Running head: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Ashley Tomchak
College of Southern Idaho
Evin Fox
EDUC 204: Families, Communities, and Culture
Fall 2015

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

12

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Introduction
William Arthur Ward said, The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The
superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. Education is a crucial influence in a
childs life. It is a significant determining factor of that childs future, so we as educators need to
go the extra mile and teach with the intent to inspire. Children learn more in the first five years
of life than they will in any other five-year period. Enrichment given to them then can have a
major effect on performance in school, chances of finishing high school and their odds of going
on to college. The return on investment in early childhood education is truly profound
(Kondracke, 2013, pg. 1). This proves just how important it is to give children the ability and the
encouragement to learn, but it is also vital that they have the desire. In order for a child to have a
positive and meaningful learning experience, we must focus on his her ability to learn, the
students Social Ecology Theory, cultural diversity, and must create a curriculum for the students.
Students Ability to Learn
When building a curriculum and working to educate students, the teacher may want to
keep in mind that all of the students have different learning styles and the strengths of each
childs abilities to learn are all varied as well (Berns, 2013). A curriculum will be created and
implemented that is well rounded and suits each of the children, so they may each have a goal
they can work towards, but I can readjust things to better suit each of the childrens specific
needs (Berns, 2013). The syllabi can even be adjusted so they are teacher-directed and the
activities are planned by the teacher, learner-directed so the activities are developed from the
students interest and guided by the teacher, and cognitively oriented so the curriculum will
blend the virtues of intentional teaching with flexible, child-initiated activities. Teachers must set
high expectations, in order to influence opportunities for learning and encourage students to
better themselves. A child must have a desire to learn, but it is up to the teacher to nurture that

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

13

desire and help build goals and work with him or her to achieve their ambitions. The teacher is
responsible for educating her students and trying different methods of teaching so each of her
students can understand and grow. Every student learns differently, and its up to us, as teachers,
to discover a style that works for each child and implement it.
Teachers have an enormous influence on a childs learning. I will work hard and try to
build a positive environment for my children to learn in and a curriculum that is best suited for
each learning style, but is also developmentally appropriate (Berns, 2013). It is important that
instructions given to students are offered in a way that is appropriate to his or hers level of
cognitive learning. Students are given opportunities to learn through programs offered publicly
and privately including music, extracurricular activities, and tutoring. I will encourage my
students and have realistic expectations so they may grow and can have a positive attitude as
they continue to learn and develop (Berns, 2013).
Students Social Ecology Theory
Developmental psychologist, Urie Bronfenbrenner, created a model to provide the
whole picture of the developing child (Berns, 2013). His model describes four basic structures in
which relationships and interactions take place to form patterns that affect human development.
These structures include Macrosystem, Exosystem, Mesosystem, and Microsystem. A students
microsystem is the first basic structure, and refers to his family, school, friends, and community
(Berns, 2013). The traditional family is structured with parents and siblings (Berns, 2013). The
teacher builds a relationship with the students family so they can work together to encourage the
child to work hard and do well academically. The childs community, or Mesosystem, and his
culture, or Macrosystem, are also influential elements of his life, and help in molding his future
(Berns, 2013). In a mesosystem, members in communities interact with, and act as, advocates for
everyones children. They support children in sports, academics and personal lives as well. I am
from a very small community where everyone knows everyone. Everyone gets along fairly well

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

14

and we see each other as family. We support and encourage each others children, truly want
each other to be happy, and are willing to help others in times of need. It is such a blessing
having such kind, hardworking members in the community to act as role models and friends.
Culture, is the behavior, knowledge, morals, laws and customs that is of the social environment
in which a child grows up in (Berns, 2013). I will build a positive environment where different
students with different backgrounds can co-mingle, get along with, and learn about each other. It
is important for students to be able to learn about different cultures, and the customs, beliefs and
values associated with them. It is a positive way for students to become compassionate and
accepting of others.
Cultural Diversity Instruction
Schools are made up of many different cultures, and it is important for teachers to
celebrate them, and to create unity and a sense of comfort within the classroom. Cultural
assimilation is the process whereby a minority cultural group takes on the characteristics of the
dominant cultural group. Cultural pluralism is the mutual appreciation and understanding of
various cultures and coexistence in society of different languages, religious beliefs and lifestyles.
I will support and encourage students of different cultures to become friends with each other. It
helps them learn to appreciate each others differences, and can help one or both of them
transition if they are going through cultural assimilation. It is important for the teacher to be
supportive and help his or her students going through the tough transition and offer them support
and love. During my senior year of high school, I spent a class period helping a little 6-year-old
girl who had a strong Hispanic background. Her parents only spoke Spanish, and she was
learning a new language on top of the regular curriculum. She was falling behind in all of her
classes because she had a hard time understanding what the teacher was saying and would often
get lost. I would sit with her in a quiet room for 30 minutes to an hour each day and she would

