As a parent and an educator, I understand the importance of reducing the number of children allowed to be taught in one classroom with one teacher. Resently, I found out that some of the early classroom environments were without teacher assistants. This situation bothered me because the classroom size was about twenty-five children to one adult. I've found that classroom management is a problem, and therefore, learning is a problem for some children. Some of our children need one-on-one interventions to help insure their ability to master the curriculum.
If I were given the opportunity and could make a difference in placing assistants back into the classroom environments to help offset the limited amount of learning that takes place, I would show how children in smaller classroom sections learn at a greater rate, than children who are tossed into large classroom sizes and are forced to deal with bulling, lack of attention, motivation, and a numberof things that our children face in today's classrooms.
I choose classroom reduction because our children are receiving a disservice as far as having a right to receive the best education possible. We are all familiar with the statement: All children can learn", but those that have difficulities in learning can't receive extra help because their is no assistant in the classroom. Early Childhood ranges from birth through age eight, and these are the impressionable years, and the critical years for development, including cognitive functioning.
I would want my research to compel parents and policy makers to take a closer look at the decision to remove teacher assistants from the classrooms. Many parents embrace No Child Left Behind (NCLB),
without fully understanding that the child will be left behind if he/she does not meet the standardized test standards, and if they are not reading at the appropriate grade level. Our children must come first, and parents can and should have a voice that will be heard by politician, policy makers, and school officials. Let's help our children to succeed in school and life.
