A_Teaching_Advocate

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is the latest and most potent federal legislation that enacts the theories of standard-based education reform. This timely legislation is based on the forward-thinking belief that setting high standards and establishing measurable and realistic goals can improve individual outcomes in education. The Act, in my view, correctly requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given equally to students in certain grades, thereby enabling those states to receive generous and much-needed federal funding for schools. The Act judiciously does not mandate a national achievement standard, but rather lets each state develop their own. I am appearing before you as an advocate of this important legislation. First, I would like to define for you, my definition of a teacher. The dictionary defines a teacher as one whose occupation is to instruct. My definition would be an individual who is a loving and caring role model that puts other people’s needs in front of their own. In most cases, those needs belong to small children. I would also add that individual inspires others to learn by displaying an interest in every student regardless of their age. Many educators have, what some term “belief statements” about teaching. I would like to list some of my personal belief statements. First, I feel a teacher is the coordinator of knowledge, but not the dispenser of knowledge. Students learn at their optimal level when they are actively engaged. The teacher is the driving force behind this motivation. I feel one of the main points of education is to develop students’ ability to think critically and integrate ideas, as opposed to merely accumulate facts. Another belief statement I adhere to is students need to ask substantial questions and given the tools to find the answers. Once students have learned to ask questions and how to find the answers, there are no barriers to keep them from learning all they need to know. Additionally, I believe the act of discovering knowledge is the essence of what a teacher is trying to convey to a student. Teaching is what a teacher does; conversely, learning is what students do. I also believe success is not only measure in academic achievement, but also in positive behavioral manifestations by students. In spite of this positive legislation, there are many challenges facing today’s educator. The first is classroom management and student civility. This would include rudeness, disrespect for others, and challenging the teacher’s authority. A second challenge is an increasingly diverse student population. This presents the problem of dealing with different values and cultures. Large classes present another challenge today. More and more school districts are answering the need to control costs with larger classes. Two final problems would be motivating and engaging students in today’s fast-paced technology climate, and developing student’s quantitative skills. In closing, I would like to list some tools, you, the Board of Education could provide teachers. One I would suggest would be to allow teachers to incorporate social media tools to collaborate with and support each other. This would be a type of community building without face-to-face contact. It would be an ideal way to meet critical mass. Richard Berry 8-4-2010