Teachers recognized as “high-impact” by FLDOE

Lauren Callahan, Writer

The Florida Department of Education recognized Reading teachers Mrs. Holt and Mrs. Devine for their hard work. “The state analyzed FSA/FCAT data over the last 3 years,” said Mrs. Holt, “and noticed my students’ scores steadily improved to passing or made ‘major gains’ each year. This recognition is solely from a data analysis at the DOE level.” Mrs. Holt said that she tries to build relationships with her students and can give them the ability to feel welcome and express their ideas by using units that are interesting. 

Mrs. Devine also tries to build relationships with her students to achieve higher test scores. “My favorite part is getting to know all the different personalities and learning styles; every student brings something to the table,” said Mrs. Devine. Both teachers agree that having reading material that is relevant and current helps make students successful.  They also make sure their classes are not lecture-based.

Mrs. Holt’s favorite thing about teaching is her students. “They make me laugh and keep me on my toes. I also really value autonomy in the classroom, which means I still get to be creative with the units I design rather than being forced to give a ‘one-size-fits-all’ curriculum. I think it’s important that our teachers value students, but also realize the value of a 46 minute class period. Which means in a short amount of time we as teachers need to get as much learning out of our students as possible. Students want to learn and are eager for knowledge, but how that information is disseminated makes a large difference.”