Running head: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Stephanie Larsen

Instructor: Bevin Etheridge

EDUC 220

Fall 2019
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Over the course of five sections I will share my informed beliefs that fall under

the headers, all students can learn, teachers’ expectations, student’s social ecology theory,

cultural diversity instruction, and curriculum for all learners. These beliefs are based off

of literature and research and focus on the importance of creating a safe environment for

students of all cultures and backgrounds to not only succeed, but to feel a sense of pride

and accomplishment.

Informed Beliefs

As a future educator I have spent the past semester learning about the many

different aspects of not only teaching, but the education system as a whole. After reading

both “Child, Family, School, Community Socialization and Support” (Berns, 2016) and

“Those Who Can, Teach” (Ryan, Cooper, & Bolick, 2013) I have been able to form a

personal foundation about ideas and beliefs pertaining to education. These beliefs will be

expanded upon the in following five sections.

All Students Can Learn

In a classroom of 20 students, there are wide varieties of strengths and

differences. While there are many different factors that attribute to a student’s

shortcomings in class, an inability to learn is not one of them. In an article written by

Herbert Kohl titled “I Won’t Learn From You”, it gave the example of a young boy who

had been held back due to his inability to read. The student was described by his previous

teacher as defiant and uncooperative. Kohl explained it was clear the student was

intelligent and was not unable to learn how to read but was affected by his previous

teacher's bias towards him. He did not want to learn from the teacher who made him feel
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negative, so he chose not to. As adults, human beings tend to forget how perceptive

children can be, and don’t always take the time to evaluate how their own actions can

play a role in the child’s behavior. It is important as a teacher to consider the outside

factors involved in a student’s behavior and try and work out ways to help each one

individually.

As an educator, it will be my responsibility to prepare each child for the next steps

in their academic career. In general, children spend the majority of their time at school

and at home with their families. Establishing a good relationship with a student's parents

will not only give insight into what is going on outside the classroom but will also

communicate with parents’ strategies to continue the learning process away from the

classroom. Learning is a process that involves time and effort, if no work is put in outside

the classroom the process will be delayed.

When the time comes to manage my own classroom, I plan to approach my

students with warmth and understanding, but also with high expectations for success. A

key element in successful classroom management is focusing on preventative rather

than consequential measures. When planning out lessons, there needs to be plenty of

preparation and instruction to prevent boredom (Berns, 2016). A lesson that engages

children in new and inventive ways that makes what is being taught fun is the best way to

ensure the learning of the material. It is also important to be able to present the same

learning material in different ways. Every student is unique, some learn best by using

pictures to help them understand, others learn better by listening. Being able to get the
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point of the lesson across is the end goal, as a teacher I want to be able to try out a few

different methods of teaching to figure out which works best for my class.

It is important to be patient and understanding when approaching how to teach

students. Everyone has their own challenges and experiences that can affect the way they

learn so being able to take that into consideration when teaching and managing a

classroom are key elements to success.

Teacher’s Expectations

Teacher’s all have preconceived ideas about what their classrooms and students

will be like before they ever set foot inside their school. Whether they are conscious or

subconscious, these ideas can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

A self-fulfilling prophecy is defined as a prophecy that comes true because of the

expectation that it will (Collins Dictionary). When teachers have certain beliefs about

students it is likely that they are going to subconsciously search for those beliefs when

interacting with them. There is also the possibility that a teacher will interact with the

student based on said predictions even if they aren’t based on facts. For example, studies

have shown that girls perform better academically in elementary school, but as they get

older, they falter in subjects like math and science (Berns, 2016). In the past, it was

widely thought that men were better at math and science than women.

“Research shows that teacher-student interaction differs according to the gender

of the student (the gender of the teacher does not seem to matter), though even when

confronted with documentation (such as video recording), most teachers are unaware of
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inequities” (Berns, 2016). Girls have less confidence in themselves when it comes to the

subjects of math and science because they have never been expected by teachers to be as

good as the boys.

While being aware of teacher bias’s towards students is important, another

important component of education is setting goals for student success. When here are

expectations of what needs to be completed for the school year it becomes easier to plan

out lessons to help reach said goals. When teachers break down each goal to be set over a

period of time it gives a visual of what needs to be done for preparation and helps the

year go by smoothly. When you have clear expectations for what needs to be

completed for the calendar school year it becomes easier to plan lessons to reach

those goals. It can help organize ideas and proves to the school district everything

being done in class follows common core standards.

Being aware of teacher bias and seating goals for the year are imperative to

creating a working classroom. Teachers need to have clear plans and go into the

year with an open mind to make sure all students are getting the education they

deserve.

Students’ Social Ecology Theory

It is important to understand a student’s background when approaching different

ways to present learning material. Student’s from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are

going to react differently to not only the material being presented but the way it is being

presented as well, than students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. The same idea

can be applied to students from different cultures or from broken homes. According to
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Oaks and Rossi (2003) a student’s socioeconomic status can be defined by economic

resources, knowledge and skills, and the connections of an individual’s social network.

