Statement of Informed Beliefs

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Introduction

Helping a child become educated is one of the most important things a teacher can do for any child. Society’s future rests on our shoulders and the shoulders of the rising generations. B.B. King once said, “The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.” Education gives a person the freedom to live their life as they desire, it gives a person self-confidence and pride, breaks down barriers in social classes and leads to a happy life where one can enjoy the great things the world has to offer. Learning does not just happen, it needs to be desired by the student and fostered in a suitable way by a teacher. Teachers must assess their students’ strengths and weaknesses, research the student’s social ecology, cultural diversity, and recognize that each student has the ability to learn. These are key factors that can assist in teaching a child. Each teacher should be aware of and willing to address these areas in a professional manner.

Student’s Ability to Learn

Teachers have an enormous responsibility to their students. Teacher’s direct, guide, and set and examples for students— they are leaders (Berns, 2013). The teacher’s perception of the material he/she teaches is vital to student learning. A teacher also needs to accommodate for the student’s perception of the material. According to Berns (2013), there are seven characteristics a good teacher should take on: know students and respond accordingly, communicate verbally, relate to students positively, be a role model, be democratic, be a collaborator and be a mentor. Teachers need to be equitable and hold in high regards their students background regarding their language, race, religion and family culture. Involving families in their students learning is essential. Lastly, a great teacher will make accommodations to the lessons in order, to support different learning styles. My daughter’s third grade teacher helped the students learn their math facts by teaching the class the multiplication rock song. By the end of that school year, all students in that class knew their times tables.

Students also have a responsibility to learn from their teachers, they have a responsibility to come to school with a positive attitude and be willing to co-operate with their teachers and try to learn. When students are attentive, ask questions, communicate with their teacher and surround themselves with others that want to learn they will be more successful. Jean Piaget, a known psychologist, stated that a child’s learning is to subordinate to development and that the fundamental relation involved in development and learning is assimilation (Guavain, 1997).

Student’s Social Ecology Theory

Families, communities and culture have an immense impact on a student’s success. A student’s microsystem includes “relationships with significant others experienced by a developing person in a particular small setting such as family, school, peer group, or community” (Berns, 2013, p. 21). The most desirable way for children to be raised is by their nuclear family which consists of their parents and siblings. Some children due to poor living circumstances may have to be raised by their extended family which includes grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Many children end up in unacceptable family circumstances, children who grow up where they are not adequately loved or nurtured, are abused, or have a dysfunctional family may end up with developmental problems. Children who do not have the opportunity to play with toys that are at their level developmentally, start activities with other children, and are not exposed to a large vocabulary will also be disadvantaged.

Communities can give children the opportunity to be exposed to real experiences such as the community library where they can check out books, and the grocery store where they can observe people working, these things impact the growth of a child. It is true when they say it takes a community to raise a child. The Cassia County community fair was always an exciting time in our home. Our children raised 4-H animals, at the end of the summer they took their animals to the fair and participated in showing and selling their projects. At the end of the week community members attended the auction and supported the children by purchasing their animals. This taught our children a lot about hard work and community support. Our small community has helped raise our children in various other ways. Because Oakley, Idaho is so small, families feel a sense of responsibility to each other. Everyone knows that if a child needs something and their parent is not there, someone that knows them is always willing to help if the need arises. Our family has had the opportunity to receive assistance and give assistance to others. This has reinforced our teachings as a family with our children as they have been the recipients of this care.

Culture is the beliefs, customs, arts and traditions of a particular group; this is part of a child’s macrosystem (Berns, 2013). People from different cultures view the world differently; they have many different characteristics and patterns of behavior depending on one’s culture. This can pose possible difficulties in communication between teachers, students, and parents. As a teacher, it is his/her responsibility to seek out and understand those different cultures in the classroom and remember to respect and honor that diversity.

Cultural Diversity Instruction

One of the most exciting things about classrooms in the United States is the Melting Pot opportunity teachers have, to experience a little bit of