Running head: Statement of Informed Beliefs

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Caitlin Jantzi
College of Southern Idaho
Evin Fox
EDUC 204: Families, Communities, and Culture
Spring 2016

Statement of Informed Beliefs

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Statement of Informed Beliefs

Introduction
Alexander Trenfor said, The best teacher are those who show you where to look, but
dont tell you what to see. I strongly believe that a student should be left to discover something
on their own, instead of teacher telling them what they are going to learn for the day. A teacher
can also help a child to learn about the differences in each other by bringing in the different
cultures in the community into the classroom. The classroom should be open to every students
family to come in and volunteer or participate. When a teacher shares diversity in the classroom
it brings new things to the children and it takes away the scariness of the unknown. Diversity
should be in every classroom around the world.
Students Ability to Learn
A teacher is one half of the team when it comes to education, this half of the team
must be sure to be able carry out their role and set effective goals for each child in the best way
possible. Teachers need to expect that every student can be curious and encourage ideas and
exploring of each idea. A teacher should treat each child with fairness and listen thoroughly too
each childs questions and ideas being sure that no child is left wondering about something.
Teachers need to understand each students perception of materials and respond accordingly.
Vygotsky believed children have a zone of proximal development, a gap between what they
can do independently and what they can do they can do with help (Berns, 2016). Teachers can
bridge that gap by scaffolding so each child can reach their learning goal. A teacher needs to
strive to find each students interest and then help them investigate and use creative ways to learn
key skills.
A student should be expected to investigate an area of interest and be able to show
what they have learned at the end of it. Students need to understand what they are learning and
how they came to learn that. They need to be encouraged so they become a confident student
unafraid to take risks to find an answer. Students should be encouraged to explore their ideas and
interests. The student should always inspire the teaching and feel confident in knowing they can
learn from their interests.

Statement of Informed Beliefs

Students Social Ecology Theory. One of the microsystems for a child is their family. It
is where they develop their first relationships and activities. In todays world a childs families
may not just be a nuclear family, many children are being raised in an extended family. A
childs family is one of the most important things a teacher should learn about and respect about
a child. Every teacher should be sure to include in their classroom a wide variety of pictures and
materials that reflect diversity in a childs family.
Another microsystem for a child is their community. A community is where a
group of people share a geographic area and bound by political and economic state (Berns,
2016). A community effects a childs views on the world around them, and instills personal
values and beliefs that are used in the classroom. A teacher must recognize how the surrounding
community effects their students in the classroom.
Culture is part of a childs macrosystem, culture is the acquired behaviors that is
typical of a social environment that the child grows up in (Berns, 2016). Culture is such a
significant factor for a child, many thoughts about education and the way I child approaches their
work can come from a cultural influence.
Cultural Diversity Instruction. Careful attention should be paid to each student and
their ethnic background, each students background should be acknowledged and used in the
curriculum in the classroom to show a celebration of diversity and also to use as talking points.
Different religions, ethnicities and cultures should be talked about with the students and activities
done that support them as well.
Cultural assimilation, is the process whereby a minority ethnic group takes on
the characteristics of a majority ethnic group (Berns, 2016). It is commonly seen in American
schools by celebrating American holidays. Cultural pluralism, involves multiple appreciation
and understanding of the culture of various ethnic groups and the coexistence in society of
different languages, religions and lifestyles. (Berns,2016). While students must respect that they

Statement of Informed Beliefs

live in America a must uphold the morals and values of their citizenship, they also can celebrate
their culture and heritage that they come from and schools need to support both.
Curriculum for all learners. Each class is going to be like a garden, everyone is going
to be different and unique. Trial and error will guide a teacher in their classroom to figure out
what works and what doesnt. A teacher should always be open to learning themselves and
continue their education and learning from fellow teachers in order to do what is best for each
student. By being open to diversity and getting to know each student, a teacher will be able to see
through the semester where each student can improve and work with them so they will be
motivated to do so. By offering lots of open ended materials and activities each student will be
able to discover their interests and work at their own pace.
Conclusion. Through hard work, thoughtfulness and creativity a teacher can bring a truly
unique classroom together. A teacher may be a small slice of a childs world, however what a
child learns in the classroom does not end at the end of a semester. A child carries those
experiences and lessons around with them for the rest of their lives. That is why a teacher must
offer a diverse experience.

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References

Berns, R. (2016). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support (10th ed.).
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

Statement of Informed Beliefs