Running Head: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Mickey Rosling
Instructor: Dr. Evin Fox
EDUC 204, Families, Communities, and Culture
Fall 2012

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs

My profarea of interest is Special Education. The experience I have gained working with
children with learning disabilities over the past thirty years has given me ample opportunity to
realize the importance of the bond between socialization and the developing child. The teacher
who is focused on establishing a curriculum of instruction geared to increasing a students
academic skills can also be effective in the childs introduction to socialization. The future of our
country is contingent on dedicated educators.
Students Ability to Learn
There are many variables that have an effect on a childs ability to learn. Biological
determinates, physical trauma, environmental exposure, cultural traditions and the individuals
own unique personality are only a part of the learning process. A responsible teacher can make a
positive impact on a students self-esteem by creating a positive learning environment, giving a
boost of confidence as the student is guided in developing the responsibility of learning. It is the
teachers responsibility to be there to support and instruct students when they have questions or
concerns. Successful student accomplishments are a great motivator for continued education. An
open line of communication between the teacher and student is the key to a productive studentteacher relationship. The most important aspect of having a classroom that runs smoothly is
gaining student cooperation (Woolfolk 2001). Good teachers also provide opportunities for
communication between students by developing lesson plans that require interaction between
students. Encouraging socialization with peers opens the door to effective group participation.
Great strides have been seen in students who have cognitive or physical impairments, such as

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

those who have learning disabilities due to social, environmental or unknown factors. All
students have the ability to increase their capacity
of understanding and become self-actualized learners provided they are instructed with the
creativity of a dedicated teacher. I do believe teaching is an art that begins
development in the early years of our lives. Communicating positively with our students depends
a lot on our remembering what its like to be a child.
Teachers Expectations
Teachers who are able to persuade a classroom of students to complete and deliver
quality work are succeeding at the most difficult job there is (Glasser, 1992). There should be
clear expectations for the classroom from day one. These general expectations are consistent for
the entire class. Each child should begin the year with the expectation to succeed in the
curriculum offered. Children in special education, with accommodations, are also expected to
maintain satisfactory grades. It is detrimental to a struggling students self-esteem to see overachieving students getting continually applauded for their good work. However small a
completed project is, it should get an acknowledgement.
In our classroom, I have a daily routine, and since it is a Planning Center, we have one
wall dedicated to the goals of each student. At the beginning of the year, we have a week of goalsetting information. One goal the students report on is what they can complete by the next time
they have our class. At that time, they acknowledge completion of the goal, choose to extend the
time, change the goal or be prepared to talk about the reason. This short term goal is followed by
a quarter goal. We review this each time they have our class, so they are motivated to be in a
goal-oriented state of mind, Teacher expectations can be motivating if expectations coincide with
updates of performance throughout the year and positive reinforcement is given, as in completing

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

short term goals. If what is accomplished is not up to teacher expectations, then working with the
student to address the concern and refocus to bring about positive change might be the next
degree of expectation. Teachers in general must be careful not to develop biases when setting
expectations for individual students. Changing expectations on the basis of student performance
may have an impact on student behavior only when communicated to the student. (Berns, 2012)
We work a lot with Cooperative Goal Structure. Group discussions on classroom goals are a
big part of our Planning Center social skills activities. Individualized Goal Structure is just as
important as we plan with a student to successfully complete the semester, and eventually bring
his credits together for graduation.
Students Social Ecology Theory
Each microsystem a child is involved with impacts every part of the individuals being.
When a child is taught in an environment that his peer group is also a part of, the child makes a
connection with similar interests and defines her own unique differences. The family, whether it
is a family of orientation or extended family, is paramount in the development of socialization
(Berns, 2012) They are the people children are around the most and who will be modeling
behavior that will influence their childs future actions and associations. They are also the first
people a child is bonded to, giving a sense of belonging or attachment. In looking at Social
Ecology in a bigger perspective, such as in the macrosystem, the student learns diverse patterns
of behavior. Within an entire society or subculture, the population may be low or high context
(individualistic or collectivistic) (Berns, 2012). In low context macrosystems, social
relationships may vary from group to group, and individuality is an expectation. In high context
relationships people tend to socialize or treat all members in a generally traditional, socially
accepting way.

