Running head: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 1

Statement of Informed Beliefs Essay

Kylee Haynes

Bevin Etheridge

EDUC- 220- 002W

Fall 2018

7 December 2018
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Statement of Informed Beliefs

Diversity is what makes the world a beautiful place. All people are unique in their own

ways. While diversity should be nurtured and cherished, there is much to learn about how to

create a place where every person can thrive, no matter what their differences are. It is a passion

of mine to create a safe place like that for my future students. I will be explaining what my

beliefs are and what my plan is to recognize and accommodate such diversity in my classroom.

In the following sections: all students can learn, teacher’s expectations, student’s social ecology

theory, cultural diversity instruction, and curriculum for all learners, I will discuss how I plan to

incorporate equality for all.

All Students Can Learn

It is important for teachers to understand the way their students learn best. Each student is

unique in their learning style. What works best for one child, does not necessarily help the next.

For example, one student might learn through hearing songs, but another might do best when

they practice and experience it. Every single student is able to learn. But teachers play a major

role in how extensive and empowered their learning is. I believe that it is my role, as a teacher, to

get to know my students. It is my responsibility to ensure each student has a successful education

while in my classroom. I have the ability to hinder their growth or empower it. So, when I

understand their learning styles, I can utilize a variety of methods to teach the curriculum, so that

they are getting the most from my teaching.

As a future educator, I must start learning how to incorporate many different styles of

teaching in the curriculum. Now is the time to learn about ways to understand my students and

how they are each unique in their learning process. The preparation that I have begun will
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ultimately ensure that each student can learn from the lessons I introduce. When I am preparing a

lesson, I will not do a PowerPoint lesson and a video every day. I will add in a variety of ways to

teach. So, if I am teaching addition during math, I will incorporate several learning styles into the

lesson. For example, we will learn a song, we will practice it “hands on”, we will draw a picture

of it, and we will use manipulatives to represent the equation.

On top of using a variety, I will listen to my students’ feedback. I will pay attention to the

ways they are struggling and see where there is a gap in my teaching. Then, I will see how I can

fix the gap in their learning. Activities, comments from the students, exit tickets, and quizzes will

show me where I can do better as an educator to ensure that each student is thriving. I want to

provide them with the resources and confidence necessary to venture out and dig deeper to

understand. My hope is to bring creativity and variety to their education, so each child

successfully masters the information.

As a teacher, I will have some freedom in how I manage and teach my students. The

teachers’ attitude and openness play a vital role in the student’s growth. I will always be open to

constructive criticism and new techniques from my fellow teachers and principal. This is one

thing that I have control over in my classroom. But I have no control over the lives my students

live. So, it is essential to their education that I am involved and understand what is happening in

their lives. Through this, I can tailor my teaching ways to what they are needing. Some students

will have a hard time focusing and being present because of what they are going through. I want

my classroom to be a safe, open place where the students can trust me. I will also keep parents

involved and informed on what is happening in our classroom. I hope that the parents will be in

communication with me about how their students are struggling. Ultimately, I will do my best to
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help each student learn and to understand their struggles. Communicating with my students will

help tremendously.

Teacher Expectations

Having goals and expectations for one’s students can make or break their education.

When teachers have faith and believe that each student can fulfill their potential, they are more

likely to succeed. Without set goals, the students do not know what to aim for and therefore do

not progress in the ways that they could. But when they are shown confidence, trust, and clear

expectations from their teacher, they know they are capable of reaching them.

The ways that teachers view each student individually has a great impact on their growth

and achievement. It can either hinder or facilitate their learning. Through student files, previous

teachers and past experiences, and socioeconomic status, teachers form pre-determined

expectations for their students prior to meeting them. Having low expectations for students can

cause them to underachieve instead of reaching their full potential because the teacher interacts

with them differently. Instead, each student should be expected to rise above and achieve more.

When a teacher believes that the student is capable, they enable their intellectual growth.

