Paul G.

Hamm
EDUC 612
Dr. Fox
July 12th, 2015

Teacher Belief Statement

Paul G. Hamm
We have to create the material and spiritual conditions for [childrens] full
development; to give them a solid basis on which to build their lives; to guarantee their safety
and their education to be everything they can be; to pass on to them lasting values that make life
worth living; to give them a transcendent horizon for their thirst for authentic happiness and their
creativity for the good; to give them the legacy of a world worthy of human life; and to awaken
in them their greatest potential as builders of their own destiny, sharing responsibility for the
future of everyone. (Pope Francis, Garden of Guanabara Palace, Rio de Janeiro July 22nd, 2013)

As an educator I have come to realize how important a role I play in developing my

students full potential as learners and as contributors to the greater society. The intial goal of
education is to help students acquire the necessary skills and academic knowledge needed to
succeed. However on a deeper level, education is much more. John Dewey expressed that
education should equip students with the intellectual and emotional tools so they can contribute
to the building of a democratic society (Rodgers, 2002). Pope Francis builds on this idea by
arguing that education should be concerned with the spiritual development of children so that
they can not only reach their full potential, but that they can use these lasting moral values to
effectively take responsibility for everyone in society. I believe that education is more than just
developing a students intellect; it is about helping them form a solid moral foundation on which
they can reach their God given potential as well as use their talents to make a real difference in
the world.
In order to achieve this noble purpose, a teacher must strive to see the dignity and
uniqueness of each individual student. Every student has potential and every student has the

ability to learn. I believe that teachers must respect each student by giving them the attention,
support, and love that they need to grow and flourish. This involves getting to know your
students on a deeper level and establishing a personal relationship. A teacher must always strive
to put themselves in the shoes of their students and to know what they are going through
(Brookfield, 1995). Students bring to the classroom an incredibly diverse wealth of experience
and these experiences shape not only who they are but also how they learn. In order to design
effective lessons and build new knowledge, teachers must be intimately aware of the complex
backgrounds and influences that play a role in their students lives. Knowing your students is the
first critical step of teaching.
As teachers become more aware of who their students are, they can begin to better
understand how they learn. Learning is a life-long process, and at times it can be both daunting
and exhilarating. John Dewey states, All thinking involves a risk. Certainty cannot be
guaranteed in advance. The invasion of the unknown is the nature of an adventure (Dewey
1944, p.148). All students approach this adventure differently, and an effective teacher is one
who can convince his or her students that this adventure, despite the inherent risk, is a truly
rewarding one and will change their lives. A good teacher must be enthusiastic and energized by
their content, so that they can use the content as a platform to inspire the students as learners.
Trust needs to be an inherent part of teaching. I believe teachers must build an atmosphere of
trust where students feel they can participate and thus are more willing to take part in the
adventure of learning. I believe a teacher must take into account students various learning styles
and plan instruction that will benefit all types of learners. Often students may not be aware of
their particular learning style, and thus teachers should help every student discover the most
effective way for them to learn. Once a student has affirmed the way they learn best, a teacher

should provide opportunities for them in this style while also pushing them out of their comfort
zone and getting them to try new methods of learning (Brookfield, 1995). Making students aware
of how they learn and think is critical to helping them take ownership of their learning.
Just as students need to become aware of how they learn, teachers need to become aware
of how they teach. A dedicated teacher will spend time critically reflecting on his or her lessons
to see where improvements can be made. Critical reflection does not mean simply mean taking
the time to analyze when something went wrong, but rather it needs to be a regular routine
activity. Reflection is a skill that needs to be learned and developed. Brookfield (1995) describes
four major lensesautobiography, students eyes, colleagues experiences, theoretical literature
that should be used in reflection. Each of these lenses provides a rich dimension to reflection
and helps a teacher give new meaning to their experiences. At times one lens might make more
sense than another, but a teacher should be in the habit of using all four lenses frequently. Above
all, reflection takes time, which is the one thing teachers never seem to have enough of.
However, reflection is the necessary skill needed to ensure that a teacher is doing everything he
can to help his students learn. A responsible teacher makes time to reflect and actively works to
implement critical reflection.
John Dewey describes four key attitudes that teachers must adopt in order to use
reflection in a supportive way. The first three are Whole-heartedness, Directness, and OpenMindedness. These become grounded in the fourth attitude, which is Responsibility (Rodgers,
2002). I believe that teaching is truly a vocation which involves a genuine commitment and an
investment of your whole heart. It involves not being self-absorbed, but rather being self-aware.
It involves thinking critically about ones practice while being open to growth. Above all,
teaching requires responsibility. We help shape the intellectual and moral formation of our

students, and this should always be at the forefront of our teaching. Just as parent feel this
responsibility towards their children, so to do I feel this great responsibility towards my students.
I am a teacher because I want to help my students on this adventure of learning, and in doing so,
give them the tools necessary to grow in their faith, their knowledge, and their values and thus
change the world around them.

References
Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming critically reflective: A process of learning and change.
Becoming a critically reflective teacher (pp. 28-48). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Brookfield, S. (1995). Learning to know ourselves: The value of
autobiography. Becoming a
critically reflective teacher (pp. 49-70). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Dewey, J. (1944). Experience and thinking. Democracy in education (pp. 139151). New York,
NY: The Free Press.
Rodgers, C. (2002). Defining reflection: Another look at John Dewey and
reflective thinking.
Teachers College Record, 104(4), 842-866.