Middle schools do it. High schools do it. Should elementary schools do it too? Asking teachers to drop their traditional roles as generalists and serve instead as experts, teaching one or two content areas is part of a growing trend called departmentalizing (or platooning) and some say it can result in many benefits for teachers and kids if it’s well planned and executed.
Murch is currently piloting departmentalization in grades 1 and 2 this year and has been departmentalized in grades 3 – 5 for several years.
Every program or practice has its benefits and obstacles. I believe there needs to be a broader discussion about this topic throughout the Murch community so let me begin the discussion by offering pros and cons of departmentalization. My goal is not to institute a practice that everyone else is doing but to implement programs and practices that work for students.
Departmentalization at Murch has had both its “pros” and “cons”. Ultimately, it’s about the results of learning and whether or not our students meet intended outcomes of the curriculum.
Please click HERE for pros and cons in the debate among educators and parents about departmentalization in the elementary grades. I have been in education long enough to have seen everything from open classrooms to combined grades, departmentalization, self-contained models, etc. If you have thoughts on this, I would love to hear them. Send me an email or stop in if you have a moment.
Have a great weekend.