Teacher_Advocacy_Assignment

Hello and good afternoon to all members of the Florida State Board of Education who are with us today. First, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Alicia Brown and I am an advocate for the educational environment of No Child Left Behind. The word teacher can be defined in the dictionary as somebody who teaches, especially as a profession. Today, I would like read a list of words to you, words that come to mind when I think of the word teacher: enthusiastic, prepared, punctual, supportive and concerned, consistent, polite, kind, firm and in control, humble, and fair. To me, these words describe the very characteristics of a GREAT teacher, all of which I strive to possess. I am a second grade teacher at a small school in Ocala, Florida and am a promoter of the education environment that No Child Left Behind brings to our classrooms. Today I am going to talk to you about my thoughts regarding No Child Left Behind, the very words that guide me as a teacher and my classroom, as well as, the challenges that affect my daily delivery of necessary information to my students. Also, I want to express some ideas that I believe will alleviate some of these challenges. The environment in our classrooms since the enactment of NCLB has changed and improved in many ways. The impact is undeniable. I believe the environment is now one that challenges and builds the minds of our children. They are pushed year after year to be the best they can be. Teachers are no longer able to “push students through” with such ease. All students are tested with a standardized test and the results are measurable. NCLB now allows the spot light to shine on the “highly qualified teachers” that we want in the classrooms and exposes those who are not. I believe that it created a clearer cut sense of consistency within the classroom, schools, and ultimately grade levels across the United States. I also believe that it puts our parents at ease knowing that their child is going to school and learning what the rest of the students his/her age are learning and the fact that they can visually see the data of where their child stands is wonderful. There are many thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and statements that guide me as a teacher and how my classroom is structured: * I believe that my classroom should be a comfortable and mind stimulating place. * I believe that as a teacher, I am shaping the minds of the young people in our communities and I need to be as accurate as possible. * I believe that I need to be someone who represents adults and educators in the highest regard to the young people in my classroom. * I believe that all students deserve the opportunity to learn and to learn at an equal level. * I strongly believe that we need a consistency among teachers. * I believe that a smile goes a long way and that if * I believe that if knowledge is learned with a smile, it will be lasting knowledge. * I believe the children are our future. * I believe that I children need structure, consistency, and discipline in their lives. * I believe that students should be encouraged to think outside of the box. * I believe that all students should be given the same opportunities to become successful in their education. * I believe that education is continuous and is ever changing. We will never no everything there is to know. * I believe that students should be able to think for themselves and be confident free thinkers. * I believe that the classroom should be a place not of conflict, but of positive reinforcement. * I believe that it takes a village to raise a child and there are teachers in that village. There are many challenges that affect teachers on a daily basis, some of which come from the placement of the No Child Left Behind act. First, the amount of pressure that is placed on the test scores weighs a heavy toll. It is stressed that schools must meet the Adequate Yearly Progress and this is all determined by the test scores. It has changed the classroom into a subject centered classroom, which limits how and what the teacher is allowed to teach. There is not enough time to cover the needed information in a manner that will reach out to all types of learners: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. The way the standardized testing is structured, teachers are only considered successful if their students are successful. Also, more and more we are seeing students with disabilities in the classrooms, for instance ADHD, which is can be an extreme challenge. Teachers need to feel confident when in their classrooms. I believe that a confident teacher is one of the qualities that is possessed by a great teacher. Learning should be fun and “teaching for the test” takes all the fun out of it. There are studies that show when FCAT time comes around more students are going home early from various illnesses; headache, stomach ache, etc. You might ask, “How can we overcome these issues'” First, let’s make class sizes smaller. The smaller the group, the more control, and the more information can be taught. Second, we should stop the budget cuts. The intervention classrooms that are needed are being cut from the budget along with many other important tool. Let’s get “all hands on deck” and get these children the things they need that will help them succeed in school. The last thing we need is for these young students to begin their educational careers on a bad note from struggling. Let’s have the small classrooms so there is a more one-on-one ratio and the students who are struggling will be able to get even more help. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me speak this morning. I hope you all have heard my words and they sink into your hearts. Teachers are people too, who have a job to do just like everyone else. Word Count: 1,029