RUNNING HEAD: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 1

Statement of Informed Beliefs Essay

Michelle Bollar

Carol Billing

EDUC 204 Families, Communities, and Culture

Spring 2017
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Statement of Informed Beliefs Essay

Everyone learns differently and every teacher teaches differently. I have had many years

of experience as a student as well as a variety of experiences with different types of teachers. I

discovered my learning style and realized when a teacher is unwilling to adapt to my learning

style, I struggle. That is an area of teaching I feel needs developed and I am looking forward to

implementing that in my classroom.

All Students Can Learn

As a student, myself, I know all students have great potential to learn given the proper

tools. From the day we are born we start learning and growing as human beings. Adaptation is

a key element in a child’s road to learning because when a child can adapt to their environment

they will have greater success. As a teacher, I must do my part in their socialization and

development. I think Berns says it best, “Teachers encourage the development of various skills

and behaviors by being role models and by providing motivation for children to succeed,”

(Berns, 2016). I believe a teacher should have a motivating sense of generativity.

In my classroom, I plan to learn the demographics, economics, temperament, and

maturation levels of my students so I can better adapt my teaching style and curriculum to meet

their needs. No two students will be the same and it is the responsibility of the teacher to get to

know their students to better ensure success. I will strive to learn about the different cultures of

students that will be entering my classroom as well. Creating a developmentally appropriate

curriculum involves understanding children’s normal growth patterns and individual differences,

(Berns, 2016).
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Teacher’s Expectations

Being a teacher is more than just dumping information into open minds, it is also about

teaching adolescents to find their self-concept and to learn self-regulation. My influence and

expectations will play a part in a student’s ability to learn. Students who learn to accept

instruction and earn recognition by showing effort can develop the capacity to enjoy work.

Children who do not receive recognition for their efforts, or do not experience any success, may

develop a sense of incompetence or inferiority. Children who are praised for their efforts will be

motivated to achieve, whereas children who are ignored or rebuked may give up and exhibit

helplessness (Berns, 2016).

Having educational goals set for each student and your classroom as a whole is important

so that you can better monitor progress. When goals are met or not met it will be important to

give feedback, whether positive or negative, to the student or class to reinforce the teacher’s

expectations. This will also give the student a sense of direction and accomplishment. Having

educational goals will also hold me accountable as their teacher as my ultimate goal is to see my

students achieve success.

Having a son with special needs has demonstrated the value of setting goals. It has been

essential for his success. When he is given a lump sum of work it is overwhelming for him but,

by breaking it up into smaller chunks or goals it becomes easier for him to see the light at the end

of the tunnel. I have also found this to be true in my own experience as a student. I will strive to

make goals both challenging and attainable in my classroom.

Students’ Social Ecology Theory

In Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory, we learn that school is just one major part of

a person’s microsystem that is needed to learn and grow. What a student learns in school
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through teachers and peers will influence what they do with their families and communities. The

same is true for what students learn in the family and community environment. Their home life

influences their ability to learn in school. There is an expectation to learn to walk, talk, use the

toilet, and to dress ourselves in the family environment. In school, we are expected to learn to

read, write, add, and subtract. There is an expectation to share, develop a conscience, and achieve

an appropriate gender role. We are also expected to love other people and be responsible for our

actions, (Berns, 2016). Many of these are learned and implemented in multiple environments

such as learning the alphabet and reading small words at home or being responsible for your

actions in the family, school and community setting.

Family is where learning begins and is influenced by ethnicity, cultural background and

socioeconomic status of the family. A child looks to their family for modeling values, attitudes,

behavior, morals and gender roles. Cultural learning is done by learning about one’s

traditions, rituals and rites of passage passed down from one generation to the next. In the

community, students are exposed to different perspectives on life and experience different roles.

A community can offer an informal social support system-relatives, friends, neighbors who can

be counted on to help in a crisis and it can also have a more formal social support system, such

as institutionalized child care, Big Brother/Big Sister, Meals on Wheels and Parents without

Partners, (Berns, 2016). It is important for the teacher to know as much about these aspects of

their students’ lives as possible to better plan curriculum and classroom culture.

Cultural Diversity Instruction

Cultural diversity is also an important element to consider when developing curriculum.

It is important to remember that to include students of all backgrounds you must learn about

them. For a long time in America people of different ethnic backgrounds went through cultural
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assimilation. Now days, cultural pluralism is the norm. Whatever their life history or ethnic

background is, every student wants to feel like they are understood and that they belong. In that

same respect, other students will gather knowledge by learning about their fellow students. In my

classroom, I hope to provide a safe environment for all learners.

Curriculum for all Learners

The knowledge accumulated through my coursework and research will help me develop a

curriculum that I believe will serve the majority. I know I will have to make adjustments, maybe

more so in the first few years of teaching. By getting feedback from my students, colleagues and

supervisors, I will be able to adjust my planning, delivery and assessments. At the end of each

semester or year I will reflect on what I learned and make adjustments accordingly. Through

assessments I will be able to see where I am effectively delivering the material and where I need

to work on changing my teaching style or how the material is presented. Assessments will also

tell me where certain students are struggling. I can ensure that each student is progressing by

taking an initial assessment at the beginning and then again at certain goal points. This where

setting goals becomes essential. I will always strive to learn and grow, as I hope my students do.
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References

Berns, R. M. (2016). Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support (10 th ed.).

Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.