Running head: STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Amber L Avila
College of Southern Idaho
Instructor: Evin Fox
EDUC 204: Families, Communities and Culture
Fall 2014

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Introduction
Through my quest at becoming a teacher I have discovered that my beliefs about how
students learn, social ecology, cultural diversity, and universal curriculum have been shaped
through this education process. I believe that every student is unique and will benefit from the
type of education that I will bring into my classroom. Our world is changing rapidly. For me, as
a teacher, that means I will be faced with many challenges as I work with students of various
backgrounds. I will set high, yet obtainable expectations for my students. I will use creativity and
diverse teaching styles as I teach, with the hopes that my students will develop into healthy,
motivated and active leaders in the classroom as well as out in their communities. All students
have choices to make when it comes to their education. I hope for my students it will be more
than a just a choice but a desire to learn without the fear of failure.
Students Ability To Learn
The ability a student to learn is built upon a variety of contributing factors. Some of these
factors fall into the category of the teachers responsibility to teach. The other factors can be
placed under the umbrella of a students ability to learn. One of the best things about teaching is
that I have the opportunity to work with students who use a variety of learning styles. What
works for one student may not be the same for another. These general learning styles; auditory,
tactile, reading/writing and visual are how students absorb the information that they are given.
There are strategic ways to tap into these learning styles so that my students will have the
opportunity to use their strengths in my classroom. The students who learn best by hearing prefer
their instruction to be delivered through auditory methods. These students will strive in an
environment where they can engage in verbal exchanges. There are other students that must be

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

presented with a lesson that requires a tactile response through touching or moving in order for
them to assimilate the material. They learn best when they explore tasks with their bodies as well
as their minds. Displaying a lesson on the overhead or visually displaying instructions are some
of the ways to teach a student who learns visually. For the students who are strong in the learning
style of reading and writing, having them re-write or write a summary of the lesson is a great
way to teach this group of students. As a teacher I understand that it will take the use of varying
methods to reach and teach each student in my classroom.
It is also important for me to fully understand my students abilities both individually and
collectively as I prepare curriculum. Each lesson should be carefully planned out so that students
are given several avenues to learn and their needs are being met. By doing this, I will be giving
each student the same opportunity for achievement no matter the diversity among them.
The other important component of being a good teacher is knowing where my students
are coming from. I realize that each of us have a history that affects our ability to learn. By
knowing that each student has a unique story to tell I will take into consideration their family
situation and diverse cultural background when I am strategically planning curriculum. As an
effective teacher, I will recognize my students needs and will create an environment where my
students thrive. As a teacher, I want to guide my students in such a way that they can traverse
the mountains of learning successfully, which will help them become more confident. I am also
committed to creating a safe, nurturing, compassionate environment for my students with an
authoritative approach to classroom management. This will allow them the freedom to learn
with in a healthy structured space. The modeling approach that I will be using in my classroom
will help my students know without a doubt, what I expect of them. I believe that clear
expectations set the foundation for success. I will also empower my students with the task of

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

setting expectations and goals for themselves in an effort to promote ownership of their
successes and failures.
Students Social Ecology Theory
Psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner created a theory that suggests there is a need to look
beyond the basic level of development in children and consider the details of the environment
where each child experiences life (Berns, 2013). This environment determines to what extent the
childs abilities will develop and at which level the child will realize his or her own potential.
There are four basic bioecological structures that impact these environments: microsystem,
mesosytem, exosystem, and macrosystem. All of these systems are where relationships are
formed and patterns of development evolve. Family is the beginning structure, the microsystem
where a child should be loved and cared for. It is in this system where children should be given
the opportunity to develop their identity and where they will form their self-concept, beliefs,
values, and attitudes. When this environment is healthy, they learn how to build productive
lasting relationship, all of which play a part in social and academic success. I know this first
hand because I came from a dysfunctional family. My mother was an alcoholic and my father
worked out of town most of the time. My parents didnt provide me with the nurturing and caring
environment that I needed. There was a constant breakdown in communication and meaningful
relationships where nonexistent. I can remember being a very angry child and that continued up
into high school. I constantly struggles academically, as a result, I ended up not finishing
traditional high school but took the GED instead. Did it affect my learning, yes it did. When here
is a breakdown in this system, it affects the students development and how they react to the
other experiences they have.

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

As a teacher I feel like my life experiences have given me the ability to recognize the
specific needs of my students and I will be able to respond to them as they arise. I am determined
to create an environment where cultural acceptance is expected and the bondage of failure is
broken.
The next level of the bioecological system, the mesosystems, is where links between
family, school, peers, and community are formed. The more relational bonds that are created as
these systems interact, the more successful the student will be. It is my responsibility as a
teacher to create opportunities for my students to build relationships throughout these
connections. I will accomplish this by bringing adult and peer volunteers into my classroom to
work with my students. Another way that I can help foster positive relationships for my students
is by taking them out into the community to participate in projects with people of all ages. I
believe this will help them build meaningful relationships with people across cultural boundaries.
We could bring our Anglo and Hispanic populations together as we work in the hope garden
harvesting food for people that are hungry.
The macrosystem, the most complex system, is where the influences of religion,
economics, and culture take root. Each of these components have the potential to affect a childs
ability to learn. Children are a product of the environment that they grow up in, and each of these
pieces will play a part in their future experiences. All of these structures belong to the process of
socialization. The behaviors that they exhibit, the choices they make, the way that they
communicate, how they interact with their peers and decision-making process all rely on these
systems. This process is responsible for molding our students into the independent people that
they are today.
Cultural Diversity Instruction

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

I will, as a teacher, use my students individuality and uniqueness to create the kind of
instruction that will be original, effective and positive. It will provide a learning experience that
is diverse but also equal for each student. All children have the right to be proud of who they are
and where they have come from. As Americans we pride ourselves on how accepting and
respectful we are of the different people groups that live in this nation. This type of thinking
should overflow from our homes into our schools. I will create a platform for my students to
practice this cognitive psychology with the lessons that I carefully choose and the way that I
present them. There are so many great lessons that we can learn from each other when we
interact with the people around us. It is exciting to learn new things about people like where
their family came from, the different food we eat or traditions we celebrate and I will ignite this
excitement in my classroom by bring my students together through learning about one another.
Curriculum For All Learners
While strategically planning my lessons, I will strive to not only meet specific education
standards but also apply diverse instruction that connects all of the academic subjects. My goal is
to teach students at the place where optimal learning happens. Lev Vygotsky, a writer who
attended the Institute of Psychology in Moscow, came up with a theory that includes a
sociocultural approach to cognitive development. He defined the place between a students
independent performance and how they perform when they are assisted as the zone of proximal
development. Vygotsky explains that in order to optimize our students learning we should gage
the activity toward this zone (Berns, 2013). The ultimate goal would be for the students to
perform independently, where they were previously assisted. With this method there will be an
ongoing cycle of learning and continued personal successes. As students expand in their
learning, their specific zone shifts so they are constantly challenged and will continue to grow.

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Our students now have some amazing opportunities in education that werent available
ten years ago. Teachers also have endless networking opportunities with resources like the
Internet. I want to tap into these resources and use them in my classroom. I am going to be
proactively engaging my students in a captivating interactive classroom atmosphere. We have
students coming from a mix of backgrounds, economic status, religions, cultures, and
disabilities. There will be challenges for all of us, but in my classroom we will celebrate our
differences. There is also an amazing theory of inclusion that says our students with special
needs should be given every possible opportunity to be included in the general education
classrooms. I agree that this type of environment is the best for every student involved. I am
prepared and willing to adapt my classroom and lessons to accommodate the special needs of
these exceptional student I will have the privilege of teaching.
Assessments
It is critical for a teacher to periodically evaluate their teaching methods to make sure that
they are effective. I will use both authentic and standardized assessment to analyze the level
of learning that is taking place in my classroom. Standardized assessment will be done
throughout the year uniformly, with each student receiving the same test unless there have been
adaptations made for a student with a disability. I will use the results of these tests to gauge how
successful my current teaching methods are or are not. They can also be used for statistically
reporting my students achievements on a district-wide testing scale. In order for teachers to
completely understand how much their students are truly learning, they must be knowledgeable
of how and when to use authentic assessment. For this type observation the student will perform
a task that will be graded according to an accompanying rubric on which the execution of the
task will be evaluated. The teacher can use this type of individualized results to focus on

STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

specialized curriculum so students will learn to their full potential. By using both of these
assessments I will be able to keep an accurate record of my students acquired knowledge.
Its also important for a teacher to use both of these assessments for self-evaluation also.
This is how I will know whether or not my teaching methods are working. Its important for
teachers to perform these types of assessments often and be willing change their methods if they
arent working. Education is evolving on a constant basis and moving more towards learnerdirected teaching and farther away from teacher-directed teaching. Good teachers can
successfully use both of these methods when they plan and present their lessons to their students.
I will be that teacher. One that is flexible, creative, and strategic so that I do reach every student.
Conclusion
All students have the right to learn in their education experience. As a teacher I have an
obligation to my students to actively teach them. By embracing cultural diversity, different
abilities, and social diversity, teachers can connect better with their students. Although this
career choice has its own set of challenges that sometimes will seem too difficult to overcome,
ultimately this is one of the most rewarding jobs a person can choose. By combining my
expectations, effective classroom management, creative curriculum adaptation, and an
understanding of the diversity of my students, I will be a great teacher.

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9
References

Berns, R. M. (2013). Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support (9th ed.).
(M. Kerr, Ed.) Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.