Senior Bryant Rouse believes that one of these negative impacts is that communication is more difficult.

     “You don’t really talk as much because it feels less appropriate in a large class to have conversations with the teacher,” Rouse said.

     However, Leary believes that larger class sizes may also have some benefits, such as helping to prepare students for the future.

     “It’s both positive and negative because it gets some of them out of their comfort zone,” Leary said. “It is getting them ready for college, but for the ones that are quieter or too shy, it can have a negative impact because they can get lost in the shuffle.”

     While Leary believes that large classes have advantages and disadvantages, Medlin faces similar problems with quieter students.

     “It is crowded… so for a student that that is an issue for it can get uncomfortable,” Medlin said. “I do think it can inhibit them from making new friends because it is intimidating.”

     Medlin and Leary believe that one side effect of larger class sizes is that it is harder for teachers to personally support all of their students.

     “I take pride in my students' success, and when I feel like I haven't done my best to help each kid, it stresses me,” Leary said. “Knowing each day that there will be someone that could fall through the cracks due to the size of the class gets to me.”

     Leary and Medlin both feel that the problem originates from a single issue. 

     “I don’t think we have enough teachers to meet the needs of all the students that we have,” Medlin said.