STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 1

Statement of Informed Beliefs Essay

April Johnson

Kimberly M. Johanek

EDUC 220-001W

Spring 2018
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All Students Can Learn

I believe all students learn differently. All teachers need to learn how to adjust their

teaching styles based on how the classroom is responding to the lesson being taught. Teachers

have a huge responsibility in the socialization of a student. Majority of children start school with

no prior knowledge of how to read, write, or be a value member of society. A teacher must

educate all students in all areas of life. A great way to promote positive behavior is with positive

reinforcement. Being able to recognize the students who have great behavior tells the students

who are not following directions to get it together without singling them out. The teacher is

shaping her classroom into what she/he needs it to be without any negative reinforcements.

All students will learn a lot by example. Examples from you as a teacher that of other

students. Also, setting rules and boundaries from the start of the school year and following

through with them, will set your classroom up for success. This will create a better environment

for the students to learn. Giving every student a responsibility throughout the school year will

also help them learn to be an active member in the classroom. Also, giving the students group

work will help them learn how to work together to complete a task.

As a teacher I will manage and lead my classroom by making rules and setting high

expectations. I will always aim higher and set bigger goals. I will also make the environment a

welcoming one. Making sure all students know their ideas, questions, and comments are always

welcome.

Teacher’s Expectations

Every teacher has a different learning style for their classroom. Based on the students,

the teacher might have to adjust their approach of educational instruction to fit the needs of all
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students. To obtain the desired goals of the educational program, the teacher must follow the

curriculum and adjust when needed. There are several goals the teacher can create to achieve

his/her classroom expectations. Cooperative and Competitive goals are two examples that can

be used. Pairing students together helps students fill the zone of proximal development. Having

students working against each other to achieve desired goals will help push them to their full

potential.

By setting these goals gives the students an end goal. It gives them a feeling of

accomplishment and a boost in their ego. As a teacher I will set high standards for each student

individually and as a classroom. I will help each student succeed in their given tasks without

doing the work for them.

Students’ Social Ecology Theory

Children develop within many layers of a microsystem which include family, school,

community, and peers. Students not only are socialized in one of these microsystems, but in all

of them at the same time. They all bond together and have a cause and effect reaction. If

something negative happens at home, it will affect the student at school. If the student has a bad

day at school, he/she could come home in a very bad mood which will affect the family life. To

help students’ ability to learn effectively we must foster their social competence. They need to

learn the appropriate ways of responding to the feelings and reactions of others. This will aid in

them knowing how to express their feelings, whether good or bad, in all their microsystems.

The teacher will help students’ ability to communicate more effectively and have a

positive outcome in all layers of the student. The teacher has a vital role in the student’s
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emotional communication and behaviors, because he/she is in the middle of family and peers.

He/she has the ability to help all students and gives the social support that student’s needs.

Cultural Diversity Instruction

As our nation grows in ethnic diversity we see more cultural differences in our

classrooms. Teachers must constantly adjust and try to understand each student’s cultural

backgrounds. As our society grows and is constantly changing so is our view of cultural

assimilation. Assimilation according to Berns, is the process whereby a minority ethnic group

takes on the characteristics of the majority ethic group. So, in other words, everyone should have

common values, similar lifestyles, attitudes, and languages. Today, cultural pluralism is more

acceptable. Berns states, pluralism is a mutual appreciation and understanding of the culture of

various ethnic groups and the coexistence in society of different languages, religions, and

lifestyles. Basically, society now recognizes group differences. We do not need to be separated

into our own groups. We still have common bonds holding us together.

As a teacher and an authority figure, I will be more of an active learner of my students’

different cultures. I will try to know my students’ cultural background as well as their academic

abilities. The more background information on my students I know the more I can connect,

instruct, and include them in the classroom. I will make the effort for not only me as the teacher

learning about my students, but as a class to learn about their fellow classmates. This will lead to

everyone in the class feeling more comfortable to who they really are and not who they think

they should be.

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