SIB 1 Running head: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs Essay Brittney Calamia Carol Billing Education 204 Families, Communities, &Culture Fall 2011

SIB 2 Statement of Informed Beliefs Essay Every student that goes into a classroom is different in many different ways, which is why teaching is such an amazing career. As a future educator I am excited to work with all different kinds of students, although it may be somewhat of a challenge. In the following paragraphs I will explain my beliefs about diversity, and how I will address them in my classroom. This will be explained in the five sections that follow: all students can learn, teachers expectations, students social ecology theory, cultural diversity instruction, and curriculum for all learners. All Students Can Learn I strongly believe that all students have the ability to learn. I also believe that some lack the motivation to learn, and that the teacher has the ability to positively or negatively affect that motivation. In order to effect the students motivation, I believe it is very important to get to know each student, and how he or she learns best within the classroom. According to Howard Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligences, there are eight different intelligences in which a person can process information. I, as a teacher, would ensure that all students will learn by creating ways to incorporate all eight multiple intelligences and all learning styles within the curriculum. Students learn in all different ways, and I think it is very important as a teacher to acknowledge that fast. Although it would be rather difficult to incorporate all eight multiple intelligences into a single lesson plan, I do think it is important to offer diversified instructional strategies. At the beginning of each year, I think it is important for the teacher to try and get to know each student as best as possible. I also think it is very important that the teacher sets boundaries in the classroom so that students are able to share feelings, but understand that the teacher is also

SIB 3 an authoritarian figure. By having a better understanding of where each student comes from can be very important when it comes to their learning. The community in which a student was raised can have a significant impact on the way they act in the classroom. As a teacher I will strive to get to know not only the students in my classroom, but also their families. Teachers Expectation Classroom expectations have a lot of influence on the students ability to learn. The expectations that a teacher sets at the beginning of the year, will be followed all year long. I think it is important to first instill a sense of self-esteem within the classroom. This can sometimes be a difficult task, which is why positive reinforcement can be so important when a student accomplishes something, big or small. A class that has clear expectations at the start of the year will most likely be managed well, and work hard to accomplish goals. The teacher must also be able to set reasonable goals for the class. The teacher can create cooperative, competitive, or individualized goals, depending on the desired outcome. By allowing the class to define the goals they want to accomplish, and stating them within the classroom, will allow the class to motivate themselves. Whether it is as a team or competitively, they are constantly moving in the direction of those goals. The teacher should acknowledge and encourage the progress made periodically. Individual goals are also very important, because in a class of 20 to 25 students there are going to be many different levels of intelligences. I believe it is very important to make sure all of the students are working towards a goal, regardless of their level of proficiency. By encouraging students to achieve the goals they have set for themselves also encourages them to be an active participant in their own learning. As a teacher I will also make sure I am accountable for the students individual and classroom goals.

SIB 4 Students Social Ecology Theory For a student to get the most out of their education, it is important that the teacher works with the students other microsystems as well. Urie Bronfenbrenners theory states that students arent socialized by one microsystem at a time, but through interlacing all of them. A students school performance can be tied very closely to their family, community, peers, as well as media. The microsystems work together, and it is important for the teacher to allow the student to apply what they are learning into real life situations. Getting to know the students outside of the classroom is a great way for the teacher better understand their microsystems. A students family, peers, and community has a significant impact on their learning within the classroom. Because every student comes from a different family with a different culture, it is important the teacher validates everyone is different, and encourages those little differences. I also believe it is very important that the teacher is a positive influence for every student in the classroom, because the teacher is just one of many relationships a student has. Cultural Diversity Instruction It is crucial that the teacher is constantly aware of ethnic diversity within the classroom, and does their best to understand these students backgrounds. Because we are moving from cultural assimilation to cultural pluralism in schools, we dont need to expect minority groups to conform to American culture, but rather appreciate their culture. By appreciating different cultures in the classroom, it is also teaching the students to coexist within the community as well. As a teacher I will work hard to learn and understand the different cultures in my classroom. By knowing more about the students cultures it will help me, as the teacher, to better

SIB 5 instruct them, and the students will feel much more comfortable in the environment. The other students in the classroom will also greatly benefit by bringing cultural diversity into the class instruction. Curriculum for all Learners At the start of each new school year, when I begin teaching, I will a chronological schedule of the curriculum. At the end of the year I may look back and the plan might be completely different than I had originally planned. Every class is different and learns in different ways. As a teacher I will have to adapt my teaching to the different learning styles within the classroom. I will also have to find a good balance between teacher-directed and learnerdirected curriculum. By evaluating what works best for the majority of the class, I make changes to my teaching strategies throughout the year. The most important thing I must do as a teacher is ensure each student is able to learn and improve throughout the time spent in my classroom. Depending on each of the students needs, I will have to be prepared to provide them with as much extra support as they need. It is my job as a teacher to do as much as I possibly can to continually help a student be an active learner in the classroom. I will make sure I have the resources needed, if they need outside help, such as specialists or school counselors. I will do my best to get to know each student in the class, and help them succeed in their educational journey. In conclusion, it is the students social ecology and cultural diversity that makes a teachers job so interesting and challenging. To be an effective teacher, I must make sure I am aware of all kinds of culture and diversity. Diversity can provide many opportunities for growth and learning within the classroom, not only for the students, but also for me.

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References Berns, R.M. (2010). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning