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Statement of Informed Beliefs

Meaghan Spurgin
Professor Carol Billing
EDUC 204-001W: Foundations of Education
12 May 2014

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Statement of Informed Beliefs
I am passionate about education, and doing the best job I can possibly do. I see each
child much like I see my own, which makes me invested in every one. It goes back to that
Golden Rule of life that I learned in school when I was very young, and still follow today. I
would hope and pray that someone would help my child, so I feel obligated to help those I can.
I'm not one of those people who is able to remain detached and unaffected by the experiences of
others, but I personally see this as a strength.
All Students Can Learn
I think every student learns in a different way, and that it is the responsibility of the
teacher to find some method of getting through to each of his or her students. I think one way of
addressing individual learning styles is to incorporate the different types of learning into each
lesson. It would be great to get students up on their feet, actively engaging with the material,
while you demonstrate visually and recite verbally. This way, most of your bases are covered
without having to teach multiple lessons for each task.
It has been my experience that everyone is capable of learning new things; its just a
matter of how fast, and how easily. As teachers, I think we have to be willing to commit to
taking extra time, and energy, to help those students who find learning more challenging. It
seems like so many students these days are passed off to special education simply because they
take too long to grasp the required material. While its great that these students are getting the
extra attention they need, its unfortunate that they end up being labeled for the remainder of
their education, perhaps unnecessarily.
It seems like some teachers dont feel responsible for the individual, as much as they do
the whole of the class. Slower students are sacrificed for the greater good. I understand this is

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usually because of the pressure/requirements to met standardized rates of progress and
achievement, but we have a responsibility to ourselves, if no one else, to do the best job
possible, and that means not letting anyone slip through the cracks.
I will do everything I can to quickly access the strengths and weaknesses of my students,
and develop my own individual plan for each one so I can make sure my lesson plans are
organized to include information and activities accessible to all of them. Then I can also plan
ahead for the extra time that some may require, like establishing groups of different levels, each
participating in their own custom activity so the more advanced students can develop their
independent learning skills, and I can dedicate more time to the kids that need it.
Teachers Expectations
Oh, if only more teachers truly understood how incredibly powerful their expectations of
a child really are. I'm an adamant believer that what you think of someone is who and what they
will become. We are so innately intuitive (whether were aware of it, or not) that even the things
we dont express verbally tend to be understood, be it actively or subconsciously. Since children
are even more receptive to these inherent signals, we have a responsibility to them to be even
more vigilant of not just our words and actions, but our thoughts and feelings as well.
Often as educators, we will be involved with children who for varying reasons, have
difficulty learning, participating, or behaving appropriately. For whatever reason, we seem
hardwired to begin forming opinions and making judgments immediately, then rating our
assessments on the scale of good to bad. This scale is always personal and subjective, based on
our own experiences and beliefs, and therefore, biased and limiting.
A childs potential knows no boundaries until someone begins to build them, and it is
almost never the child who does the building. Its in a childs nature to believe that they can do

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anything and that anything is possible. Its the adults in a childs life who begin to establish the
framework of the can and cants in life. I chose to embrace Seligmans theory of Learned
Optimism by creating an environment for success and independence, rather than setting limits
by fostering learned helplessness.
Other than immediate family, teachers are typically the most influential figures in a
childs life. Often in this modern age, children spend more time interacting with their teachers
than they do their own parents during an average week. For some children, teachers are the only
adults who support or encourage their academic endeavors. For some children, teachers are the
only people who provide a stable and consistent interpersonal relationship, period.
What we say and do as teachers has a huge impact on our students. What we think of
them matters, even to the ones who dont appear to be paying attention at all, maybe even more
so to them. These children see us as a primary source of knowledge and guidance. They trust us
as authority figures to be telling the truth, so when we tell them they can or can't do something,
they believe us. Even the most subtle instances of stereotyping or handicapism can and will
have profound effects on a childs self-esteem and future development.
Students Social Ecology Theory
I wish socioeconomics didnt play such a large role in education, but it does, on many
levels. Instead of letting a childs prescribed status define my perception of who they are as a
person, and as a student, it will merely be an insight into what their world outside of school is
like. Knowing a childs background will be incredibly helpful in determining how to best
approach them, and structure their classroom experience.
Since I have no control over my students home lives, the best way for me to combat any
potential problems at school will be to model appropriate behavior, since children often imitate,