According to (Berns, 2016, chapter 7 section 8B), The way a student behaves and what they

achieve, “reinforce the teacher’s expectations. Gradually, the students’ self-concepts,

motivation, and levels of aspiration reflect these expectations. If continued throughout the year,

the students’ performances will match or fulfill what the teacher expected or prophesied at the

beginning of the year”. The characteristics of the student and the support from the teacher will

cause them to achieve the goals proposed for them.

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Although it is great to set goals for students, if they are unaware of their goals, they have

no guidelines. Student motivation and teacher involvement can help the student progress. The

teacher can incorporate cooperative, competitive, individualized goals into the curriculum.

These educational goals should be communicated to each student, so they know what to work

towards. When the students accomplish these goals, they feel successful and will want to achieve

more. They will want to work harder. But how the teacher treats the student through the year

plays an extensive role on how they respond.

I understand that each students’ goals and expectations will be unique. But this does not

mean that they will be treated differently depending on these goals. I hope to motivate and bring

confidence to each student. Devoting equal attention, positive reinforcement, and encouragement

to all students will foster their growth. I believe that each student should be held to high

standards and should truly believe that they are capable of reaching them.

Students Social Ecology Theory

There are many factors that play a role in how a student behaves and learns. Their

microsystems affect their socialization, educational learning, and self-esteem. As teachers, it is

important to take the time to get to know each of their students as unique people, not just another

student. They should be involved in their students’ lives and try to understand what they are

going through. Each person lives an entirely different life, but by understanding what their home

life is like, curriculum can be suited to what they need to learn. This is crucial to student success

because at risk students need extra help in differing areas. So, having a teacher that will go above

and beyond can make all the different to what they can achieve. The importance of linking the

student’s social ecology lies in how much more of an opportunity they are given to thrive. Doing
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so can help them reach their full potential. Educators must relate what we teach to the modern

world and problems that each student faces.

For example, a student may come from a family that lives in poverty and whose parents

struggle with alcoholism. Berns has a theory that it is important to recognize these problems, so

they can, “understand those students who are at risk for negative developmental outcomes

because of poverty, substance abuse, or violence in the family, and give special support to enable

resiliency and achievement motivation” (Berns, 2016, chapter 7 section 10). When educators do

this, students will be able to apply the lessons to their lives and use what they learn. The goal is

to not only teach them, but to make sure they feel cared for and know that the teacher truly wants

them to succeed. The teacher is not the only way that a student is socialized. Families, cultures,

and communities also have an enormous impact on students’ learning.

A family’s socioeconomic status, marriage status, and parenting styles all affect the

development and socialization of a child. A student who was raised in an upper middle class with

a nuclear family and with parents who were actively involved will behave and learn differently

than a student who was raised moving in and out of the foster care system. Each family has a

different culture or set of beliefs and morals. This can determine the way that the parent feels

about achievement or school. Some families are more focused on achievement in extracurricular

activities, while some parents place more importance on educational goals.

The community in which a person lives offers many different aspects to one’s life. The

five major functions of a community are, “production/distribution/consumption, socialization,

social control, social participation, and mutual support” (Berns, 2016, chapter 10 summary). The

community shapes the personal lives, economic, physical, and social areas of a person’s life
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(Berns, 2016). Communities offer huge support to its younger members such as preventive

services, supportive services, and rehabilitative services. Teachers, families, and communities

should work together to reach the desired educational and socialization goals. When they work

together, they can achieve so much more.

Cultural Diversity Instruction

The teacher plays a vital role in making sure that every student feels comfortable and

included within the school. With increasing ethnic diversity, especially in Idaho schools, teachers

must learn to acknowledge and embrace the diversity through their curriculum and interactions.

Each classroom should nurse cultural pluralism instead of enforcing cultural assimilation.

One great way to be culturally responsive in the classroom is to build a link between schools and

the student’s families. Meeting with each student’s family at least once per year will allow the

teacher to get to know their values, heritage, culture, and life history. Then the educator can

adjust their curriculum to involve experiences in this student’s daily life so that it is more

relatable to them.

People are often prejudiced towards other humans, ethnicities, and experiences before

they know enough about them. So, children may have pre-determined judgments about their

classmates that seem different from them. It is important for the class to bond and realize that

everyone is unique and that is a beautiful thing. Giving the students an opportunity to share

stories about their lives will teach them about cultures from each other and stop some of the

stereotypes that they may have formed. Not only will it teach them about their peers’ lives, but it

will also create a stronger bond and sense of trust and openness within the classroom.

Cultural pluralism and cultural assimilation are two differing beliefs about how different

cultures should be socialized in the schools. According to Chapter 6-4B: Ethnicity, Cultural
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pluralism is, “a mutual appreciation and understanding of the culture of various ethnic groups

and the coexistence in society of different languages, religions, and lifestyles” (Berns, 2016,

Chapter 6 section 4B). Including a variety of cultures in the curriculum, aside from the dominant

ones, encourages a mutual respect and appreciation of the other groups. There are also benefits

for the minority group to understand and accept the mainstream cultures traditions. Cultural

assimilation is when the minority groups adopts characteristics of the dominant group.

Assimilation may help the minority group fit in and become more accepted. It can help them

thrive in a society where they are the minority. But this process has a negative effect in that it can

erase diversity and people’s unique customs. When both groups can cherish and value each

other’s differing customs and beliefs, they will learn that there is “unity in diversity” (Berns,

2016, Chapter 6 section 4B).

Curriculum for All Learners

Since every student is so unique, their learning styles will differ from each other as well.

This can create a challenge for teachers as they prepare and deliver a lesson and as they assess

the students. Under optimal conditions, every student can be educated to their full potential. But

it is the teacher’s responsibility to understand the unique needs of each person, so they can adjust

the curriculum. One way that I will do this is by learning about the theory of Howard Gardner

that there are eight multiple intelligences that, “encompass the human capability” (Berns, 2016,

chapter 7 section 8B). Learning about their intelligences will teach me the ways that they behave

and how their brain works. Then, I can base my curriculum according to their needs.

For example, in a math lesson I can include a song for the musical intelligences, word

problems that relate to everyday for the interpersonal intelligences, and number equations for the
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logical-mathematical students. More students are involved and using their minds in the ways that

it works best for them. When I use this method, I can do a self-assessment and see how the

students respond to the different teaching styles. Then that will help me determine what I need

more or less of in my teaching. Also, hearing input from the students about what they do enjoy

and do not enjoy can help me see what is reaching them and what is not. I believe it is important

to take their feelings into account because their attitudes can negatively or positively influence

their education. I want to have a classroom where students can thrive and involving their

preferences is the key. By doing self-reflections and looking at the growth of students, I will see

how I can improve and change to better reach all students.

Regularly assessing the students will show me where they stand. Having formative tests,

quizzes, and assignments highlights where a student is struggling or doing very well in. Then

when I have these results, it teaches me where I need to spend more time on with them. There

may be times where I notice that the majority of the class is struggling with the same topic. So, I

will plan to spend more time on it and take some time away from what they are doing well on.

Having self-assessments and taking in their opinions are extremely helpful and important. But

being independently tested shows where they stand with each topic which gives me the

opportunity to adjust my focus as needed.

Along with providing a safe place for all, my main goal as a teacher is to aid in

significantly improving the educational growth of each child before they graduate from my

classroom. It is the small, daily actions done that will make the greatest difference. It is my hope

that each day at school will bring improvement, even if it is small. In order to do this, I will set

and communicate the expectations for each student. The expectations will be unique for each

student because each person has diverse struggles in their life. The hope to help them improve is
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by doing as much as I can to push them along. I can do this by supporting them in their struggles

whether they be emotional, familial, or educational. When they are getting support in all areas of

their lives, they will have the best opportunity to increase their level of learning. Having a

positive, supportive classroom culture with high expectations of each student will ultimately lead

to their success.

There are many opportunities for me to include all types of diversity. I must be culturally

aware and constantly educating myself on ways to better my teaching for the students. It is

through understanding what their life is like in and out of school that will help me, help them.

When I recognize the importance of this, not only will I improve, but my students will find more

success as well. Diversity will be celebrated, acknowledged, and incorporated into my daily

lessons.
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References

Berns, R. M. (2016). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support(10th ed.).

Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.