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Eventually all things change. Examples of change could be when technology introduces
new mediums of communication and when agricultural advancements boost the economy. Social
mores spread and change attitudes. These attitudes change the social ecology that is central to a
group. When two or more things make a connection, home and school for instance, a
mesosystem is formed, or interrelationships between Microsystems.
Hopefully, a bridge between home and school is starting to take shape. When new conditions
affect development, a chronosystem is born (Berns, 2012).
Cultural Diversity Instruction
Cultural Diversity is extremely important in todays society. Much of America is made up
of immigrants from Mexico and immigrants from other countries. Ethnicity is portrayed in our
Idaho schools to a large degree. School administrations have set in place some traditional
observations of Mexican holidays such as Cinco de Mayo and Dia de los Muertos that address
the culture of Mexico. There are EEL classes and a Spanish club that welcome all interested
students. A good teacher will embrace the beauty of other cultures and assist her students in
looking at positive connections to our own culture while respecting differences. Her curriculum
will show the incorporation of well-balanced information from all walks of life. Modeling and
teaching social skills like respect and cross-cultural understanding is effectively teaching
culturally diverse students. (Burnette, 1999). Cultural assimilation would be an unfair practice,
not in the best interests of our citizens. A blend of our countries traditions will unite us in
building a better future for all. Cultural pluralism is a unifying method for diverse cultures to
strengthen a country they both believe in and is the way to learn that both cultures contribute to
the whole.

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Curriculum for All Learners

A teacher needs to observe students to examine the way the different cultures interact. In
this way, she can build a curriculum supportive of all the students. It is important to consider
language barriers as far as comprehension on the same level. Frequent feedback is important, and
giving the students plenty of group time to brainstorm on assignments is equally important. A
logical way to create groups that are not the same each time will give students the opportunity to
become acquainted with all classmates. A curriculum designed to assess the students knowledge
on a subject at the start of a segment of learning will be helpful in appropriately placing the
student. Formative Assessment is widely used to plan for a students course of instruction.
Lesson content is based upon those results and upon completion; a summative assessment (to
assess the gains the student has made) will be given. Curriculum should be creative to hold
interest and strategies used to promote generalization (Curriculum Design, 2009). Courses short
on eye-catching reading material, such as Algebra, can be enhanced by the teacher inserting
some fun logic questions or puzzles in exams, or assigning homework where each part of a group
finds a part of the puzzle to put together. Reading chapters out loud in class is a good way for
students to follow along and a good contribution in the application of common core standards...
Open Book and/or notes permitted tests would be common place, as I believe looking something
up at test time may be more retainable than cramming the night before. Study guides required to
be filled out and handed in are also beneficial to remembering material.

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Conclusion
An overall good student experience in the academic world, including the process of
socialization (Berns, 2012), contributes to the sustainability of future generations. Teachers are
mentors, models, facilitators, and mediators, but most of all they are just plain caring people.
Their training in educating students, along with a dedication to do their part in keeping America
a culturally diverse, united nation, serves to create a positive example for todays young people.

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

References

Berns, Roberta M. (2012). Child, Family, School, Community. (8th ed.). California.
Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Burnette, Jane (1999). Strategies for Teaching Culturally Diverse Students. ERIC EC
#E584.TeacherVision.Pearson Education. http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teachingmethods/resource/6039.h...

Curriculum Design. (2009). File://F:\RF2\data\CurriculumDesign.htm

Glasser, William M.D. (1992). The Quality School: Managing Students Without Coercion
(2nd ed.). New York.:Harper Collins Publishers.
Woolfolk, A. (2001). Educational Psychology (8th ed.).Boston: Pearson.

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