It would *NEVER* depend on the course.  Remember you are responding to a 
post regarding class size in general and at the elementary level.  Since 
you have no experience in these matters your suggestion that discipline 
problems are _obviously_ less in courses taken only by academically 
talented kids is understandable. However, those of us who are 
professional educators have more than an opinion to offer here.  The 
Academically-talented students present a unique challenge to any 
teacher.  These challenges I speak of are not merely in providing an 
academic enrichment to the general course work, it is also to provide 
motivation for these students to do some independent studying in areas 
of interest.  Discipline problems do occur with the gifted student as 
any teacher can testify.  I have had gifted students in my classes and 
they can be just as much a discipline problem as the rest of the class.  
Ability level has less to do with a child's propensity to be disruptive 
as does a child's personality.  It has been my experience that the more 
capable students are generally engaged in meaningful learning ....so 
your point is understood.  But you must also remember that there is no 
such thing as a course where you will find only the academically 
talented (generally speaking).  Usually you have a mix of abilities.  
(Remember I am speaking in general terms so exceptions can always be 
found.  Forget college...I am talking about elementary school.  I have 
worked in several districts and nowhere have I found a class whose 
students are _all_ academically gifted. )  In our district there is a 
"pull-out" program for the gifted students and they work on special 
projects.  
  
MS>DT> under the impression that some don't think limiting class size 
MS>DT> matters 
MS>DT> much.  That is why I suggest they try 75 kids in one class.....it
MS>DT> seems 
MS>DT> ridiculous....the point being what should a manageable classes
MS>DT> size  look
MS>DT> like? 
MS> 
MS>    It would probably depend a _lot_ on the course.
MS>    Discipline problems are obviously less in courses taken only by 
MS>"academically-talented" kids than they are for kids marking time to
MS>dropout  age.  Look at a list of kids suspended for serious
MS>discipline problems (not  smoking in restrooms), and ask yourself
MS>what kinds of courses they were in.  
MS>--- Simplex BBS (v1.07.00Beta [DOS])
MS>(1:3644/6)                                                 
* CMPQwk 1.42 445p *I am Pentium of Borg...division is Futile...you will be 
Approximated
--- GEcho 1.11+
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