Running header: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELEIFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Jennifer L. Whitworth
Instructor: Evin Fox
EDUC 204: Families, Communities, and Culture

stATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Introduction
Were the same. Were different. Thats what makes the world such fun. Many kinds of
people, not just one! A rainbow would be boring if it were only green or blue. What makes a
rainbow beautiful is that it has every hue. So arent you glad you look like you? Were different.
Were the same (Kates, 1992, p.26). This Sesame Street book is one of my familys favorite
books. It is full of fun pictures of different people and monsters. The book also teaches a very
valuable lesson. We are different in many ways, but on the inside we are all the same. This belief
is at the core of a great teacher. There are many things that make each student different.
Understanding differences helps a teacher develop, but knowing that all children can learn is
what makes every student the same in a teachers eyes.
Were Different, Cultural Diversity Instruction
The classrooms here in the USA are made up of students with ethnic and cultural
diversity. Understanding the dimensions of diversity (Berns, 2015) between each student is
crucial as a teacher. There are many dimensions of diversity of which a teacher needs to be aware. Our textbook
includes a wheel of diversity and takes a close look at each element of the wheel in every chapter. Race/ethnicity
is The diverse dimension of race and ethnicity are significant ways people define themselves and others. They
impact relationships, neighborhoods, schools, work, politics, and media (Berns, 2015, p. 53). Socioeconomic
status is defined as the rank of position within a society based on social economic factors. Here in the United
States we use achieved status which is based on education level, occupation, and income. Language is another
dimension, Research demonstrates that Americans who listen to diverse language speakers talk compared to
Standard English speakers, consistently rank the English speaker as being smarter and of higher status. People not
only draw conclusion about speakers intelligence, but also about their education and other personal characteristics

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solely on the basis of how they sound (Berns, 2015, p. 267). Another dimension of diversity would be Family
Structure. Teachers need to be aware of the students family system, viewing the family as a whole in its structure
and organization patterns. They also need to think about their family of orientation or the family they are born
into. These are only a few of the dimensions of diversity. I know it is important to realize that children may fall
into more than just one of the categories. In Jean Piagets theory of cognitive development it states humans adapt
mentally to their environments through their interactions (Berns 2015). Children learn by building one concept
upon another. I plan on using this in my classroom, building on what the students learn in their family system.
I believe that it will be my obligation as a teacher to get to know my students and learn all the ways they
are different. I will do this with talking with them, parent teacher conferences, and get to know you activities.
My Aunt has been a teacher for 25 years. One of the things she does in her classroom is make a Read about Me
poster. Each student can write a story or draw a picture about themselves and family, then share it with the class
and pin it on the huge poster. This exercise invites the child to share his/her background. There are many activities
like this one that will help me and the students get to know each other. I also believe as a teacher it is my
responsibility to teach the children that being different is a good thing. This kind of activity will help with this also.
I also plan to introduce different cultures and religions to help the children by using food. In a recent study in
Public Diplomacy Magazine, more than half of the 140 people served said that eating a countrys cuisine led them
to think more positively about that country (Poon, 2014, par. 3). I believe this will have a similar effect on my
students. When those who might be different find something in common, like food, they can start finding more
and more common traits. And as the saying goes The easiest way to win hearts and minds in through the
stomach (Poon, 2014, par. 3). I also believe that if I show each student respect they will do the same with each
other. These experiences along with many more I will introduce to my class and will help them learn about
diversity.

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Cultural pluralism involves a mutual appreciation and understanding of the culture of various ethnic
groups and the coexistence in society of different languages, religions and lifestyles. (Berns 2015, p. 12). I would
like to encourage this kind of understanding in my classroom rather than what is sometimes currently used,
cultural assimilation. The latter is defined as the process whereby a minority ethnic group takes on the
characteristics of the majority ethnic group (Berns 2015). I know that this is sometimes helpful and cant be fully
eliminated, but I do not plan on supporting it. I want my class to embrace their differences and know that, A
rainbow would be boring if it were only green or blue (Kates 1992, p. 26).
Were different, Social Ecology Theory
Family is usually the first microsystem or relationships with significant others in a small
setting for a child. The microsystem will be different with every child and can have a big impact
on their wanting to learn. Their family also has an impact on the childs values. If education is
not valued at home then it is hard for the student to do homework or maybe even want to learn. I
want to be able to support all the children, by giving time in recess or before school to finish
homework, or an opportunity to read with me if they need the practice. I am part of a different
microsystem. It will be my responsibility as a teacher to work with the childrens different
microsystems so they will have a better chance of succeeding in their education.
Urie Bronfenbrenners theory states that students arent socialized by one microsystem at a time
but through interlacing all of them (Bern. 2015). Other microsystems for the child include community, peers,
and media. Including all the microsystems, or examples of them, and having the children apply what they are
learning into real life situations will be a great way to have the lesson stay with them because the lesson will
combined the students different microsystems. One idea for this I also got from my aunt, is to write a story together
as a class, letting them choose things out of their real life to tell the story such as what the characters ate, how they
got home from school, and names of the streets and characters. This activity will include all the students and let

