‘Looping’ In Schools Needs To Happen, Now More Than Ever

Have you heard about “Looping” when it comes to kids in school? Now, MORE THAN EVER, we need teachers to loop with their students.

Looping is where a class of students start out with one teacher. This teacher gets to know all the students’ learning abilities and challenges. They establish a routine with the kids that runs like clockwork. They gain that oh-so-important trust with the students.

Then, after summer break, instead of getting a brand new teacher, who has to take the time to gain trust, establish a routine, and learn their strengths and challenges, the students “Loop” with the same teacher they had the year before — meaning, the teacher moves up to the next grade with the students.

My son did this from kindergarten to first grade, and it was the BEST experience. The students flourished, and they were totally a classroom family.

WE NEED TO DO THIS when the schools open back up. The kids, as well as the teachers, just had their entire worlds turned on end. The teachers didn’t get to finish what they started with the students. The students — while still doing work at home — are not getting the same education they would at school.

I can tell you — I am NOT a teacher. We are struggling through things like geometry, earth science, and grammar.

We need to give these students the BEST chance to get “back to normal,” and that can really only be done through looping.

Now, I know, this can’t happen in EVERY circumstance. If the child is moving from elementary to middle school, or middle school to high school, this obviously wouldn’t work.

BUT, it totally works if the student is going from — for example — 3rd to 4th grade, 7th grade English to 8th grade English, or 10th grade biology to 11th grade chemistry.

This year, more than any other, our kids need continuity, our kids need their teachers to know them, and, as a result, our kids need their same teacher next year.

Education Dive