Running Head: SIB

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Matt Moxham
Carol Billing
College of Western Idaho

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All Students Can Learn

Ability to learn, in my opinion, is greatly ties to a students environment as they are
growing up. The Bioecological Model of Human Development does an amazing job of making
this interaction between environment and individual an open case for analysis (Berns, 2013).
The different layers ranging from microsystem to chronosystem all contain unique factors that
will influence a childs behavior as theyre growing up, which eventually affects their attitude
towards school and learning (Berns, 2013). The different elements in the microsystem will
directly affect their attitude because of the daily interactions with all. The different elements,
school, family, media, peers, and community, are all directly and indirectly socializing us (Berns,
2013). If a student sees that their peers arent putting forth an effort to learn material in school
and they arent pressed to be different by their parents, then they are very likely to slack off. On
the other hand, the community and peers could place a high value on education which could
potentially influence the student to try harder in school.
Ability to learn could be affected by these agents of socialization, but it also may not be.
There are people who believe that our ability to learn is just human instinct and cant be
influenced by factors in our environment, but there are also others who think that they are
directly related. I think that if a student is in an environment that is conducive for learning, then
their ability to learn would be refined more than those students who werent in such
environments, putting them at an advantage. Its almost like sports. The more practice and
training that you have coupled with your familiarity for the basics of physical activity can greatly
make it easier for you to learn new sports, or become better at ones that you may already be
involved in. I believe that the same can be said for academics as well as other less discussed
areas.

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I think that in classrooms, at least in my experience which is very little, it is very easy to

tell whether a student is learning or not. You can tell which students are trying to understand the
new concepts by the effort that they put forth in homework, and the results gathered from
testing. There are also those students who cheat and skate by through cheating. Those students
arent learning at the rate that the ones actually trying are. There are also more students who are
trying, but are just having a hard time learning the material. I think that the easiest way to make
sure that the class as a whole is learning is to just talk to them. Whether its as a whole, in small
groups, or one on one, that communication is whats going to allow me as the teacher to help all
of the students achieve their maximum potential when it comes to learning the material in my
class.
Teachers Expectations
A teachers expectations for a student can greatly influence their educational experience,
as well as their social development into an adult. The theory of classism plays a vital role in this
(Berns, 2013). If a student is transferring from a low funded school from a poor part of town to a
nicer school, chances are that the teacher at the new school wont expect much from them. How
the student reacts to this depends on their resilience (Berns, 2013). If a student sees that a
teacher is excepting them to perform poorly in the class, they will probably react one of two
ways. Either they will realize the challenge that they are facing to prove themselves and step up
their game to surprise the teacher and rewrite what others perspective of them is, or they will
shrink back from the challenge and fulfill those expectations that have been set for them. By
having the same expectations for all students while still being able to recognize their uniqueness,
teachers are able to inspire students to perform well and achieve great things in school. I believe
that it is good to acknowledge a students strengths and build those up while still expecting more

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of them because it presses them to better themselves. Not all students are going to be at the same
level, so while the general expectations for students should be the same its also good to have
individual expectations for those who need them to be pushed to learn.
The goals that are set for students are very important to the students success. If a student
feels that the goals being set for them are too high, they may not put forth the effort required to
progress in the class at the expected rate. Some students may feel this way because of a lack of
communication between teacher and student, while others may have genuine issues with the
workload because of some disability that they have (Berns, 2013). The first can be easily fixed
by talking with the student and getting on the same page so that they understand what is going on
is perfectly manageable and theres no reason to feel overwhelmed. The latter requires a little
more effort, but I feel it is the responsibility of the teacher to put forth that effort to help the
student succeed. Learning disabilities can be tricky because the student is fully functioning on a
social level and may excel in other subjects, but can have numerous road blocks in a specific
subject like math or reading. By taking a little extra time to help the student try to find a way
that works for them to do the assignment, and possibly individualizing their goals, a teacher can
inspire confidence in these students so that they can succeed as much as possible in the certain
subject. I think that its also important for the classroom goals to be clear and measureable so
that the teacher can track progress and remain on track easily. This may mean that there are
smaller goals within the larger ones, but it gives students a feeling of accomplishment as well as
helps the teacher gauge their performance.
Students Social Ecology Theory
There is a great importance in placing an emphasis on learning so that students
understand what its true value is. While these students are going through their K-12 education,

