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Running Head: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs Essay Laura Merabelle Mrs. Carol Billings EDUC 204 Families, Community, & Culture Online, Spring 2013

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Statement of Informed Beliefs Essay All Students Can Learn I believe everybody has the ability to learn, however they may not have the desire to do so. It falls on the teacher to unlock that desire for the students, but not every teacher may feel this way. Some may choose the profession just because they need a job and feel that teaching could be an easy one. I happen to disagree with that, I believe teaching and doing it properly is one of the most difficult professions someone can choose. You are in control of young minds and it is your duty to shape and develop those minds for each individuals success. Everybody has their own way of doing or not doing things, if a student is not interested in learning I think the teacher should be investigating why that student does not show an interest. There might be a breakdown in the childs microsystem is keeping that student from being successful in the classroom or it could be a learning disability holding the student back. I think a teacher that does not find out what that reason is has failed that student. When I am able to head my own class I will strive to pay attention to the little things. I think if you ignore the little things you are missing out on a lot. There are clues in these little things that may help unlock the mysteries of your students. Someone who is planning on becoming a teacher needs to be aware of Howard Gardners theory of multiple intelligences in reference to different learning styles. Gardner has broken it down into eight different categories logical-mathematical, linguistic, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist (Berns, 248); not only will a successful teacher be able to recognize the different styles within his or her class they should be able to adjust the lesson plan to accommodate for several students with different styles on the fly. I will admit, I have a long way to go in recognizing the distinct differences but I believe it is very important to know them and

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be able to distinguish between them, so it is something I am working towards. I do not think I can be a successful teacher without knowing and without knowing I will have failed my students. As a teacher in front of my own class one of the main things that will keep the class going will be respect. You have to give respect to get respect. I will run my classroom with respect and my hope is that my students will learn from my modeling. If they show me and their fellow students respect then they will receive respect from their peers and from me their teacher. Everybody has the ability to learn and when they feel comfortable, safe and respected in their classroom it will allow them to open up their minds to learn without the fear of ridicule. In a perfect world all of this will happen without hesitation or mistakes. In reality I know there will be mistakes on my part and on those of my students, but how we move forward and what we learn from those mistakes is what will ultimately be the lesson learned.
Teacher Expectations

When thinking about how a teachers expectations influence the students ability to learn I felt that it would be easy to explain. After doing some research and soul searching I found that it might be a bit more complicated that I had originally thought. I will not argue against the importance of a teachers involvement in each individual students personal success. The role of the teacher is a very important one and if that role is not taken seriously can leave lasting effects on each student who may or may not pass on those experiences whether they are positive or negative to others. A teacher approaching a new year with a new class has an opportunity to read the previous teachers reports about each student. What is in those reports may influence how the new teacher may handle the new students. If the previous reports are favorable the new teacher may cater to those students who have excelled in the classroom, and spend less time with the

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students who need a little more instruction. As demonstrated in the study by Rosenthal and Jacobson in their book Pygmalion in the Classroom (1968). Even though the names given to the teachers in this case were just randomly chosen names from the class with nothing special or above average marks in their files; by the end of the school year they had shown greater numbers of improvement than those students who were classified as average. Further supporting the idea that teachers who had made decisions based on prejudice thoughts they had about select students; they treated those students differently and had higher expectations for them. If a teacher sets high expectations for all of their students and hold students to those standards the students will ultimately be the ones to prosper with higher scores, motivation and better participation by all students. If a teacher possesses no expectations or low expectations they can expect the same in return from the students. If the teacher shows no interest or passion for what they are doing then the students will exhibit very similar behaviors.

Educational goals can be best described as what exactly the students are to learn from a particular lesson, instruction or activity. I did some research and found a site that explained it in laymans terms. A goal is the target and objectives are the arrows that help the learner reach the target and demonstrate mastery (Education). It also states: 1-Every educational activity should have a goal, 2- The goal focuses on what the learner will experience, rather than what the instructor will share or do and 3-It is a broad statement of purpose (Education). Now why are educational goals important? Well they are important because they help define what the intended outcome is supposed to be. It reminds everyone what is expected and it also gives an end point to shoot for, thus holding both the teacher and student accountable. This is what is expected of you and if you reach this goal you have succeeded and are able to move forward.

