SIB Running head: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs Juvian Pangelinan Kae Hamilton EDUC 204 Families, Communities, & Culture TR, 1:00-2:15, Fall 2012

SIB Statement of Informed Beliefs No matter the diversity of a class, teachers are there to further each students education and lead him/her to a positive outcome. After taking my first class in high school to teach elementary students, I was drawn to becoming an educator. I am most excited to teach the younger generations and have the opportunity to become a role model to them. However, every student is special in his/her own way which is why they all have a different learning style in a class. For that reason, I will give more details in the following paragraphs to what I observed in both my second grade and third grade classes. This will be more detailed in the following five sections: all students can learn, teachers expectations, students social ecology theory, cultural diversity instruction, and curriculum for all learners. All Students Can Learn

Every teacher needs to be aware their students all have a different way of learning. Some students learn better through field-independent others by field-dependent learning style. For instance, a student from my third grade observation worked faster and learns better when she is alone while the other students chose partners and finished their work as well. Also because students learn differently, Howard Gardner recommended that teachers adapt the curriculum to the multiple intelligences which helps a persons potential in learning (Berns, 2007). As a teacher I will make sure I learn my students learning styles in order for them to stay on track and progress in each area of study. On top of that, being a teacher means knowing why a student might have the tendency to do poorly in class. This leads to the students life outside of class because the influence of family, peer groups, or even community can affect how a student learns. Therefore, as a teacher I will make sure all my students stay focused in class.

SIB Teachers Expectations Every student comes across teachers who are either bad or good, and students always want the teacher who knows what they are doing. According to Kounin, he studied classroom management techniques and consequent student learning (Berns, 2007). A teacher who gets along well with her students will help students be more involved with class. For instance, as I observed my third grade class, I noticed the teacher called her students friends to show the friendship between them and that she believes all she is doing is helping their improvement. As a future educator it is important to set goals which can either be short term or long term so my students have something to work hard towards. To support educational goals, there are three structural goals: cooperative, competitive, and individualized. By having a goal, it helps students focus on what they have to reach and in the end they can be proud of making an accomplishment. As a teacher I will be as supportive as I can be to help each of my students reach their individual goals as well as a class goal which will include a reward for their motivation. Students Social Ecological Theory When children start their education, everything around them is important to how they learn, which includes a childs microsystems and mesosystems. According to Urie

Bronfenbrenner, there are four systems in which relationships and interactions take place to form patterns that affect human development (Berns, 2007). The microsystem consists of a child, family, peer group, media, and community which are all important factors to a child. In childrens lives all these factors can influence their behavior within school and community. For example, in my second grade observation I saw some students coming to class with homework that was not worked on, which shows how family affect a childs learning by not helping them at

SIB home. Other effects on a child can be about the issues with his/her parents being divorced whether it is joint custody, single-parent custody, or kin custody as well as parents struggling with income. This shows the importance of the linkage between school and family. A teacher must see the importance a students community and family have on a student. Every teacher must help their students learn all they have to learn in order to reach a bright future. Teachers are with their students for the most part of the day, which is why they are known to be one of the most significant role models in a students life. Cultural Diversity Instruction

As a future educator, it is important to acknowledge the understanding of every students ethnic background because of the diversity in a classroom. Today, I find it significant for students to know about cultural pluralism, the appreciation and understanding of many cultures and their languages, religious beliefs, and lifestyles. However, in a different story, cultural assimilation deals with minority cultural groups taking on the characteristics of the majority cultural group (Berns, 2007). As a teacher from a different culture as well, I will be sure each of my students has his/her chance to teach and to learn the several cultures within the classroom. I think when a student gets the chance to talk more about his/her culture it gives him/her a better knowledge of his/her own culture and for other students to find it more interesting. Therefore, the more I learn from each cultural background the better it is for me to teach my students and help them learn. For example, while observing my third grade class, I found it interesting how each student got along with each other easily and when watching students from different cultures struggling with instructions, the teacher was a great help. Curriculum for All Learners

SIB When the day finally comes to teach a full class of students, I will make sure every day I have an agenda planned out. I will have a schedule that flows throughout the whole school year and my students will reach a positive outcome in learning. I will do my best to help each of my students learn everything they need to know according to his/her grade level. However, if my students tend to have difficulty in some areas of learning, I will do all I can to make things easier for them to understand. For example, during my second grade

observation I some students having trouble in spelling, thus the teacher gave them an activity to work on to help them remember the vocabulary better. This helps them by doing something fun to help them learn while enjoying an activity. As a teacher, I will also be sure to let all my students know they can come to me whenever they need help. In order to keep my students on track, I think the best way to know if they are struggling is to look at each students areas where they have trouble. I will make sure that I have a great communication with every parent so they can be supportive towards their childs learning by helping them in their problem subjects. All in all, as a future educator it is my duty to teach my students equally in my classroom. Not only is diversity a factor in teaching and learning, but learning styles are also factors to both the teacher and students. This comes to the simple understanding that the better I know my students, the easier it is to help them gain knowledge.

SIB References Berns, R.M. (2007). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Learning, Inc.