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

15

read sentences that varied in difficulty, and we would wrap up our time together working on
addition. I was taking a Spanish class that year, and tried to help her with the transition by going
over my vocabulary words and having her translate the words back to English. By the end of the
year, her English and reading comprehension and time had improved tremendously and she
could add numbers faster than most of the students her age. I have been visiting her class this
year, and have observed that she is ranked high in her class and seems to be very comfortable at
school and with her peers. Students come from an assortment of life histories; everyone is
different. They all have different ethnicities, cultures, and religious views. It is essential that we
as teachers acknowledge all of our students differences and honor them. Children with
disabilities should not be looked down on, but should be given equal opportunities and extra
support and love so they can feel included. I will build a curriculum that can be adapted if
necessary, and teach my students about the different ethnicities and cultures in the class and
celebrate them. If there are students with disabilities, I will educate the class about the different
disabilities and demonstrate to and teach my students that they must treat others the way they
would want to be treated. It is important that we teach with an open heart and empathy so that
every student can feel comfortable in the classroom, if he or she is struggling inside and/or
outside of school.

1.

Curriculum for all learners

When planning a curriculum, I will keep in mind the childrens intellectual level and plan

a course that fits each childs mental needs and capacity. According to psychologist, Jean Piaget,
all children mature in a certain order through four stages (Berns, 2013). These stages include:
sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations and formal operations. Each of these stages
define a different mental phase a child goes through. By creating a curriculum keeping these

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

16

phases in mind, I will help my students grow intellectually and at a healthy rate. Once again, the
curriculum needs to be flexible, so it can work for students of different cognitive levels and can
be directed by how the students best learn. If students do better following the leader, a teacherdirected curriculum would be most beneficial (Berns, 2013). If they succeed in an environment
where they can explore things that interest them, they may excel with a learner-directed
curriculum (Berns, 2013). After planning the curriculum, I will deliver it in a way that reaches
out to students of all learning styles. I will predict ways to adapt the lesson at an instants notice,
and be willing to modify the message for different groups if necessary. I will get the lesson
across effectively, and do it in a way that everyone can understand. Most students will pay more
attention and retain information when it is delivered with excitement and emotion. This will
make it easier for them to pay attention and keep eye contact with the teacher.
Assessing students is a very important part of teaching. It indicates whether the students
are understanding what they are being taught, and it helps the teacher know if certain students
need extra attention. Standardized tests are tests in which an individual is compared to a norm on
scientifically selected terms. Standardized tests can be given verbally or written. Students can
prepare for these tests in order to eliminate or reduce stress, and these tests are administered
fairly so each of the students feel like the teacher is not partial to others. I will review my
students tests to see where they are struggling so I can ensure they gets the extra attention they
need to understand the material and move on. Examining tests will also help me see if learning is
taking place, or if the students are confused. I need to evaluate what is not working and try a
different approach. It is important that the teacher encourages and pushes her students to succeed
and understand the material. It helps make learning fun when the student knows they have
someone encouraging them and they should not be afraid to ask for help.

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

17

Conclusion
Recalling William Arthur Wards quote, I feel it is important to teach children through
guidance rather than discipline. It is also imperative to educate through demonstration rather than
punishment. When teachers teach with love and understanding, they show the students they are
important and it teaches them to love and accept themselves and those around them. I believe
learning is fun, and we, as teachers, should work hard to inspire our students to enjoy learning
and to nurture every childs dreams to be the best he or she can be.

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

18

References
Berns, R. (2013). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support (9th ed.) Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
Kondracke, M. (2013, February 22). Kondracke: Early Education Gives a Return on Investment.
Roll Call. Retrieved from
http://rollcall.com/news/kondracke_early_education_gives_a_return_on_investment222586-1.html
Ward, W (n.d.). William Arthur Ward Quotes. Brainy Quote. Retrieved from
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williamart103463.html