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high-status dominant models, (Berns, 445) like teachers. Bandura was prominent in studies of
modeling behavior, proving repeatedly that children emulate the behavior of their role models.
Cultural Diversity Instruction
Understanding is probably the most critical element in bringing different groups of
people together. Usually, a lack of knowledge and understanding causes friction and strife.
Children are naturally welcoming unless taught to be otherwise. In my classroom, we will all
educate ourselves about each others similarities and differences, and be encouraged to embrace
rather than judge those things that make us unique. I think it would be fun to have different
cultural days, where each group is honored and celebrated, and the class can be exposed to a
multitude of experiences and traditions.
Cultural pluralism refers to the practice of embracing two cultures separately, and
individually, creating a life that incorporates both aspects. Cultural assimilation refers to the
practice of sacrificing one culture for another, taking on the dominate aspects of the new culture,
while separating from the traditions and customs of the old culture.
I have had experience with people from both pluralist and assimilation environments.
One of my good friends is Hispanic, but raised with the goal of assimilation. His parents wanted
him to be as American as possible, not wanting him to face the difficulties they did after
emigrating from Mexico. For this reason, they never taught him or his siblings Spanish, and
only spoke it occasionally in the home to one another. Unfortunately, it seems to have put my
friend at a disadvantage within his own ethnic community, as well as the larger community
beyond. Everyone assumes he speaks Spanish, and then is taken aback finding out that he
doesnt. It has been a source of shame for him among his extended family and peers who are

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Spanish speakers, and has even cost him a job he had been given on the assumption he was
fluent.
Conversely, the Hispanic family that lives next door seems to practice a more pluralistic
approach. Their home life is centered in Hispanic traditions and customs, yet outside the home,
they tend to more Americanized than many.
Curriculum for All Learners
Planning lessons that can and will instruct all of your students is one of the biggest
challenges any teacher will face. There are multiple learning styles, not to mention many
different levels of capability among every group of students. I wish there were a clear-cut
answer that could be sweepingly applied to all classrooms and situations, but sadly, thats just
not the case. Learning what works best for each individual student, and for the class as a whole,
is going to be an adventure in trial and error.
I think one of the best things I can do as a teacher is to be aware of my own learning
curve, and to accept that its going to take me some time to understand what my students need
from me to learn. I also have to be adaptable and willing to change my plans in order to better
suit the needs of my students. If I'm rigid in my thinking or planning, I wont be nearly as
effective in dealing with the students who dont, or cant, conform to my game plan.
Paying attention is critical to assessing students. I think it would be wise to spend quite a
bit of time those first few weeks of class devoting most of our class time to activities that help
me determine everyones ability level. Id start by reviewing some very basic skills that
everyone should have mastered, and build from there. Through this, Ill learn a great deal about
where my students are academically, not to mention their personalities.

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In order to build upon my students current skills, I'm going to have to keep track of
where theyre at regularly. Ill do most of this tracking, but I also plan to develop my own
progress checklists that I can easily tick off at the end of each lesson, or after each individual
interaction. That way I have a concrete form of information to remind myself, or to help anyone
else coming in to teach my class. Since I love to write, another useful tool for me to monitor
progress, and brainstorm ideas, will be a classroom journal.
When it comes to working with students to advance their skills, repetition is the single
most important aspect in learning for every student, regardless of any individuating
characteristics. The hard part is keeping things from seeming like the same thing over and over.
Keeping lessons fresh and exciting, so students are stimulated and receptive to knowledge even
when presented the same material repeatedly, will be the biggest challenge.
It is our responsibility as educators to set goals and standards, achieved through fun and
engaging activities that inspire children to do and be their best. We do this by caring, by being
supportive and confident in their abilities, encouraging when they are facing difficulties, and
remaining positively adamant in our resolve to get the job done.

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Bibliography
Berns, R. M. (2007). Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support. Belmont:
Wadsworth.