Running head: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Bryton Bogart

Instructor: Daren Olson

EDUC 220

Fall 2018
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 2

Informed Beliefs

As a future teacher, I have studied and experienced multiple areas of expertise to

determine my beliefs. In this essay, I will present my beliefs regarding teaching, students, and

the ability for students to learn. The sources that I used to build my beliefs are the text book

Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support (Berns, 2016), the College of

Western Idaho Library resources, and other scholarly articles and journals. I have also used my

previous knowledge from education classes that have helped me to develop my beliefs. I will

explain and inform my belief of the ability of students to learn, teacher expectations, student’s

social ecology theory, cultural diversity instruction, and the curriculum for all learners.

All Students Can Learn

I believe that all students have the right to learn. Regardless of their disability status, race,

gender, or ethnicity a student can learn in the education system. Students ability to learn is

determined by the effectiveness of a teacher. With an effective teacher, a child can expand their

minds to achieve greatness. A child’s learning ability is shown through their senses: sight, touch,

smell, taste, and feeling. If a teacher can meet the needs of each of a student’s senses, they are

going to have more of an understanding to increase their learning ability. A teacher has the

responsibility to apply their lesson plans and to manipulate the curriculum in the best way that

their students can learn.

I want all my students to understand that learning is not a difficult task. I know that

learning can seem detrimental sometimes towards students, but it isn’t the learning itself that is

difficult, it’s just the way that it is being taught. I feel that if I can accommodate for what my

students need in the classroom, they will be able to learn in a way that they feel is the most

comfortable. I know that when students are comfortable, they are more likely to communicate
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 3

their learning needs with me as a teacher. I want my students to have communication with me so

that I can engage with them in their learning while also being their leader and gaining the respect

that comes from being a teacher.

There are many ways to manage a classroom. I want my students to respect me enough to

confront me. I want my students to be able to come to me for ideas and comments, but I want

them to be able to understand that I am still a respected figure in the classroom and I should be

treated as such. I will have rules and disciplines that will help me to gain a respect from my

students. I know that if I place too many rules and disciplines the students won’t respect me, but

if I put enough in place and I stick to them, eventually my students will follow the rules that I

have in my classroom. I want all students to be in an environment in the classroom that is

comfortable so that they want to learn. According to Berns (2016), “The political ideology of

society is communicated to the child through textbooks and how each subject is taught.” (p. 54).

I think that students learn best when they are comfortable, and they can express their thoughts

and ideas openly. If the child is being taught in an appropriate way, they can understand society

and basic learning through the teacher.

Teacher’s Expectations

The expectations that a teacher has on a student can affect a student’s ability to learn. If a

teacher doesn’t expect anything from a student, then that student doesn’t feel as if they must

achieve much and therefore won’t participate to the fullest ability that they can in classroom

engagements. Berns (2016) says in the textbook, teachers can receive information on their

students before class begins, giving the teachers automatic knowledge of what the student could

be like (p. 245). This could be a hazard because it allows presumptuous attributes to be placed on

the student without the student even meeting the teacher. These presumptuous attitudes change
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 4

the perception on what student succession should be. “Perception is a biological construct that

involves interpretation of stimuli from the brain (Berns, 2016, p. 241). Teachers could change

their perceptions based on the student’s previous years in both positive and negative ways. For

example, in previous years a student could be excelling in most of their classwork, but this year

in a certain teacher’s classroom they tend to be falling behind. The current teacher already had

the assumption that the student was going to achieve greatness and therefore the teacher feels as

if there is nothing wrong with her teaching techniques. In a recent study, it was shown that

teachers expectations and tended to change when they saw the perceptions of their student and

their attributes to shape their expectations (Timmermans, 2016). This idea gives the teacher false

expectations towards her students learning causing a problem to arise in the student’s ability to

achieve the potential that they had in mind.

With student potential, each student also has goals that are set apart for them from many

different aspects. An educational goal is a statement that is formulated to work best towards the

educational needs of a student usually containing skills or attributes that need to be met to

achieve the goal (Simon Fraser University, 2009). Educational goals are important for any

educator or student working in the educational system. An educational goal can range from

achieving a better grade or to learning a new concept. I think that having educational goals are

important as a teacher and for students to have these goals. These are important to set the

standards and goals for the classroom so that the students can have the goal in mind. In my future

classrooms, I want to have a main goal for the year as a classroom and have each of my students

incorporate a goal for themselves to achieve by the end of the year.

Students’ Social Ecology Theory

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 5

Ecology is the science of interrelationships between organisms and their environments

(Berns, 2016, p. 5). In an ecology, there are many different systems that are involved. These

different systems are called microsystems. A microsystem is the activities and relationships with

significant others by a developing person in a small setting such as, family, peer group, or

community (Berns, 2016, p. 21). Student ecology is the ecological systems that intertwine with

the student. I think that the student’s ecology and learning should connect in a way that best

benefits the student and their learning. As a teacher, I think that it is important to integrate

different microsystems in an appropriate way that is fashioned towards the student and each

system. This can be difficult, but like anything in education it can take practice to try and

understand the dynamics of the ecology. The different microsystems together make up the

culture that is affected around the student.

Families, cultures, and communities all have a different impact on a student’s learning.

For example, when students have different home lives they are affected differently in the

classroom. As a teacher, there is a responsibility to understand the different situations that

happen in a student’s life. The circumstances can make the differences in how the student learns.

