The Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC’s) most recent report on youth mental health issues found that 11% of American children aged 3-17 had been diagnosed with anxiety. Additionally, four percent of children had depression, and 8% had been diagnosed with a behavior disorder. 

Because so many children are struggling with emotional issues, it’s inevitable that they will bring these into the classroom. As such, teachers and schools must be prepared to help them. While schools can do many things to support students with emotional challenges, maintaining small class sizes is essential to ensuring their success. 

This article examines how emotional issues affect the entire classroom. It also explains how smaller classes allow teachers to do more emotional work with their students. Finally, it explains how a therapeutic school in NYC can help.

When Emotional Challenges Become Classroom Problems

As noted above, emotional issues are quite common in schoolchildren. Many students are struggling with issues such as: 

• Anxiety
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 
• Conduct Disorder 
• Depression
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 

While the issues listed above are common, they can affect not only the children who are diagnosed but also the entire class. In any classroom setting, one person’s actions, whether positive or negative, can affect the entire group. For example, a student with anxiety may not want to participate because they are afraid that their work is not good enough. Then, the teacher must – and should – take time to redirect and reassure that student. However, at that time, other students aren’t getting attention. Additionally, other students may pick up on the anxious “vibe” and start feeling nervous as well. 

Other ways that emotional issues can affect the classroom include: 

• Slowed instruction and loss of class time 
• Peer disputes 
• Distraction 
• Group work conflicts
• Total disruption (as with a full outburst) 
• Stigma directed toward the “offending” student 
• Increased class confusion about assignments and instructions
• More student impulsivity 

If these things happen sporadically, there shouldn’t be a long-term issue. However, when a pattern appears, the entire classroom can shift. For example, if children feel that the student at issue is “getting away with it,” they may try to see what they can get away with as well. Over time, rule-breaking becomes normalized. On the other end of the spectrum, students who are afraid of a peer’s outbursts may become hypervigilant as the school year progresses. 

This is not to say that children with emotional issues are badly behaved or that they distract or disrupt classes on purpose. They can’t help it. They are children, and they are still learning to handle their emotions – even as teenagers. Also, adults often forget that classrooms can be bright, noisy, scary, smelly, and otherwise triggering for students. At the end of the day, it is up to the teachers and the other adults in the room to keep things as calm as possible. 

What “Small Class Size” Actually Means — and Why it Matters for Students with Emotional Challenges and their Classmates

There isn’t a national law for class sizes. Also, laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) don’t include class-size requirements. (We’ll come back to this point later.)  

However, education experts agree that the optimal student-teacher ratio, especially in the elementary grades, is 15:1. But regardless of the number, the true hallmark of a small class is the teacher’s ability to provide each student with individual attention. 

Individual attention is crucial for addressing emotional issues in the classroom. Social-emotional learning and the self-regulation skills it requires are difficult skills. Often, students – particularly young children – need time to learn them. Until they learn, teachers must step in to be their “co-regulators.” But this regulation and redirection must happen in the moment. Telling a student what should have happened the next day isn’t effective. Correction can only happen in the moment if the teacher sees what’s happening. A teacher has a better chance of seeing and preventing a student’s emotional outburst in the moment when fewer students are in the room. 

Additionally, smaller classrooms reduce the negative risks associated with emotional incidents. For example, classes with fewer students generally have stronger structure and predictability. As such, it’s easier for the teacher to get the entire group back on track after a disruption. Also, there are fewer opportunities for peer exclusion and conflicts. And, if there must be a public correction, there is a smaller audience for the affected student. 

Small Classes: Traditional vs. Therapeutic Schools 

As previously stated, experts believe that a 15:1 student-teacher ratio is optimal. However, the average student-teacher ratio in New York City schools in 2024-25 was 25.3:1. And while a 2022 law requires New York City schools to reduce these ratios by 2028, the law requires the lowest ratio to be 20:1 for grades K-3. 

And, getting an Individualized Education Program (IEP) won’t automatically secure your child a smaller class. First, the IDEA doesn’t require a specific class size to provide a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). Also, while a recent U.S. Supreme Court case held that class size could be considered in the IEP analysis, it stopped short of saying that the law always or automatically requires smaller classes. 

Despite these limitations, parents looking for schools with smaller class sizes have another option: therapeutic schools. Therapeutic schools are designed with small classes as the requirement, not the exception. It is expected that every child will have the adult attention that they require to thrive. In addition, these smaller classes allow teachers to adjust quickly and reduce any “friction” that might lead to emotional issues. For example, if a student with sensory issues is triggered by noise or brightness in a traditional school, the teacher may not have many options. However, therapeutic classrooms are designed with these issues in mind, so teachers can make any necessary changes quickly. Finally, therapeutic schools use a “wraparound” approach that integrates academics and social-emotional learning into every class. They also have trained counselors on staff. These steps ensure that the school has an infrastructure in place to support the emotional well-being of all students and to limit the stigma that can accompany public emotions. 

If a therapeutic school in New York City seems like a good fit for your family, please consider Academics West. Emotional well-being is part of our core philosophy. Check out our virtual tour. Then, call 212-580-0080 or click here to schedule a visit.