I'm not really sure how I feel about changing teachers. I've experienced "looping" and non-looping classes and teachers before and I feel they both have their merits. In my elementary school, you kept the same teacher for 3rd and 4th grade, but you changed teachers from 1st to 2nd to 3rd. I loved my teacher in those last two years. Her classes were always fun and she taught us everything from reading to history to science in a way that was engaging and exciting. I'm so glad I had her as a teacher for two years. The second year was great because I already knew what kind of behavior and learning she expected and what kind of teaching style (not that I knew what to call it in 4th grade) to expect. We also kept mostly the same classmates, so it was great that I already knew the kids in my class. 

In my high school students had the option to "loop" teachers for freshman and sophomore year, or not. If you took the Honors track, you had different teachers both years, which is what I did. What was nice about the looping is that, again, you keep the same 3 teachers and the same 60 or so classmates for two years and 3 classes each year: Science, History and English. The teachers were able to really work together to cross the normal boundaries of learning and incorporate what students are studying in one subject into the other two. In addition, for students who sometimes struggle, there are 3 teachers that know you very well and are looking out for you. In this style of looping, there is a lot more communication between the teachers so that it is harder for a student to "fall through the cracks". Though I was never personally in the high school looping pod, I did have friends who were a part of it, and they loved it. There is a much closer bond between students and teachers and students and peers with that sort of system, as well as more freedom on the part of teachers to break out of the box and do projects that combine multiple subject areas.

On the other hand, I really enjoyed switching from one teacher to another in the Honors courses. I learned how to adapt my writing styles to multiple different teachers' requirements. I learned how to adapt my participation to what certain teachers wanted. And I learned a lot of different things from these teachers because they each brought their own experiences and interests to the class. My junior year English teacher encouraged laughter in the classroom and we were even allowed to poke fun at his mistakes sometimes. But my sophomore English teacher encouraged very sober discussions about ethical dilemmas and challenges we face in this modern day world. Both classes are some of my classes to this day, but because they were different teachers, there were different learning and teaching styles. 

I feel that changing teachers can be a good thing for the growth of some students. On the other hand, I know that some students may flourish in a class where they keep the same teacher for multiple years or classes. It is really nice to already have that rapport with the teacher, even if you're taking a completely different class with them. Even after all of this writing, I'm still not very sure how I feel about this topic. I guess what I like best is how my high school had the option to do either looping or changing teachers. I'm really proud of my high school.