Commentary
This resource was designed to answer two questions namely the situations that teachers face in a multigrade and how the teachers can handle the multigrade environment. For a teacher in a classroom in the north (rural communities), this particular book might be useful to through various ways. Where the children concerned have a grade span of two years, according to the book, grouping them in varying groups with different experiences in social talents, intelligence and academic abilities is a sure passport to accomplish teaching in a multigrade setting. This can be supplemented with reliability in relationships between teachers, the children and their parents.
The book recommends that the teacher plan ahead of the start of the school term precise regulations and procedures which he or she should enforce within the first few weeks of opening the school (Bruce, 1989). The arrangement of all the learners should be easy to monitor. For all the apt conduct that the learners do, they should be credited. After the teacher gives instructions to the students, they should be then being divided into small groups overseen by the teacher. After the small teacher-led groups have got the tempo, they should be then divided into other small self-regulating mini groups. After each all the small groups have got themselves familiarized with the teacher’s instructions, they should be then being placed in personal work.
The teacher should sear into the minds of the students what he or she anticipates from. If they fall short of the developed expectations, he should let them know of the punishments that he shall mete out to them. The teacher may be advised to categorize the form of punishments into two parts. These punishments are: one, for the mistakes that are straightforwardly visible and two, those that are fairly uncommon. Those who live up to the expectations should be rewarded so as to not only build up morale in them but also encourage competition from their fellow learners. These rewards can range from awards, stickers and privileges.
The rewarding of extrinsic awards to the students by the teacher can be of little use in cases where the students are brilliant and get the teacher’s opinions and credit. Thus, the capability of the teacher to bring out constructive student behavior surpasses the significance of the punishments that the teachers mete out to the students or the rewards that are awarded.
The teacher should reliably preserve and administer the consequences equally to everyone. Even students who are handicapped should be given preferential treatment; all should receive fair rewards and punishments in equal measure with the students with the normal students. Bearing the fact that when students participate create a conducive learning environment, and thus as a teacher you should be geared up not only to listen to the thoughts of the students but also be all set to put them into practice.
At the start of the school year, even before the academic teachings have commenced, the teacher should put in place rules that were as if in academic field. This may include teachings such as workshops that are cooperative so that the learners can get acquainted to what it really means to be in teamwork and as a teacher, you should also give them the chance to put the idea practically. This vouches for the students’ behavior, and as it has been found out by researchers, makes them have a prosocial behavior to one another, gracious and compassionate.
The teacher should make his students aware of all the expectations regarding the various classroom goings-on that he expects from them. In such new experiences, the students may have apprehensions, edgy or worried. Thus, the book advises the teacher to lessen some of those anxieties by motivating them and giving activities that are likely to register high levels of success so as not only to make such a system successful, but also to encourage them to be social toward each other.
The teacher should not be overly dominant on the class and nor should he be so much flexible on the class but instead should preserve a fundamental role in the classroom. The teacher should settle on the decisions that are directed to accomplishing particular intention and should supervise their resolutions to make them effectual. This can be reflected in activities such as zapping the students with clues and ideas and seeing that the class has clearly understood what is expected of them before they settle to do the work Thus, the teacher direct the class.
The teacher should become a role model to the class by showing that they are compassionate and unbiased. Thus, the teacher’s behavior, more so to the challenged students should be decent. To maintain discipline in the class, the teacher should tackle improper student behavior in a punctual manner but the teacher should be careful not to be acerbic toward the manner of the student. An example can be the teacher moving toward the student after veering of the course and maintaining silence. Other examples include the students remain occupied after they are over with the assigned assignments. This include directing them to read magazines or newspapers and listening to audio materials among others.
Conclusion
In a multigrade classroom, every student jostles for the teacher’s attention but the teacher may be stressed to the maximum and thus falls short of every student’s attention. However, when tackled with appropriate and effective strategies such as teacher-led group work, every student’s satisfaction can accomplished without the teacher working himself hoarse.

References
Bruce M. (1989). The Multigrade Classroom: A Resource for Small, Rural Schools. Portland, Oregon: Northwest Region Educational Laboratory.