A student’s socioeconomic status (SES) can also effect their self-esteem and

locus of control. Locus of control refers to a person’s belief that have control over the

outcomes in their lives. Students who have a lower SES might end up with an external

locus of control, where they believe external factors are what controls the outcomes of

their lives instead of choices from their own actions. They have no control over what is

going on with their family’s financial status so why would they have control over the rest

of their lives as well? Students can also feel less than their peers because they don’t have

the same opportunities as those with a higher SES. It is important to keep this possibility

in mind.

A student’s family, culture, and community have a giant impact on the way a student

learns. These aspects control a student’s motives and values and ideas about the world

around them. They have been continuously immersed in them since they were born. The

way a child is taught to interact with others at home is going to translate in the way they

interact with others in the classroom. Depending on how a child is raised at home, they

might have learned helplessness, a theory developed by Martin Seligman. This means

they have the perception, acquired through negative experiences, that effort has no effect

on outcomes. They may be quick to give up, not believing they have the ability to fix the

problem themselves.

As a teacher it is important to understand that family status and background can

play many roles in the personalities of students. Knowing a student’s outside situation
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can help teachers point out certain traits and try and help students overcome their

challenges.

Cultural Diversity Instruction

Every year teachers are introduced to a new set of students with unique and

diverse backgrounds. They are forced to work very closely with a multitude of changing

people for their entire careers. In order to do their job correctly, teachers need to be able

to understand and work with students and parents from all cultural backgrounds.

When I was in elementary school, my 5th-grade class had a semester-long

assignment that focused on each student's individual cultural background. We researched

information about our history, food, and culture and then gave a presentation to the class

about what we had learned. It was a great way to not only learn about how things worked

all across the world, but also to celebrate the differences and similarities students had

with each other. As a teacher, I would like to include similar projects like the one I did

for my students in hopes it gives them a better understanding of their peers as well as

themselves.

The United States is described as a melting pot for many different cultures. While

some immigrant families choose to completely assimilate into American culture, others

choose to practice both their traditional ideas as well. Cultural Assimilation is when

someone abandons their previous culture to adopt the culture of the people around them

(Berns, 2016). For example, when moving to a new country you would adapt by

following the new countries customs and traditions and no longer practice the customs
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from your previous country. Cultural pluralism, on the other hand, is when a person

accepts a new culture while at the same time acknowledging previous customs. As a

teacher, it is important to be aware of a student's background so you can understand and

come up with the best ways to teach the individuals in your classroom. Making this effort

sets not only a good example for students, but it shows families and students that the

teacher truly cares and wants to help everyone succeed.

Understanding and accepting cultural diversity creates a welcoming environment

for all learners and their families in an academic environment. It can help students gain

better understanding of themselves and those around them and teacher’s tolerance.

Curriculum for all Learners

Schools are filled with a wide variety of personalities and diverse backgrounds.

Every student is unique and has individual needs in regard to learning. There is not a

single right way to teach everyone, so as a teacher being able to create and asses lessons

for all learners is important.

In previous years schools have been focusing on standardized testing to assess

how well students were learning the information provided to them. This not only was a

way to assess students but teachers as well. The problem with standardized testing is

that it stifles creativity and takes the enjoyment out of learning (Ryan, Cooper, & Bolick,

2013). As a teacher, I plan to approach assessments many different ways. Providing

projects that allow students to show what they have learned in creative, unique ways will

hopefully make the learning process fun and students will enjoy presenting what they
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have learned. I also believe in giving students options for deciding how they demonstrate

that knowledge. For example, letting students choose between doing a skit or a

storyboard for a class project gives them more autonomy, or more control over, how they

learn. There is always room for improvement when coming up with new lessons, so as a

teacher I will also take note of what worked well and what didn’t to continue to improve

and expand my ideas over the years.

Teacher assessment shows us what works and what doesn’t. It gives teachers the

ability to see how their lessons translate and from there teachers can take that information

and use it when it comes time to come up with a new lesson plan or end of the year goal.

The information can help teachers eliminate lessons that students collectively did poorly

on as well as see what worked best and apply those same techniques to other subjects.

As a teacher, I will collect students work and compile them into portfolios. As a

class, we will continue to learn by using revisions from previous assignments as a guild

line for how to improve current work. Having a portfolio will give not only myself a

visual representation of a student’s improvement but will also show students how much

they have grown and hopefully give them a sense of accomplishment.

A teacher’s main goal is to be prepare students for not just the next grade in their

academic careers but for their lives in the adult world. It is important to be able to create

a curriculum for all learners to succeed in the classroom by giving diverse instruction and

assessments to help students become the successful adults they have the potential to be.
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Conclusion

With so many different students out there, there should be an equal amount of

techniques used to teach them. People are products of their environments, and teachers

should spend a lot of time making sure the environment they produce for their students is

one where they feel safe, inspired, and accomplished. Celebrating differences and

teaching kids that they can do anything they want as long as they put in the time and

effort is crucial to their academic success.

References

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

CT: Cengage Learning.

Definition of 'self-fulfilling prophecy'. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/self-fulfilling-prophecy

Kohl, H. R. (2003). I wont learn from you: And other thoughts on creative

maladjustment. Vancouver, B.C.: Langara College.

Ryan, K., Cooper, J. M., & Bolick, C. M. (2013). Those who can, teach. Boston, MA:

Cengage Learning.