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Students Social Ecology Theory I believe that depending on the age of the student, the reasons why it is important to connect learning to their social ecology may differ; only because they are in different developmental stages and what a younger student may think important might not phase an older one. Jean Piagets thoughts on social cognition categorize children depending on their ages into three stages preoperation, concrete operation, and formal operation. Berns writes in her book Child, Family, School, Community (2010), Throughout development, peer relationships contribute to the self-concept, including ones perception of his or her personal identity (Who am I?) and self-esteem (How do I feel about myself?), depending on what stage of child we are talking about personal identity and self-esteem may not be fully developed or defined. A young child interacting with a peer may be more reciprocal with spontaneous reactions and mimicking. As the child approaches the two year mark verbal communication may start to factor into play. Children between the ages of two thru six may play in a wide variety of roles not before available in the family dynamics. They have to learn how to deal with things like power, compliance, cooperation and conflict (Burns, p. 274). This aids in the development of their personal identity as well as their self-esteem. A middle aged child as young as six and as old as thirteen have more independent time because they are able to tend to themselves versus a younger child who needs help with daily activities. This allows more definition to the sense of self, or their self-concept. The older of this age group tend to search out for peers or those whom they feel are like them, this gives them the feeling that they are not alone or weird while also providing role models (Burns, p. 275). An adolescence child would be the oldest of the group who is between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. Activity in this group would be at its highest. The values of family are usually different than those of their peers. This usually ends up that the

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older student will turn to the parents in future-ordinated decisions (Burns p. 276). After looking at the different stages of a child one can see that what is important at one stage may not be so important in another stage. What age group are you teaching and what is important to them? If you are in a Middle Childhood class ( ages 6-12ish) you have to understand the importance that these children put on feeling independent as well as a need to find a place to fit in. If your classroom is geared for a less mature group you may not get the student/teacher or group interaction that you are looking for. The latter part of this age group is a volatile group where a lot of things are happening all at once. One of the biggest examples would be puberty. These students are overloaded with hormones and may not be able to focus on simple tasks. They are tired or over-energized, mood swings and growth spurts; they are looking to others to see if what they are experiencing is normal. When they find others or peers who can understand what they are going through they may form bonds with some and reject others. As an educator one must realize the independent and social things that are happening at this time and understand the importance of these bonds while being able to control the situation without being too restrictive. Knowing is power as a teacher, but understanding and being able to provide support will be what makes a difference in your students life. Not only are a students peers a factor in the learning process but knowing the students background would be the most insightful. Your first contact with the world is your family. Who makes up your family and what their values and interests are greatly affect who you are and what is important to you. The same goes for your students. If their family does not put emphasis on school you could have issues with parent involvement, which in turn may affect the student performance. If the family has strict religious beliefs that are not main stream this too may affect student performance. They may feel ostracized during popular holiday seasons and be excluded

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from many school or social engagements. Keep in mind that just because a family does not hold education in high regard does not mean that they love their children any less than those who do. Keep in mind that we are all individuals who come from different backgrounds and cultures. Where we come from, our families and our experiences mold us into whoever we may become. These things help us determine and define our personal identity as well as our selfesteem. You may not know the background of the person standing in front of you in the grocery store, just as you may not know the student sitting in the third seat from the left in the fourth row. You may pass the time talking with the person in the grocery store, but in my mind if you are an educator, a teacher you owe it to that student to know them. I mean really know them and their background, because that is what molds them and makes them who they are. Cultural Diversity Instruction When addressing the topic of Cultural Diversity a lot of things come to mind of how I would like to tackle the issue within my classroom. In a perfect world students would hold onto the things that molded them into who they are and learn to appreciate their culture; while at the same time acclimating themselves to the world and people around them. I think cultural assimilation, the process where a minority group takes on the characteristics of the majority group (Berns,p.202), is more prevalent in the youth of our society not only minority groups but youth as a whole. They are constantly trying to look and act like what they see on television. Not very many kids today have an individual style or walk to the beat of a different drummer. They do not realize that what makes them different is what should be remembered and cherished. I believe that if cultural pluralism was more prevalent in the classroom the things that make us different would be celebrated versus trying to be like everyone else. Now cultural pluralism,

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what the heck is it? Roberta Berns defines cultural pluralism as a mutual appreciation and understanding of various cultures and coexistence in society of different languages, religious beliefs, and lifestyles (p.203). Keeping Berns definition in mind I return to the issue of cultural diversity in my classroom, I enjoy history and learning about the things and people that got us here today. I would hope that my enjoyment will be contagious and the bug will be caught by my students. Something that I am looking to do is work their histories and ethnic backgrounds into our lessons. Currently in the Idaho Content Standards in Social Studies Standard 1: History, Goal 1.1 fifth grade students by the end of the school year are expected to understand the cultural and social development of the United States. By connecting our backgrounds to the development of the United States and seeing how these different cultures affected or molded our young country into what it is today, maybe just maybe my students will see how interesting it can be. The current Idaho Content Standards 5.SS.1.1.2, 5.SS.1.1.3, and 5.SS.1.1.4 are the standards that address the individuals, political, cultural, and religious influences that were important in impacting American history (Idaho). We will be able to discuss how and why people from other countries made their way to the young nation when we move to Goal 1.2 and trace the role of migration and immigration of people in the development of the United States. We will learn about European immigrants and their religious, political and economic motives for migrating (5.SS.1.2.1). As well as the significant American Indian groups that were encountered during the western expansion (5.S.1.2.4). By recognizing our backgrounds and where we come from I am hoping that my students will be motivated to see how all of the different cultures and people molded a new world and what role their ancestors played in the process. Curriculum for all Learners