Community ecology is the psychological and practical relationships between humans and their

social, as well as physical, environment (Berns, 2016, p. 375). Community ecology has an

influence on the student’s learning because of the constant environments that they are in. When a

student is in a supporting community, the student is more likely to succeed in their educational

goals that they have set for themselves.

Cultural Diversity Instruction

As a teacher, I will need to know the backgrounds of each of my students. I will be able

to acknowledge their backgrounds and respect them as much as I expect them to respect me as a
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 6

teacher. Cultural diversity has an influence on the school through macrosystems. A macrosystem

is the society and subculture to which the developing person belongs, with a reference to the

belief systems, lifestyles, patterns of social interaction, and life changes (Berns, 2016, p. 25). A

macrosystem can influence the life histories and student’s backgrounds because of the outside

society that each student belongs to. In the aspect of schooling, all macrosystems affect how a

school system comes together. The political aspects, family economics, religion, and

science/technology are all affecting factors in the microsystems that affect schools. As a teacher,

I will need to ensure that I am fully aware of what is going on in the student’s life to help them

learn appropriately. I know that I can also use different experiences to relate to the students and

help them connect with different concepts that they may be learning. I hope that I can have a

melting pot community that I have built in my classroom.

A part of a students macrosystem is the different media that children are introduced to.

Though the community has an influence on a student learning, the mass media that is integrated

into a student’s life is just as life altering. Mass media refers to the form of communication in

which large audiences quickly receive a given message via an impersonal medium between the

sender and the receiver (Berns, 2016, p. 331). The effects of mass media can change the cultural

aspects of the classroom and how its ran. It can also contribute to how and what a student will

learn in and out of the classroom. The social cognitive theory of mass media is the idea that

media contributes to children’s learning by enabling them to observe role models that behave on

screen (Berns, 2016, p. 339).

Cultural pluralism and cultural assimilation are the different socialization macrosystems

that come together including the melting pot. Cultural pluralism is the mutual appreciation and

understanding of various cultures and coexistence in society of different languages religious

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 7

beliefs, and lifestyles (Berns, 2016, p. 212). Cultural assimilation is the process where a minority

cultural group takes on the characteristics of the majority cultural group (Berns, 2016, p. 212).

The difference between the two is the process by which each happen. In pluralism, there are

small groups of cultures that maintain identities while still staying involved in the larger cultural

society within reason and respect for the majority culture. In assimilation, the process is about

losing control of the cultural identity because of the culture of the majority.

Curriculum for all Learners

As a teacher, I know that the delivery and planning of my lessons is an important aspect

of being a teacher. I will need to be able to adjust what my teaching and assessment materials are

based on each needs of my students. In the future, I hope that I will be able to have “back-up”

plans to any situation in my teaching. I know that if I am more planned, it’s better than being

unprepared. I think that by having this open attitude and preparing for multiple situations, I will

be able to plan when need be. I know that through practice and time, I can to see if my lessons

are being given effectively or if my assessments are meaningful to my students. It is important as

a teacher to also understand that there needs to be constant adjustment in the classroom because

circumstances and students will never be the same.

As an assessment, I want my direct instruction and my lectures to coincide with how I

assess my students. If there is improper delivery of an assignment or direct instruction, there

won’t be clear and concise directions when I assess a student. I want my students to be able to

understand the assessments because I taught them thoroughly and correctly. I don’t think that

students should need to worry that they didn’t understand the instructions for the assessment and

they aren’t going to succeed because I didn’t clarify enough in my direct instruction.
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 8

From student assessments, I know that I will be able to see improvement on what he/she

is understanding in my classroom. At the beginning of each year, I want the students to have an

educational goal that they set for themselves that they can physically put together. This will

engage the students to try and meet that goal which will bring improvement. I can also tell if a

student has improved if I am able to move on in my lessons and if each student is understanding

the topic, I will be able to see the improvement in how well they learned the curriculum.

Depending on the student, I will provide the appropriate attention to ensure that they are

understanding and following along with what is being taught. I know that each student is unique

when learning, so I feel that if I know my students better and understand their learnings, I will be

able to see where the student improved from their original level of learning. It is under the

responsibility of the teacher to ensure that all their students are improving in an appropriate way

for their learning.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the idea that all students have the right to learn and

it is under the responsibilities of a good teacher. I know that with practice and hard work, I can

be that good teacher for a student. With the resources that I have been provided, I have been able

to formulate beliefs and ideas that are unique to my personality when it comes to teaching and

education. I have knowledge from the textbook, previous education classes, and personal

experiences that have led to me have the opinions that I have stated previously. The beliefs and

ideas that have been stated are what I believe is what it takes to make an impact in the diverse

world of education. From my beliefs, I know that I will be able to be the teacher that makes a

change in the education of a student, therefore making a change in the outlook of the world.
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 9

References

Berns, R. (2016). Child, family, school, community: socialization and support. Stamford, CT:

Cengage Learning.

Simon Fraser University. (2009). Educational goals: define. Retrieved from

http://www.sfu.ca/educationalgoals/define-educational-goals/

Timmermans, A. C., de Boer, H., & van der Werf, M. P. C. (2016). An investigation of the

relationship between teachers’ expectations and teachers’ perceptions of student

attributes. Social Psychology of Education: An International Journal, 19(2), 217–240.

Retrieved from

http://cwi.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db

=eric&AN=EJ1104224&site=ehost-live&scope=site