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them relate things from home and community to school. As a teacher, developing Mesosystems or linking these
microsystems will help them learn and develop socially so they know that every student is different and What
makes a rainbow beautiful is that it has every hue (Kates 1992, p. 26)
Were the same, All Children Can Learn.
The phrase one size fits all most certainly does not apply to instruction in todays
diverse classrooms. Each school day is a dynamic mix of learners walking into
classrooms. Students differ by performance level, learning style, gender, ethnicity, race,
and socioeconomics. If we take into account variables such as health, disabilities,
stressful life incidents, and level of family support for education, the picture becomes
even more complex. Yet each of these unique children need to be educated as citizens of
and contributors to the twenty-first century world. And it is our job to teach them all
(Armstrong, 2010, p. 6).
I believe that as a teacher if I have high and clear expectations, the children will know
what is expected and the classroom will have an atmosphere that will inspire them to learn. One
expectation I plan to have is all my children are to do THEIR best work. Although I know I will
have to be sensitive to the home conditions, like what I talked about before, I will expect them all
do their assigned work. I want to give them the chance to be successful. This measurement will
vary from child to child. Another expectation I believe will be important, especially with younger
children, is to respect each other and allow the others to learn.
Not our expectation of students, but our expectation for student (Ritchart, 2015). This
quote is another belief that should be at the core of a great teacher. It goes on to say, when we
hold the expectation that understanding is a chief goal of learning... [Rather] than solely focusing
on the acquisition of knowledge then our teaching becomes focused on deep rather than

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surface learning. When both teacher and student have the expectation, or mindset, that one gets
smarter through ones efforts, then challenge and mistakes can be embraced as learning
opportunities (Ritchart, 2015, p. 7). I hope to instill this thought in myself as well as my class. I
dont want the word mistake to be a bad thing but just another chance to try again. I want my
students to know that we all learn from mistakes. I learn from my mistakes and that is what
makes me, me.
As a teacher I believe that making a mistake is okay, and when I do make a mistake I plan
to own it. I try to do that now in my everyday life. But I also know that when I do make a
mistake I need to learn from it. As teacher I will do this by self-evaluation. Asking myself, Did
that lesson work, and how can I make it better? Even when I don't make a mistake I believe
asking myself these questions daily will make me a better teacher.
One of the realities is that, while all students can learn, they will not all start at the same
place, learn at the same rate, or reach the same ultimate level of proficiency. This is
because of differences in academic ability, interests, and commitment. The perfect
assessment system will accommodate these by providing a continuous progress
curriculum and then by relying on assessment record keeping, and communication
processes that provide accurate information that adjusts to student needs (Chappuis,
2005, p. 7).
This world is full of many dimensions of diversity, people of all shapes, sizes, and
backgrounds. It is what makes the world so wonderful. As teacher it is my job to know my
students are different in their own wonderful way. I will need to teach them and help with their
socialization in this world. As a teacher is also my job to know that they are all the same, every

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student can learn. As my Sesame Street books says, Were different, were the same. Were
Wonderful! (Kates 1992, p. 26)

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References
Armstrong S. & Hanskin S. (2010). A Practical Guide to Tiering Instruction in the Differentiated
Classroom. New York: Public Scholastic
Berns, R.M. (2007, 2010). Child, family, school, and community: Socialization and
Support (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomas Wadsworth.
Chappuis, S., Stiggins, R. J., Arter J. A, Chappuis J. (2005) Assessment for learning: An Action
guide for school leaders, Portland OR: Educational Testing Services
Kates, B.J. (1992). We're Different, We're the Same. New York: Random House
Poon, L. (2014). Gastro diplomacy: Cooking Up A Tasty Lesson On War And Peace.
Ritchart, R. (2015). Creating Cultures of Thinking: the 8 Forces We Must Mater to Truly
Transform Our Schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass