Running head: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 1

State of Information Beliefs Essay

Emily S. Robinson

Carol Billing

EDUC 204 Families, Communication & Culture

Spring 2017
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 2

Introduction

I believe all students learn in their own way and it is the responsibility of the teacher to

provide different examples to be able to contribute to the different learning style of each

students. Every student has a different background and some have learning disabilities. I truly

believe that teachers and students need to work together in order to make the classroom a

positive learning environment.

Wherever you teach you will have students from different backgrounds. Each student will

have biological factors which relates to experience-expectants. These are the neural connections

that develop under genetic influence, independent of experience, activity, or stimulation (Berns

pg. 39). We never know what each student’s biological factors could be the first day we meet

them. As we work with them and connect throughout the school year, we get a better

understanding of their life experiences. Once you make learning something interesting and fun, it

can help the student tremendously and make the teacher’s job more enjoyable. When we are able

to connect with a student we create a bond and help the student learn even more.

Making sure that all the students will learn has been a hard one for me, because there is

always that one child in the front (because you had to move him there) who just refuses to listen

and talks their neighbors ear off and continues to misbehave. I do believe the teacher needs to

make his or herself known, but I want to also have fun with my students and I know that they can

abuse that power sometimes. For me personally I will insure that all students will learn by being

stern so they know that it is not okay to mess around, but also when they are being good reward

them with fun activities. I believe that you learn when you are having fun. I know that my

classroom can’t always be fun and games, but I would like to be able to have one fun activity and

also another that is more focused on sitting down and letting them figure out things on their own.
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 3

I feel they will grow that way and will help them with their self-regulation, to help control their

impulses (Berns pg. 45). Giving a couple different ways to work out a problem helps those who

learn differently.

Managing the classroom comes down to making your presents known and not letting

your students take control of the classroom. By providing different examples and using real life

examples such as mass media. Kid’s today are so involved in the internet and what it brings

along it will help bring those real life examples to life.

Teachers Expectations

How dedicated a teacher is to their students can make the world of difference. Not putting

in the right amount of effort to your students can hurt them in the future and in my case would be

letting myself down. Having goals is what pushes to you to the next level and pushes your

students as well. Challenging your students is what gets their brain working and putting what

they’ve learned into memory. Providing your students with encouragement and empowerment

them to have control over their resources affecting them (Berns, pg.119), as well as making them

work towards a goal you have set up for them helps them learn and keeps their brains active.

I know that I wish my teachers would have implemented a good work and study effort

into me growing up. That has been one of the hardest things for me going through school was

pushing myself to do a better job and not being fine with average work. I would like to enforce

that into my teaching and show students a good work ethic. Feedback, or evaluating

information, both positive and negative, about ones behavior (Berns, pg 63) is something I will

implement into my classroom as well. I struggled with not understanding what I did wrong in

school and not learning from my academic mistakes. I hope that I am able to sit down with my

students every once and awhile and talk to them about their progress and what they are already
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 4

doing great and what they can do to get better. Empowering students is huge to me and letting

them know that they are doing the right things and that I can help them with the problem areas.

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.

Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education” (Martin Luther King, Jr.) I find

this to be true, without goals I don’t think life would be motivating. As a teacher I think we are

meant to put that mindset into children’s lives. To show them what can come out of setting up a

step-by-step process and watching how extraordinary the outcome can be.

Students’ Social Ecology Theory

Within the bioecological model there are four pieces. The microsystem which is the

activities and relationships with significant others experienced by a developing person, for

example family. The next is the mesosystem. This focuses on home and school, school and

community. Exosystem is the third of the four pieces and is what we are affected by, not

personally but has to do with our parent’s jobs and school boards. Last is the macrosystem. This

has to deal with the religion, lifestyles, patters of social interaction and life changes you were

exposed to growing up (Berns pgs. 21-25). Each of these pieces make up students social ecology.

A student’s social ecology has a huge influence on their learning. Studies have shown students

with families that aren’t stable have a lower grade point average and stumble and fall behind.

Connecting learning with a student’s social ecology can at times help determine why a student is

struggling academically. By learning a child’s social ecology, you may have a better

understanding on how to connect with the student and work with them.

Families, cultures and communities have a huge impact on students’ learning. That’s

were students begin to be shaped. They learn their likes and dislikes from the people around

them and begin to develop their personality and develop their life style that most of the time
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 5

sticks throughout the rest of their life. The community provides guidance which involves

direction, demonstration, supervision and influence to the student (Berns pg. 163). Research has

shown that children that grow up in a positive environment tend to have better grades and grow

to have competence, which is ones effectiveness to adapt (Berns pg. 148). Unfortunately not all

students are like that. Some students go through maltreatment meaning endangerment to a child

(Berns pg. 158). These children usually have bad grades and struggle more. Students depend

majorly on their environment and that’s why most parents try to give their children the best

surroundings.

Cultural Diversity Instruction

Being a teacher, I know I will come across students from all walks of life and I need to

embrace them and their cultural backgrounds. As a teacher I plan on making my classroom a

melting pot. I really want to implement a day that is dedicated to a project that we talk about our

backgrounds and where we come from. I feel like that will open up aspects of their lives that

other students may not know and may help them explore more about their own family history

that they didn’t know about. I will also get a lot out of the project because I will be able to get a

better idea about where my students are coming from and will have a better understanding on

maybe why they are the way they are.

You can find both cultural assimilation and cultural pluralism in the same classroom.

Cultural assimilation is the process whereby a minority (subordinate) cultural group takes on

the characteristics of the majority (dominant) cultural group (Berns, pg. 212). A good example

of this when people from around the world came to America and tried to become “American”

and learn English and adapt to their surroundings. Cultural pluralism is a mutual appreciation

and understanding of various cultures and coexistence in society of different languages, religious
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 6

beliefs, and lifestyles (Berns, pg. 212). This is exactly what I want to bring into my classroom. I

want my students to be able to understand and appreciate the cultures that surround them. The

biggest difference between the two of these are that cultural assimilation is adapting to your

surroundings and forgetting your own background because you’re trying to fit in with people

around you. Cultural pluralism is seeing there are many different cultures and that we don’t have

to modify our own practices to fit in. We can live together celebrating each of our upbringings.

Curriculum for all Learners

Schools, classrooms and students come in all shapes and sizes. Learning how to adjust

your teaching to each of these styles may seem difficult at times, but all in all it’s worth it in the

end. Being a first time teacher I am open to instruction on how to shape my curriculum around

my diverse students and look forward to learning new ideas.

In chapter 7 it talks about cooperative, competitive and individualized students and each

classroom is bound to have a group of each. Cooperative students are those who are goal

structured students who like working together to accomplish shared goals. I feel like these

students are the fairly “easier” ones to work with and are overall good students. Competitive

students are goal structured students as well, but instead of working together, they like to work

against each other to achieve goals that only few students can attain. I love how motivated these

students are. I can foresee problems when they aren’t the winner and that will be interesting to

work with, but I love that these students have a drive and when they fail it does seem to push

them even harder. Lastly, individualized students are goal structured towards one students’

achievement of the goal and is unrelated to other students’ achievement of that goal (Berns pg.

269). Overall I can tell that this student would be one of the harder ones to connect with, but I

think looking for the same interests and trying to find what works for them is how you help them
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 7

be more social and connect them to the rest of the class. Each student is different in their own

way and adjusting to their learning style can bring you and that student, or even that class, closer

together for a better learning experience.

As students come in to your classroom from the beginning of the year to the end of the

year they change so much! Not only in their looks, but in their mind and what they’ve learned as

well. An assessment is a great way to track how well they know the curriculum. This way you

can tell if the student is on track or if they need additional help. Knowing where your students’

strengths and weaknesses are can help build your class up to higher expectations.

Learning these aspects makes me excited to be in a classroom. I can see now why

teaching can be so rewarding and also the struggles that will come along with this career. I look

forward to learning more about my students and what I can do to help them and making my

classroom a fun experience for my students and I.

Berns, R.M. (2007). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support (9th ed.).
STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS 8

Belmont, CA: Thomson Learning, Inc.