Running head: Statement of Informed Beliefs

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Dylan Corless
Instructor: Evin Fox
EDUC 204
Spring 2016

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs
Introduction
Behind every intelligent mind is an effective educator. Education is an on going cycle that
has lasted since the beginning of time. Before anything can be taught to another, it must first be
learned by the prior. In order to be an effective educator, one must understand that every single
person comes from a different upbringing, and must be approached in different ways. While
learning about the differences among individuals is a difficult task, the end result is worth the
effort. Becoming an teacher is not enough for me. My goal is to become an effective educator
and to get my students to become excited about learning the material that I have to teach. In
order to do this, I must first understand that each student has the ability to learn, and that I must
appeal to each individually.
Students Ability to Learn
A students ability to learn all depends on the student as well as the teacher fulfilling their
duties. As the teacher, it is important to take responsibility for the curriculum that is being
taught. Every teacher has the right of autonomy, or being able to teach the specified curriculum
in their own unique way. Every teacher has their own different teaching style. To be an effective
educator, there must be a sense of enthusiasm when teaching. If the teacher cannot get excited
about the subjects that they are teaching, it could be nearly impossible for the students to find
excitement in learning.
Just as the teacher has a responsibility to teach, the student has a responsibility to learn.
As a teacher, the biggest thing that is expected from a student is for the student to put forth time
and effort into learning that which is being taught. Setting reachable goals for the students is very

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

important. Setting small goals for students to reach can help them gain momentum in reaching
their big, long term goals.
These two topics intertwine and are codependent. Both the teacher as well as the student
must take responsibility and work together towards the goals that they have both set. As the
teacher, it is important to set goals for classes as a whole as well as set reachable goals for each
individual student. Being the student, it can be a difficult task to find the want and the desire to
do well in school if the goals set forth for them are too long term. For example, if the class is
assigned a book to read, it is much easier to read small sections at a time. If the teacher were to
assign the class five chapters to read at a time, the majority of the class would be more
overwhelmed than if there were a single chapter assigned.
Students Social Ecology Theory
Families, communities, and culture all affect a students social ecology. While there are
some universally accepted rules for family interactions, every family still has their own way of
interacting amongst each other. Mutual respect is important in a healthy home and family life.
Teaching children to have morals and values is a big step in implementing respect into their
character. Urie Bronfenbrenner (Berns 2015) developed the idea of the ecological systems
theory to help gain a better understanding of how a childs environment affects how they grow
and develop throughout different aspects of life. The three stages in this theory consist of the
microsystem, exosystem, and the macrosystem.
Communities surround everyone. The type of community that a person is brought up in
can really have a huge impact on the person that they grow up to be. The people and the morals
taught within the communities themselves help to form the rest that are in it. For example, in a

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

town that teaches good morals and values, will have a larger group that reflects that community
than not.
The upbringing of a person depends heavily on the culture in which a person belongs to.
The values and beliefs that each culture promotes all vary. They promote different emphases on
family, religion, as well as school and learning styles.
Cultural Diversity Instruction
America is a melting pot of cultures. To define America as a whole would be close to
impossible. With all of the different types of cultures that have found their ways here, it is
important to not only cater to these different cultures, but to incorporate them into modern
education. Having cultural days in class where the students get to learn and explore different
countries and the customs in them, or incorporating different cultures into everyday lessons
every once in a while. It is important for students to not only to be aware of different the
different cultures that surround them, but to embrace them.
Since everybody has a different upbringing, everybody has a different home life. While
teaching a certain way is effective for some students, other students may have a different way of
learning. When a young individual is put into public schooling, the different cultures and
upbringings begin to show. As they get older and begin to learn more about each other, it all
comes together in cultural assimilation. Individuals from these different ethnic and cultural
groups come together to form a new group. In these newly formed groups, the group begins to
form their own customs as well as reflect each others own different cultures.
Curriculum For All Learners
It is crucial to plan accordingly for every student. Finding all students zone of proximal
development is key to building a successful learning program for individual students. Some

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

children need more direction and attention, which calls for a teacher-directed curriculum.
Those students that are more more independent are more capable of handling a learner-directed
curriculum, where the student has a greater sense of independence and has the majority of
control of the pace of learning. Once a program has been set into place, it is important to deliver.
It is not going to be a straight and narrow path, it is going to be a long winding highway with
many bumps along the way. This makes it crucial to adapt to every situation, and to be prepared
to make changes in the curriculum as needed.
Pre and post testing are important in assessing the progress of a student. It is essential to
find where the student is beforehand, as well as seeing how far they have come since beginning
in the set curriculum. In order for a student to grow, there must be a starting point. Some may
begin at a higher level than the rest of the class, but the important part is is the growth that the
students show from that starting point.
Conclusion
Everybody has a different upbringing with different family and cultural influences, even
if they do grow up in the same community. Everybody is an individual, and deserves to be
treated as such. In modern American culture, education is something that is looked at as
depressing, or something that is expected. Not many people realize how powerful knowledge can
be and therefor choose not to challenge themselves with learning and education as a whole. As a
future teacher, I hope to encourage students to aspire for more, to make themselves better in
anyway possible. There are so many teachers in the profession that do not have the excitement
and the enthusiasm for that which they are teaching, and their students reflect this attitude. I have
had countless educators in my life, in a classroom and without. I have had both good teachers
who are excited to be doing something they love to do as well as those that are simply there

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

because they are expecting a paycheck at the end of the day. My goal is to reflect those teachers I
have had that were excited and passionate about their work. Anybody can become a teacher, but
it take effort and enthusiasm to be an effective educator.

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Berns, R. M. (2015). Child, Family, School, Community Socialization and Support (10th ed., p.
19). N.p.: Cengage Learning.