STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS ESSAY

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Statement of Informed Beliefs Essay

Brittany Ferguson
Professor Carol Billing
Education 204 Families, Communities, and Culture
T/R 11:30-12:45, Fall 2014

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS ESSAY

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Statement of Informed Beliefs Essay

A classroom is home to many students. Each one of those students varry from the next in many
different ways. Their culture, heritage, home life, developmental stage, socialization, and many more
factors contribute to the successfulness of the student within the classroom. As a teacher it is my goal to
find ways for the curriculum and classroom environment to fit with each of those students in a way to
maxamize learning. In the following paragraphs I will discuss my beliefs about students learning,
diversity within the classroom, and how they affect student successfulness, and classroom presence.
All Students Can Learn
Imagine that classroom full of students. Some of those students can learn without aid from me.
They can be given reading assignments followed by quizzes and be rewarded with passing grades.
However, some of those students need to be reminded of their self-worth and even encouraged to try the
next problem even though it might be pushing at their level. In this classroom all the students are
different. They all have different self-concepts(Berns,2013), and ideas of their own self- efficacy(Berns,
2013). Being a teacher means I get to coach and guide these children to know who they are and what they
can do. I get to create a developmentally appropriate(Berns,2013) curriculum for them. Along with that, I
get to teach and help them understand the knowledge handed down throughout the generations. For me
teaching is not a job, it is a way of life.
I firmly believe that all students can learn. I know some students need more
reinforcements(Berns,2013) than others. Some of the students were socialized in different ways, and have
different stresses(Berns,2013) in their life that can affect their presence in the classroom. However, I
know my classroom is a place of neutral ground. The students do not need to worry about their stresses,
whether home or school related. It is goal to make them feel welcome and secure in being themselves
when growing their knowledge and self-esteem(Berns,2013).

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I believe the keys to helping all students learn are understanding and patience. Knowing that
every student is different and came from a unique family can help when planning activities or covering
topics. This also shows how important having a developmentally and differentiated approach(Berns,
2013) to the curriculum can be. I plan to include as many learning styles in my lessons as possible. I will
use diverse methods for receiving and relating the information to the students. Every student has different
interests. I can use those interests to make connections with information that might be challenging for
them. I love projects and hands-on work. I understand that not every student shares my love for projects. I
plan to give options on project assignments so that each student can play to his or her strength. I really
enjoy group activities and team building exercises. I feel that students
Teachers Expectations
Students absorb so much knowledge throughout their student career. As a teacher we can either
promote or inhibit their learning. Being a teacher is a challenging yet rewarding job. Teachers have to
plan lessons that will fit with each student's learning pattern and level. Our expectations can play a huge
role in the success of the student. We show our expectations through our curriculum, goals, teaching
methods, societal status and guidance skills. All of these things and more can influence any number of
students ability to learn in a positive or negative way. Teachers are there to try and make every
experience positive to implant a joy for learning within each student.
The two biggest influencers affecting our expectations are curriculum and goals for each
student. As teachers we have to reach all of our students with equal information. Most of the time we use
teacher-directed curriculum(Berns,2013) to accomplish this. Teacher-directed curriculum focuses on what
we, as the teacher, have planned and set out for the students to absorb and learn. We set goals for those
students in our classes based on what we perceive them to be able to do. We use differentiated
learning(Berns,2013) and developmental interaction curriculum(Berns,2013) to accommodate the diverse
students within our classes. However, sometimes we can set our goals to high or too low. As well as, the

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curriculum may be above some and below others. This is where the developmental approach(Berns,
2013) is handy. Teachers have to try and make the same material work for every student. This is not an
easy task. The material needs to be positively challenging to the student without being to far over their
level. This balancing act of the levels can cause pressure and stress to accumulate within the student. It is
important for the teacher to work with the student to avoid the stresses in those type situations.
My last influencer that I will discuss is the affect our expectations from our teaching methods,
societal status(Berns,2013) and guidance skills. We try to implement equilibrium(Berns,2013) within our
classroom. We have to alter our teaching styles to best accommodate(Berns,2013) the diverse student
needs. Students are just learning how to be lifelong learners. How we handle teaching and learning in
elementary school through middle school has a huge effect on their ability to learn. We have to handle
their questions and concerns the correct way. We have to push them to succeed without causing
unnecessary amounts of learned helplessness(Berns,2013) within them. Sometimes biases can affect a
students ability to learn. Keeping all biases separate from teaching is the best practice for the classroom.
There are many influencers on biases. There are social economic status, ascribed status, achieved status,
traditions, religion and family(Berns,2013) that can all influence a students ability to learn. These are not
always passed from teacher to student. They are passed from student to student interactions most often. It
is important to know when to step in as a teacher and display guidance and understanding towards a
situation. Empowering students to be the best and achieve the highest they can is the part of the job I love.
I personally believe that when that student has hit their wall with learning the teacher needs to step in and
give some positive guidance. I understand they are at their limit, but they should try and just take one
more step and see where that step takes them. For example, on a math test they can try one more problem,
or try a failed problem once more. They will be surprised to see they can surpass their goals they set
within themselves.

