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When entering into a mixed ability classroom a teacher must take into account various factors. Factors such as if an assessment of level has been made, what resources are available, how did the disparity evolve in the first place, what difficulties might one face, and what positives can be had for the students in this situation, are just a few of the considerations teachers face. Some sorts of assessments usually occur at different points in the year to determine students’ progress. However, there may not be a level assessment when it comes to grouping them into classes, if the school does not form classes based on English proficiency. In fact, some private academies and schools take the route of grouping children by age or school grade. Only if the child is exceptional and quite mature do they consider shifting the student to a class more suited to their language acquisition skill. For a teacher coming into a class for the first time some kind of needs analysis should be done. Furthermore, it is key to get a sense of what the goals are for the students, and their parents, which can give the teacher the direction as to what is to be covered and more reinforced in the class. Depending on the school’s location and the population which it serves, mixed level classrooms could be the norm. The school itself may have limited resources due to economic reasons, or the size of the location could prohibit amassing teaching supplies that could be particularly useful for young learners who do well with tactile materials. Similarly, finding materials that support the growth of the students’ English competence, independently of the school places and additional burden on the teacher whose resources could very well also be limited. Depending on the disparity of levels in English, the teacher might have to take extra time to prepare the class. Furthermore, while attending to one end of the spectrum, the students of the other end of spectrum could become bored and frustrated. This in turn could lead to class disruptions and disciplinary issues. If the academic levels and maturity levels of the students are too varied there is high potential for difficulty in keeping students challenged and interested. While there are certainly many challenges in multi-level classrooms, there are some positives that students can experiences from these situations as well. A sense of camaraderie can be established among peers, with more advanced students helping weaker students understand certain concepts or vocabulary. Similarly, the less advanced students challenge the more advanced ones by pushing them to cement their understanding by having to explain it to someone else. This sort of learning is called cross-ability learning and can prove extremely beneficial. By working as a group there is also that feeling of joining forces to face a challenge and not feeling pressured or shammed by individual progress. Challenges are inevitable in teaching even if the students are approximately of the same level. We as teachers, especially of a second language, rarely go into this profession for the money but rather to imbue knowledge and inspire students to grow in their own capacity, being able to communicate and express themselves with so many other people, not just native English speakers.
