Running head: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Daphne Martin
Instructor: Evin Fox
EDUC 204: Families, Communities, and Culture
Spring 2015

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Statement of Informed Beliefs
Introduction
Teachers have a great deal of responsibility when it comes to the school, classroom, and
student. Oftentimes, the teacher may need to deviate from the routine curriculum to
accommodate for the diversity of students they may have. The curriculum is a major part of
education for the teacher, but it should not be the entire focus; they need to set expectations,
support goals, and encourage open communication among students. Teachers need to strive for
and inspire success for all students. A teacher needs to know a students social ecology, accepting
the uniqueness that comes from different ethnicity groups and the cultures associated with each
child. Educators are responsible for providing a welcoming and comfortable environment for the
child to promote proper learning. I believe teachers need to have high moral standards and great
values because they are not only the educator, but an example to the students and possibly even a
role model for the students.
Students Ability to Learn
Each school year a teacher is faced with a variety of obstacles and new students with
different backgrounds and learning styles. The teacher must adapt the curriculum to meet each
childs different learning style and educational needs. Some students are better educated through
teacher-directed curriculum where the teacher does all the planning, while others show more
growth with learner-directed curriculum in which the teacher guides the students in the learning
process. Theorist Jean Piaget preferred the learner-directed approach, but felt that the best
possibility for a child to grow cognitively was through a blended approach of both curriculum
models.

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Teachers need to be aware and sensitive to the students circumstances outside of school.
Some students may be dealing with adversity at home that will affect their learning and the
teacher will need to adjust accordingly. Students who are facing problems at home may have
behavioral issues, may be temperamental, and may be withdrawn. Teachers need to be
compassionate and show empathy and support for the childs situation in order to provide the
best education possible.
A teacher needs to set certain expectation and goals for each student to allow growth.
Each student will be different in many aspects, so a teacher will need to set the expectations and
goals accordingly, so all children have the best opportunity for success. A teacher needs to set the
expectations and goals when school first starts, but adjust them throughout the year based on a
students progression, achievements, and needs. The teachers expectations need to be
reasonable, so the student can achieve set goals. Each child should be given preferential
treatment and have the same opportunity to learn and grow in knowledge.
As a teacher, I believe that students will perform better and exhibit a pleasing behavior
from positive reinforcement, which can be done by just offering simple praises such as good
job or keep up the excellent work. Students who are able to see or hear that they are meeting
or exceeding the expectations or goals that were set for them are more likely to perform better
and repeat the good behavior.
Students Social Ecology Theory
Children with a strong support system from school, home, and even the community will
have greater chances for success in the classroom. Social surroundings affect the way students
develop and learn. Urie Bronfenbrenner had a theory that development occurred as a result of

Statement of Informed Beliefs

the interactions of a person and the environment around them. He labeled different systems in the
environment that influence childrens development. The first system is the microsystem, which
is the small, immediate environment the child lives in or is involved in, such as a family or
school. The second system is the mesosystem, and it describes how the different parts of a
childs microsystem work together for the sake of the child, such as the connection between
family and school. The third system is the exosystem, and it includes the other people and places
that the child may not directly interact with, but that still influences them, such as parents work
place, neighborhood, etc. The last system, the macrosystem, is the cultural environment in
which a child belongs, such as geographical location, cultural values, religion, economy, etc. A
teacher needs to understand the relationships and connections between all of the systems in order
to recognize and promote healthy socialization among all the students in the classroom.
In order for a teacher to fully understand and show compassion for their students, she
must be involved with the community and in return teach the students to be involved also.
Students need to understand how they are connected to and how they can be involved in the
community. Student and community involvement helps to build the community and empowers
the student to achieve personal and academic excellence. Communities offer many different
programs for students to be involved, such as after school extracurricular activities, many
opportunities to volunteer, job shadowing, etc.
Cultural Diversity Instruction
Teachers are faced with a diversity of students with varying cultures, religions and
ethnicities. As a teacher we must create a classroom where all students, regardless of their
cultural diversities, feel welcomed, supported, and provided the best opportunity to learn;