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Students Social Ecology Theory

Social ecology has a huge impact on a students learning. It impacts how and why they learn. They
are influenced majorly by their lives outside of school. A child is molded after their parents, culture
(Berns,2013), religion(Berns,2013), and experiences. Their self-concept and self-esteem(Berns,2013) are
based off of what kind of socialization they get from home in addition to what they get from school.
The students status at home and their parents status within society also affect the students social
ecology(Berns,2013). For example you notice a student in your classroom that is falling behind in take
home assignments and is having trouble with behaving in the classroom when going over the take home
assignments. You know from past emails, and conferences that your students parents both work long
hours at their jobs and are separated. They are unable to help him/her with the take home work because
have to leave him/her with a sitter most nights. This is something completely out of your control and has
affected one of your students success within the classroom. For this student accommodations need to be
made within the classroom to help that student catch up within reason. In my classroom I allow some time
for finishing any uncompleted work, packets, etc. during class.
A theorist, Erik Erikson (Berns,2013), observed that students learn to enjoy working towards a
goal when they receive recognition. When they do not get the recognition they desire for their work they
could be left feeling incompetence. In our example there is no recognition from his/her home life
regarding the take home assignments. This student is most likely feeling incompetence in class during
work review. That could be a reason why he/she is acting out during the assignment reviews.
All of the home factors affect the student while they are at school. This is something that as a
teacher we need to be prepared for. We need to find ways to relate and accommodate(Berns,2013) the
material to the students so they can feel a sense of self accomplishment within their academic career.
Giving the student from the example praise in class for completing the assignment during their down time

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between subjects is a good way to start giving them the opportunity to feel self-accomplishment
(Berns,2013) for the work they have done. All factors of socialization(Berns,2013) from outside of the
classroom affect the student. As teachers we have to understand that we cannot change those factors. It is
our job to accommodate them.
Cultural Diversity Instruction
A classroom is a melting pot(Berns,2013) of culture. There is anywhere between 20 and 30
children in any given classroom at any given day. Each one of those students has a different home life and
cultural identity. The biggest challenge for teachers to face is how to balance the different cultures within
the classroom while still focusing on curriculum(Berns,2013). As a teacher you need to be aware of
the micro system(Berns,2013) and macro system influences(Berns,2013) surrounding the students. The
students home life, religion, culture, traditions, and community all play a role in the development and
success of that student. As a teacher I would set up my classroom to be conducive of learning and positive
relationship building between students and myself. I would detect the different cultures within my
classroom so I can better relate topics and subject matter to the students for the best possible
understanding. I do know that different cultures and traditions could interfere with the students school
life. I plan to keep an open mind and understanding with the families whose traditions may be different
than my own. Being conscious of the intentional and unintentional socialization(Berns,2013) that takes
place within the classroom are important as well. Especially with unintentional socialization, and being
sensitive to subject matter that might offend some students.
In todays time I see more cultural assimilation(Berns,2013) outside of the classroom and more
cultural pluralism(Berns,2013) within the classroom. I believe that assimilation is not the best way to
incorporate the different cultures of the classroom. I think it is important to celebrate the cultures and not
have the minority culture fade into the majority culture. I love how teachers use cultural pluralism to
celebrate each individual students culture and tradition in the classroom. Helping that student hold onto

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their familys traditions and moral standing is an important aspect of socialization(Berns,2013) that the
student receives from both the micro and macro systems.

References
Berns, Roberta, M. (2013) Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support (9th ed.)
Belmont, Ca: Wadsworth