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Planning, delivery, and assessment these three have to work in conjunction with each other and if you are weak in one area I feel that the other two will also suffer. First the teacher has to be clear on the outcome. What goals are the students expected to know and what are their major concepts? Once the outcome is determined then the teacher must ascertain what the students already know, this will give a good look at where they are as a whole and where to begin, so the end outcome is reached. Now that there is a chosen starting point the planning can begin, followed by the delivery. The process can and should be ever changing; the beginning assessment should be more diagnostic to identify where the students fall regarding their current knowledge and skills. For example when beginning a new unit a journal may be assigned with thought provoking questions that ask about the students current understanding of the upcoming unit. As they move forward the assessments should continue but not at the previous level. At this point while they are in the process of learning new material the assessments should take on another personality, they should become more formative. In such that the information gained is used as feedback to the teacher and the students as their comprehension and retention of the topic. This information can be used to redirect the delivery, if not even the whole plan. One of my favorite formative ideas is inclass discussion that covers some of the major points of a concept. Once the discussion is going you can get a feel for the level of comprehension, and figure out if there is a need for clarification or adaptation. To finish up a unit the final stage of assessments will come into play in the form of summative. This is usually used at the end of a unit, term or program as a total assessment of the learning process. After the initial pre-unit assessment is evaluated and you have decided on a place to begin, the planning part comes into the picture. In this process there are several things to

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consider, content, structure, timing, resources required, student learning styles, learning outcomes, types of assessments, when and how many. First the content, make sure you are clear on what you are teaching your students as well as what is expected in the learning outcome. Structure how are you going to get the desired results? Worksheets and textbooks or will you take on a more hands on approach? If you decide that you are going to something like an iPad make sure that you have enough, and you have a plan B in case there are not enough or there are technical difficulties. If you have assigned a specific text to be read make sure there are enough books to go around or you have assigned reading shifts to accommodate for the shortage. If this is not enough, lets think about the students. Are they all the same? Of course not, they are all individuals that have different needs, strengths, and weaknesses. This also includes their learning styles. Gardner has eight well known styles, how many of them are represented in your classroom? Are you aware of the characteristics that separate them? Will you be able to take a lesson that is directed towards an interpersonal learner and adapt it to a learner that is more spatial. In this case I would like to see a group setting where the spatial learner was given a task within the group that supported their learning behavior, for example the spatial learner could observe a particular activity then report back to the group. Several times within a day you may need to adjust you plan, due to unforeseen instances. You may find yourself adjusting due to time constraints as well as student comprehension. If they are not following the material that you are presenting you may have to change it up and go a different direction. Maybe the information is not sinking in; it may not be stimulating for them. You may have to try something different maybe look for a topic related video, or an activity to spark the interest then attack the text again if not different text altogether.

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The point is the whole process works together and is constantly changing. You have to be able to adapt and think on your feet. Be able to admit when you are wrong and need to try again. A plan may work in your head but until you apply it you will not know. If it does not work do not be afraid to move forward and overcome. The students look up to you and they are counting on you to lead and teach them. I am not looking to be a teacher for monetary gain, are you aware of what is going on in the realm of education? I want to see students succeed; I want to see the light bulb over their heads. I am willing to give up my time before and after school, including lunches to assure that they have the resources that they need to succeed. I will think of my class when we are not together, I will spend hours planning and thinking of new ways to deliver information that is exciting and holds their interest. I will encourage and support them every day. I will make a safe environment for them to come in and learn, and not be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. This in my mind is what comes to a teacher naturally, the need to see students succeed.

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Works Cited Berns, Roberta. Child, Family, School, Community. 8th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2010. Print. Idaho. Education. - Social Studies Content Standards. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. <http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/content_standards/ss_standards.htm>. Educational Goals and Objectives. N.p.: Ineedce.com, n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2013 <http://www.ineedce.com/courses/1561/PDF/ed_goals_odjctvs.pdf>. Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L., (1968). Pygmalion in the Classroom. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.