SIB

Running head: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs Essay

Alicia Birch
Carol Billing
Education 204 Families, Communities, & Culture
Spring 2013

SIB

Statement of Informed Beliefs Essay

An educator holds one of the most important and valuable roles to the socialization and
development of a child. Because of this important role, it is necessary for an educator to hold
their own their own personal beliefs concerning diversity to provide the foundation for
successful teaching in the classroom. In this essay, I am going to share my own beliefs in regard
to the ability for all students to learn, my expectations as a future educator, students social
ecology, teaching to diverse cultures, and creating a curriculum to benefit all learners.
All Students Can Learn
An educator holds the important role of guiding and teaching students who all are blessed
with the ability to learn. Despite all students ability to learn, not all students learn in the same
way. Each and every child has a different and unique learning style. Some may learn through
visual strategies, while others may learn from hands on activities. It is the teachers responsibility
to get to know his/her students individually, and to understand each childs learning style. It is so
important to try new strategies and techniques in order to find the most successful way to teach
each student. It is also the teachers responsibility to encourage and care for each student
throughout their learning process, giving them support that is vital for their educational success.
The first way to ensure that all students learn is to truly get to know each child. It is
important to know their strengths, weaknesses, and preferred method of learning. After getting to
know my students, I will strive to make learning an enjoyable and fun experience for them, as
well as incorporate various strategies for different learning abilities to my teaching. For each
lesson, I will do hands-on activities, as well as visual and auditory examples. I also will closely
monitor each childs progress. If I notice that some students are struggling, I plan to try new

SIB

ways of teaching the material in order to see if a different strategy would help them understand
the concepts better.
As a teacher, I will build a classroom with respect. I feel it is important to teach children
respect to themselves, their peers, and their teachers in order for everyone to feel valued and
accepted. I will make sure that this respect is established so all students feel comfortable and
welcome in the classroom, which will make it easier for all to learn. I also will build a strong
relationship with my students. I want a relationship with my students that allows for fun and joy
in the classroom, as well as an atmosphere of learning and trust. I want to establish a relationship
where my students look up to me and have the desire to learn and accomplish their goals because
of the positive atmosphere in the classroom.
Teachers Expectations
A teachers expectations for his/her students have a significant influence on the students
ability to learn. An expectation from a teacher may come in the form of expecting honesty,
respect, responsibility, hard work, motivation, and kindness from each student in the class. While
these are just a few expectations that may be in place, all play a vital role in the students ability
to learn. It is the teachers responsibility to create a learning environment that has expectations
that must be met and respected by students in order for positive learning to occur. If a teacher
establishes standards and expectations for the students early on, the student will be aware of what
is expected, and will be more likely to comply and follow the boundaries set out for them. It is
also the teachers responsibility to give his/her students the same respect, attention, and
dedication that is expected of them in order to establish the most positive and effective learning
environment possible.

SIB

While it is crucial for an Educator to establish boundaries and expectations to ensure

learning, it is equally important that educational goals are established in order to guide students
to success. In order for progress and motivation to be seen, it is necessary for the teacher to
establish goals and objectives tailored for each student in the class to assist them in achieving
and mastering new concepts. An educational goal gives both the Educator and his/her students
something to work for and accomplish. These goals will allow students to possess the
motivation, drive, and desire to succeed, while earning the chance to be praised and awarded
when they do well. These goals will create an effective and positive learning environment that
will help students gain a higher self-esteem and reach their full potential in their educational
journey.
Students Social Ecology Theory
As a teacher, it is crucial to connect learning to a students social ecology. The social
ecology of one student may vary from the social ecology of another student. It is important to
know each student and where they are at in their socialization in order to provide the most
beneficial learning opportunities. Erik Erikson, a well-known psychologist, developed the
Theory of Psychosocial Development which provides 8 different stages of social development
in a humans life. It is important as an educator to know these different stages and the social
difficulties that a student may be going through in order to teach appropriate social roles and
learning skills effectively. For example, I once worked with a student who was at a very different
social level than the other students in his grade. It was important as this students educator to
connect learning opportunities to his level and alter the learning to relate to his understanding,

SIB

instead of teaching the same material I would teach to a student who is much more advanced and
familiar with his/her social ecology.
Along with the importance of connecting learning to a students social ecology, a
students family, culture, and community also have a large impact on the successfulness of a
students learning and socialization. According to Urie Brofenbrenner, a psychologist who
created the Biological Model of Human Development, there are many different factors and
structures that influence a childs human development and socialization. The family is ultimately
responsible for exposing a child to learning opportunities and educational growth. A familys
economic status and parenting styles both have an effect on a students learning. A students
culture also has an impact on a students learning successes by the different orientations, coping
styles, attitudes, and communication styles that are valued in each culture.
Cultural Diversity Instruction
In order to build a successful classroom and one that is built on acceptance and respect, it
is important to acknowledge and build on the life histories and experiences of students ethnic
backgrounds. It is crucial that an educator respects, acknowledges, and values his/her students
cultural backgrounds and is open-minded to the different ethnicities and cultures that may be
present. One way to acknowledge the various backgrounds and cultures in the classroom would
be to allow students the opportunity to teach and share with their peers about their own cultures.
Allowing students to discuss their traditions, customs, and holidays celebrated in their culture
will allow for acceptance and respect. This will also aid in building students self-concept and
self-esteem. Another strategy to acknowledge and build on various ethnic backgrounds in the
classroom would be to provide lesson plans about different ethnicities and cultures in the

SIB

classroom. If the educator is open and accepting of different cultures and ethnicities, students in
turn will be more open and accepting as well.
Along with various cultures and different ethnic backgrounds seen in the classroom, both
cultural pluralism and cultural assimilation will be present. Cultural pluralism refers to the
mutual appreciation and understanding of various cultures and coexistence in society of
different languages, religious beliefs, and lifestyles, (Berns, pg 203). On the other hand, cultural
assimilation refers to the process whereby a minority cultural group takes on characteristics of
the majority cultural group, (Berns, pg 202). While both cultural pluralism and cultural
assimilation have many similarities, they are quite different. An example of cultural assimilation
would be the celebration of American holidays in the school system, because the minority group
has to take on the characteristics of the majority cultural group. An example of cultural pluralism
would be students of different cultures who appreciate and celebrate American holidays in the
school system, but who still focus and build on their own culture and holiday customs. This
example shows appreciation and understanding of various cultures in society, but still the value
for ones own culture. Being aware of both cultural pluralism and cultural assimilation will
create a more accepting and respectful multicultural classroom.
Curriculum for All Learners
As an educator, some of the most crucial qualities to possess are flexibility and the
willingness to accept feedback and suggestions. Educators must be willing to adjust the way
lesson plans and material is delivered, and the way students are assessed based on their needs.
For example, if an educator introduced new material to students by reading the information from
a textbook and the students did not seem to grasp the concepts, it is important to adjust the way

SIB

the material is taught, by providing visual or hands-on lessons to serve various learning styles.
As a teacher, it is also important to be willing to make adjustments in planning, delivery, and
assessment as the supervisor sees fit. I plan to apply the qualities of flexibility and the
willingness to accept feedback and suggestions to my own classroom in order to ensure my
students are receiving the best possible teaching strategies to help them improve.
Teacher assessment works as a way to assist in effective and successful instructional
planning and delivery. The suggestions, tips, and ideas for improvement after an assessment give
the educator a way to alter his/her instructional planning and delivery. Teacher assessments work
as a positive guide to understanding how to better teach and help students to learn and achieve
their educational goals. Teacher assessments can give educators feedback on the way he/she
handles the classroom, delivers lessons, interacts with students, teaches to different learning
styles, and assists in student socialization. Receiving feedback in all of these areas can help an
educator to improve on instructional planning and delivery to help students succeed in the
classroom.
Mariko Nobori, author of Five Strategies to Ensure Student Learning, uses 5 key
strategies as a guideline to ensure that students are learning. These strategies include: A common
curriculum calendar, dedicated time, collaboration, formative assessments and data analysis, and
involved and informed leadership (Nobori, para. 5-10). I plan to implement these strategies in
my own future classroom to ensure that students are improving from their original levels of
learning from the start of the year. In addition to these 5 strategies, the key to ensure learning is
to truly know each student individually. Knowing each students abilities and personality will aid
in successful teaching, progress, and will empower achievement in the classroom.

SIB
References
Berns, R.M. (2010). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support (8th ed).
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Nobori, M. (2011, August 29). Five strategies to ensure student learning. Retrieved from
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-differentiated-instruction-budget-assessment-how-to