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Bi-Level N5/Higher Classes?

  • lynn donald
    Participant
    15/11/2018 at 9:19 pm

    Hi. What is everyone’s thoughts/experiences on teaching a bi-level (Higher/National 5) class in Computing Science? I have a class with 14 Higher and 3 N5 pupils this year and am seriously struggling with teaching time. Any advice would be appreciated.

    jpaterson
    Participant
    15/11/2018 at 10:07 pm

    I have the same issue but in reverse. I have 14 N5 and 5 Higher. I find that I spend more time with N5 than Higher as they need driven and I’m also finding that I am going hell-for-leather through both courses and not doing anyone any favours. I have N5 for 5 periods and H for 6 so my extra period is spent with Higher trying to do a week’s teaching in that one period so I can let them get on with it whilst I teach the N5s for the rest of the week. Once everyone is either writing or on the computers, I run around in circles trying to get to everyone before the end of the lesson. I don’t understand why I’m not a skelf! Not much in the way of advice but plenty empathy!!

    Robert Young
    Participant
    16/11/2018 at 8:14 am

    Did this last two years and I would agree that it is a nightmare. Only advice I would give is make sure you are using or adapting the teaching materials on the glow sharepoint and in here. There is no way you have the time to create resources and deal with a bi level class. I also had set days for each level to do theory which I think helped me and the pupils.

    Marc McWhirter
    Participant
    16/11/2018 at 8:59 am

    Hi Lynn. This is the first year for about five years where I’ve actually had a discrete higher class and not a mixed class so I totally feel your pain on this one. I honestly think when SLT create these classes they have to accept that results are not going to be as good as when they have discrete classes.

    I usually divided up the lessons so that I would introduce something new for one level toward the end of a period, so they could jump right in next period and I could do some teaching with the other lot. It’s not ideal, and there’s always someone off.

    I don’t have any silver bullets for you but I wish I did!

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