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most end up getting in a rut and just doing the minimum required to get the grade and place no
value in the knowledge that they could be acquiring. A good teacher will be able to help some
students, not all but as many as they can, make that jump to understand the true value of
knowledge and the importance that it places on learning. Being able to function in this society
means that you can contribute to it, and its important to know how to do that properly. This is
why we need to learn how to learn, which I believe is the underlying message of our education
system. We do want these kids to know all of these things that we teach about history, literature,
math, and so on, but ultimately were trying to teach them how to process information so that
they can apply it to their lives and use it. If they can accomplish this, then they allow themselves
to apply the things that theyve carried with them to their job, which makes them a very valuable
employee and ultimately a productive member of the society.
Families can make or break a childs education when it comes down to it. A lack of
support can cripple the child and prevent them from excelling in school and possibly dropping
out, but on the other hand it could push them to rise from the situation that theyre in and move
onto better things. By empowering the parents, were giving them tools to be more involved in
their childs life, and also giving them ways to have control of their lives so that they can have a
positive view on education because they feel its something that theyre involved in (Berns,
2013). When a family has these inputs for guidance and outlets for their stress, a child is more
comfortable engaging their family which ultimately allows them to learn more because of the
different stimuli in the family environment that arent found in school. Society also greatly
affects a childs learning. Collectivism and individualism, fitting in and standing out, are
basically what it comes down to (Berns, 2013). There needs to be a healthy balance to maximize
these students learning experience. The collectivism allows the students to work in groups and

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understand how their actions will affect a greater outcome, while the individualistic side of it will
give them a self-worth that is tied to their learning experiences. Our culture emphasizes both of
these aspects in a very constructive way in the school system through different group projects
and clubs that allow them to work together but stand out as an individual.
Cultural Diversity Instruction
To me, the best way to build on the life histories and experiences of students ethnic
backgrounds is to acknowledge that they exist. Theres a pretty popular saying that states No
one cares how much you know until they know how much you care, and I think it fits perfectly
with this. Itll be easier to connect with these students if we show them that we care about their
individuality and their culture. One of the best parts about being a teacher is being able to
interact with so many different students from different backgrounds. There will undoubtedly be
a vast amount of values that differ from student to student, which can greatly affect their
educational experience (Berns, 2013). If this is the case, then being as informed as possible
about those values is what will allow me as a teacher to help them best. When I was going
through high school, there were a lot of teachers who didnt get to know any of the students
backgrounds. These teachers were the ones that most students had a hard time getting along with
and struggled in their classes because there was no relationship built. The teachers who
expressed interest in a students life and background were the ones that the students connected
with, and learned best from.
The difference between cultural pluralism and cultural assimilation is extremely
obvious once you understand the terms (Berns, 2013). Cultural pluralism is when there is a
mutual appreciation and understanding of various cultures and coexistence in society of different
languages, religious beliefs, and lifestyles. Cultural assimilation is when a minority culture

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group takes on the characteristics of the majority cultural group. The first is a more welcoming
and understanding perspective on culture. Its welcoming to the differences and the culture as a
whole learns how to interact with the differences in values and backgrounds. The latter isnt as
understanding because they are expecting the people of different cultures to, in a way, abandon
their own culture so that they can fit into the societys norms and standards that have been set by
the majority. In my personal opinion, this is a recipe for a bland society that has less potential
than the ones that are accepting of other cultures.
Curriculum for All Learners
The best way to know what adjustments to make when youre a teacher, whether to tests,
assignments, or lectures, is to talk to your students. If I were to give a test and all of the students
bombed it, I would instantly know that I need to alter something. I would ask them if it was just
that the test was too hard and that they felt the homework didnt prepare them for it. If that was
the case, then I can change the test to have problems that looked more like the homework. If it
wasnt the case, then I need to look at how I was presenting the lessons and teaching them,
because the lessons may be falling on deaf ears if my behavior and attitude aligned with my
goals for the class (Berns, 2013). If there is that open line of communication between student
and teacher, then the teacher will always know what they need to do to help the students learn
better.
Teacher assessment is a good way to get professional feedback that you may not get
otherwise in order to evaluate performance in a classroom setting. It opens up the teacher to
more ideas about how to improve their teaching style and lesson content. There may, however,
be some cases where the teacher is doing something that is working amazingly for the students
and is helping them learn the material better than any other method, but the administration

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doesnt approve and gives them negative feedback on the assessment. In this case, its up to the
teachers to figure out how to please both sides of the system, but still accomplish their ultimate
goal.
Improving on a students level of learning doesnt just mean that you teach them more
things, it means that as a teacher you are giving them new tools to help educate themselves,
whether in or out of the class setting. By giving the students these tools, you are maximizing the
zone of proximal development and increasing the opportunity for self-discovery (Berns, 2013).
Making sure that every student is improving upon that level of learning while theyre in my class
is a pretty tall order, but totally doable. By having the open line of communication and being
approachable to the students, Ill be able to offer suggestions about their study habits and note
taking habits, along with everything else that goes into how they learn. By showing the students
that I care, doors will be opened that allow me to influence this aspect of their lives.
Peoples beliefs change throughout the duration of their careers for many reasons, this is
inevitable. However, as educators it is our responsibility to remember that all students have the
ability to learn. We must constantly keep in mind how our expectations shape their education,
and realize that we are preparing them to interact with the rest of society as functioning adults.
We may have to remind ourselves to value the students differences and interact with them to
create a vibrant class culture. We must constantly be checking ourselves on these things and on
our ability as teachers to make sure that we are doing our best for the students. While my
education career is just beginning, I know that these beliefs are something that I can hold onto
for the entirety of it.

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References

Berns, R. (2013). Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support (9th ed.).
Belmont, California: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.