Statement of Informed Beliefs

students and teachers need to be tolerant and accepting. Students who attend schools with a
diverse population can develop an understanding of different backgrounds.
A challenge some teachers are faced with are students who do not speak English as a first
language. Most schools use cultural assimilation, where a minority group takes on the
characteristics of the majority group. One way we see cultural assimilation in the schools and
classrooms is when non-English speaking students are incorporated into the classroom with
English speaking students; the non-English speaking students eventually learn the English
language in class instead of their native one. Teachers can also meet the needs of students from
different cultural groups through cultural pluralism, which allows for smaller groups to
maintain their unique cultural identities while being able to coexist with the larger group. In
cultural pluralism there is a mutual appreciation and understanding of the various cultures
(Berns, 2013, p. 191).
Curriculum for all Leaners
Teachers need to have an understanding of the learning differences of each and every
child in their classes and plan accordingly. Not every child will learn and retain knowledge the
same as others, so teachers must make sure that lessons are appropriate for all students to learn
and experience success. As teachers plan class lessons, they need to develop classroom and
personal goals that are achievable to allow for adequate cognitive growth and development in
each student. A teacher needs to make use of the scaffolding process in their lesson planning.
The teacher needs to provide students with support during the learning process and help them
achieve their learning goals and promote a deeper learning. The educator also needs to know
where the students current levels of knowledge are and then add a little more to challenge them.

Statement of Informed Beliefs

The teacher then provides students with support until they become independent, self-regulated
learners.
Teachers need to be flexible and diverse in their teaching and make sure they do not limit
themselves to one teaching style. Some students are more visual learners, while others may be
better at hands-on or auditory lessons. As educators we need to be engaged in our lessons and
encourage classroom participation. Teachers need to evaluate whether group learning or
individual learning works better for the students in the class, plan accordingly, and alter lessons
as needed to promote learning.
Teachers have the responsibility to evaluate or assess their students on an academic level.
They need to take assessment of the learning going on in the classroom and also the assessment
of teaching being provided to the student. Teachers often use standardized tests, which compare
students results to a norm on scientifically selected items (Berns 2013, p. 242). Another way that
a teacher can assess the progress of a student is through authentic assessment, which is the
evaluation of the child based on real performance, rather than test performance, showing mastery
of a task (Berns, 2013, p. 242). Assessments provide the teacher information about the students
achievements, so she can encourage and motivate the student to work harder to accomplish
his/her educational goals. Teachers need to also assess if there are any students with learning
disabilities, impairments, or handicaps, and then plan lessons that are formulated to meet their
needs.
As teachers we need to make sure that students are learning and retaining knowledge. If
they are not, then we need to change what we are doing to find what will work best for students
and ensure they will make progress. Sometimes teachers need to collaborate with their peers and

Statement of Informed Beliefs

discuss different ways of teaching to allow for a fresh perspective and new ideas. The teacher
may need to vary instructional techniques in the classroom to better suit the students in the class
and promote growth. Teachers should encourage classroom participation among the students and
invite parents to come into the classroom to help. A teacher may also have to step back and selfevaluate and look at what is working and not working for her students. Most importantly,
teachers need to believe in and motivate students.
Conclusion
A great teacher not only teaches children, but also learns from them. Teachers must be
diverse and ready to teach to a variety of unique individuals with different needs, wants, and
desires. As educators, we need to make sure that we are prepared with a well-organized
classroom that encourages learning in a comfortable environment. Teachers must modify and
adapt lessons to meet the educational needs of their students. Successful teachers will encourage
socialization and interactions among peers to accommodate for all cultural diversities in our
classroom and school. Most of all, teachers need to provide a great education that fits each
students unique needs and personalities.

Statement of Informed Beliefs

References
Berns, R. M. (2013). Child, Family, School, Community Socialization and Support (9th ed.).
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.