other students).

 

[Louise-Montreal]

I am a teacher and I have looped for about ten years. I love it and would not have it any other way. It gives the teacher an opportunity to get to know your child and his/her learning styles. I am much better able to provide for my students and their learning styles. If you have a teacher who is willing to loop, chances are she is a good teacher so I would not hesitate.

 

[malibuconlee]

It happened to me a long time ago, but wasn't looping, just a case where a teacher retired and they didn't replace them for a year.
When I was in 3rd grade Mrs. Fischer taught a combined 4th and 5th grade class.

She was my teacher in 4th grade. Then again in 5th grade. I think a few of the kids switched out, but I loved it!! My mom says I had a tough time with math coming in to her class, but with lots of work and homework by 6th grade I was in the top level and even went to a competition that year.

Some friends of mine and I even went back in 6th grade and joined her newly formed girl scout troup.

 

[ariel & eric]

2 of our children have looped. DD 3-4 grade - wonderful teacher. DS 1-2 grade - again wonderful teacher. Great experience for those who have problem with change and for those who are compatible with the teacher. I know in DD's class, several kids did not loop to 4th. SOme were the teachers choice and some were the parent's/student's choice.


If you know the teacher and you think they are a good fit for your child, I would recommend it.

 

[mickeyboat]

One of my favorite teachers ever "looped" with our class for 4th and 5th grade. It was a great experience for me.

Denae

 

[kellyg403]

We also have done the "looping". I agree it depends on the child and the teacher. For my dd it turned out not to be the best experience because of the type of child she was. She knew how far she could go with this particular teacher, and did just enough to not cross the line. Though she liked her teacher and visa versa I felt that the teacher became too comfortable with the students. And so did the students. They knew if they went to her (this was 4th and 5th graders) and said they had a problem at home or friends the teacher would have a tendency to be lenient with homework ect. This age is tough enough transitioning from elementary to middle school so my dd thought it would be easy breezy for her. That being said the kids did love this teacher so I would say the experience had its good and bad points.

Kelly

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Our catholic school DD is finishing with this month does this for all it's grades.

The homeroom teacher changes but they all teach their subjects. 1 & 2 same, Then they have a set for 3,4&5,and last the 6,7&8 now this year a few subjects changed as well two teachers switch them

 

[MerryPoppins]

DD looped from 1st to 2nd grade. It was okay, but not great. I don't think the teacher ever realized DD's potential. She had been reading on her own since she was 3 years old and was bored to tears with school. This teacher was very nice, but never challenged her. When testing identified her as "gifted" the second year, the teacher told me she didn't believe DD was truely gifted because she didn't have initiative. Again, DD was just doing what she needed to do and checking out to read a book. (I think back about it now and wonder what she'd think of my honors student with a photographic memory?) The following year she had a brilliant teacher who really drew her out of her shell and caused so much growth. If only we could have had HER for two years!

Our other experience was not exactly looping. Our elementary school offered 4th-5th classrooms. Children would stay with the same teacher for two years, but with a mixed classroom. So each year half the class graduated to middle school and the other half remained. Both our children were in this situation with wonderful teachers and found it to be a wonderful experience.

So if the teacher/child fit is right I think it's great! It allows the teacher to sort of know where the child is that second year without the getting-to-know-you phase. It also makes it easier for the child to know the class rules and what the teacher is looking for from the beginning. If the fit isn't there, it's not the best, but I didn't hate it enough to pull DD out. Just felt she didn't get where my child was coming from.

 

[Figment22]

My oldest son (now 17) looped for 4th and 5th grade. It was a great experience. His teacher was wonderful (this, of course, is the most important thing), the kids hit the ground running at the beginning of the second year, and the kids themselves were closer because they were together for two years. It was a win-win situation for my son.

Usually, the school will allow you to opt out for the second year if your child has a poor experience with the teacher.

 

[becka]

We may be getting to experience this ourselves so I am reading this thread with interest. DS starts K this next fall and there are two K teachers at his school. One just teaches K and the other will be looping with her second set of kids from K-1. They just tried this for the first time two years ago and apparently it went well so they are trying it again. I have met both of the teachers and they both seem very nice and they are both very experienced but the looping concerned me. If DS and the teacher get along great then it could be a very wonderful thing but I keep thinking what if they don't get along? That could make for a few rough years and that is not the atmosphere I want for DS for his first two years of school. I think that will just set him up for really hating school.

It sounds like most of you have experience with looping at the upper elementary ages. Has anyone been part of a K-1st loop?

 

[MerryPoppins]

DD looped from 1st to 2nd and then did the 2 years in 4th/5th with the same teacher. See my prior post.

I think it can be a really good thing. It all just depends on if the teacher/child really are a good fit or not. In my case, it wasn't the best but it wasn't serious enough for me to pull her out and make a fuss. For one thing DD wanted to stay with her friends and this teacher that she was very fond of. Years later, she understands why I was concerned. She just didn't have experience to compare this teacher to others. Now she agrees that the teacher didn't see how bored she was, but DD just thought all school was this boring.

 

[SuBeat]

Not exactly looping, but DS was in a mixed age classroom for 1/2 and 3/4 grades. He had the same teacher (and grade level classmates) for each 2 year span, but all 4 of the teachers involved in the program worked together and created an amazing learning environment. These teachers were dedicated to the program and put in so much effort to make school exciting and interesting for the kids. And the proud tears they shed on the last day of each school year showed just how much they cared for the children they grew to know so well.

Unfortunately, DS was in the last 4th grade class to go all the way through the program. Standardized testing is what did them in around here. The 2 year rotation of learning couldn't accomodate the required teaching of the test to each grade level without major complications, so it was discontinued.

 

[Just Jan]

I was a sped assistant with a teacher that was a looping teacher. Grade 2-3. She was WONDERFUl for the first two or three loops, but then she got lazy. But with the right teacher looping is terrific.

Though it is great that the children are very comfortable with each other as they really do become a family, sometimes they tend to stick together and need to learn to let kids from other classes play with them too at recess.

 

[snowy76]

From a teacher here... the thing I love about looping is the learning curve at the start at that second year - there is virtually none, in terms of getting to know the kids and assessing their needs - and in terms of the kids knowing the rules and policies, etc. - that apprehension is gone. Teachers who loop can jump right in to the actual curriculum right away with a very good picture of what their class needs.

 

[INDISMOM]

There is always 1 class that loops in my daughters grade. They have so many students that it always requires one teacher to loop. My daughter has never looped herself, but we would have LOVED if her 2nd grade teacher looped -- she is the inclusion teacher and challenged ALL of the kids and had an incredibly positive attitude.

Now if her 3rd grade teachers loops, we will NOT like it at all. She is nice and DD likes her, but doesn't challenge DD and I don't see her growing as much as she did in 2nd grade.