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Statement of Informed Beliefs

Erika Larson

EDUC220-002W: Diversity In The Schools

Dr. Bevin Etheridge

December 15, 2020

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All Students Can Learn

Learning is something humans are doing constantly; from birth until death. To which degree a

person is learning consists of a multitude of different factors. Many different things can affect a

student’s ability to learn and retain knowledge, from developmental delays to resource availability,

but even when at a disadvantage, a person is still gaining knowledge. My belief is that we as

humans are constantly consuming information, whether it is useful or not, we are constantly

learning.

As Herbert (2001) once said, “The capacity to learn is a gift; The ability to learn is a skill; The

willingness to learn is a choice.” The ability to learn is a skill we all possess and one of the most

important responsibilities a teacher has is to encourage each of their students to develop that skill

to the best of their ability. Before a child starts school, their primary learning is coming from their

parents and through play. Coming into school, some students may struggle with the structure of

learning through textbooks, homework assignments, and work sheets. It is the teacher’s

responsibility to try and bridge the gap between a student’s early learning methods and the

methods that are used when in school.

Measuring a student’s ability to learn will vary from student to student. Children are unique and

being able to best teach each and every one of them is something I am looking forward to figuring

out. I hope to implement a method to include one on one check-ins with each student on either a

weekly or bi-weekly schedule that will help assess what they’ve learned or help them in areas that

they may be struggling. I hope to implement different methods of learning such as learning through

play, using real life scenarios that children can easily relate to, and peer learning. I think one of the

greatest ways a student can learn is from their peers. As discussed in chapter 2 of our textbook, “In

peer groups children engage in a process of give-and-take not ordinarily possible in

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relationships with adults.” (p.54) As I have seen with my own children, kids can learn and

replicate what they see from other kids quickly, sometimes even better than when they are being

taught the same thing from adults. While I know that there is a possibility some of these ideas may

need some adjustments when put into practice, I think that also helps me work on my skill of

learning as well. I plan on communicating with my students when a method we are using is

working or not, that way this helps convey to them that I as their teacher is also learning right

along with them and helping them understand that learning is a skill they will constantly be

working on even as they get older.

Making sure all students are learning is the most important job a teacher has. When you have a

large group of students, it is much easier for them to get off task and distracted, interrupting the

learning process. I believe an implementation of small breaks to give students the opportunity to

get the wiggles out between lessons, including lessons where students have the opportunity to work

in small groups with their peers to minimize distractions that come with working in large groups,

and including creative ways to teach lessons that some may consider less exciting will be great

way to help manage students and ensure they are all learning.

Learning is something we all have the capability to do. A teacher’s most important job is to

ensure their students are using that skill to the best of their ability. As a teacher, I hope to inspire

my students to constantly be striving to learn as much as possible.

Teacher Expectations

Many times, when we set expectations we are met with disappointment. Many people set

expectations too high and expect perfection that is unattainable. These days, there is so much

pressure put on children to excel in all aspects of life. These expectations are coming from parents,

teachers, peers, and media. I find that it is very easy to place the same expectations on different
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children and expect them to perform the same. When trying to meet standards set by the school

board, it is convenient to set expectations that all students must meet, but we as teachers also need

to remember that children are individuals who learn in different ways. As discussed in chapter 7-2,

you need to “know your students and respond accordingly.” (p. 241) While you must have

expectations for each child, it is important to remember we also need to make the expectation

specific to the individual child.

Growing up as the middle child, I often experienced times where the expectations that my older

siblings met were also applied to me and often times I fell short. Teachers often look to older

siblings they may have had in the past to create expectations for the younger sibling and more

times than not, that student may either excel or fall short. It is important to take into consideration

each individual child’s learning style, personality, and current capabilities when setting

expectations. As discussed in Chapter 7-4 through Rosenthal and Jacobson’s study, teachers

treat students differently in regards to data they may receive at the beginning of the school

year. This can place expectations on a student that is unwarranted. As the year progresses’,

the students behavior will begin to match what a teacher may have predicted and if set too

low or too high can cause failure or struggle. We as teachers need to foster an environment that

encourages a student to use their strongest capabilities as this encourages them to set realistic

expectations to meet of their own, and provides them the tools necessary to not only meet but

exceed the expectations that we place upon them.

People by nature are reward motivated. If you aren’t working toward a goal it is easy to lose

sight of why you’re working so hard. When you’re young, you have the desire to consume

knowledge just for the sake of knowing it; but as some students get older, they no longer see the

value in it. By helping these students set educational goals to work towards, it helps show them the
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value of not only learning but also emulates many tools they will utilize as they get older. While

there will always be goals that all students need to meet in order to gain the knowledge and tools

needed to progress to the next grade, it is important to also set educational goals that encourage

them to learn new information that may not be a normal part of everyday curriculum. This will

help foster curiosity and lead some to find what they’re passionate about and may want to pursue

further when deciding on a career.

Being able to help young minds learn and grow is something I feel almost all teachers love to

do. As an aspiring teacher, being able to foster the curiosity and desire to learn as much as possible

is something I hope to achieve. Setting goals and expectations for students will not only ensure that

they learn the necessary material needed to pass school but also encourage them to want to learn

for the rest of their lives. Letting students know that we value them as individuals and encourage

their unique learning styles while setting expectations that are possible to obtain with a little hard

work is the key to ensuring that they not only meet those expectations but excel past them.

Students’ Social Ecology Theory

As W. Clement Stone once said, "You are a product of your environment. So choose the

environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its

environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success -- or are they holding you

back?" When a child is young, their environment is all they know. Throw in the structure of school

and learning things you have never been told before and it’s no wonder some struggle

understanding certain subjects and retaining information. Most of what they know about the world

is directly related to their small little bubble of a world and being able to learn new material that

incorporates what is relevant to what they already know helps students better retain the information

being taught them.

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Being able to create lessons and activities that will directly relate to where a student lives, the

environment they experience daily, and the socioeconomic system they grew up in will not only

help them better connect with the material and retain the information but also help lead their

thinking in the direction to then better understand economies and environments that are different

than theirs.

Many students have never experienced environments different than the one they are raised in

when they begin school. From ocean side towns to mountain villages, each economy from state to

state and even city to city is different. A student who lives in a town that is cold or snows for three

quarters of the year may not be able to connect to references about beach living. A student who

lives in a wealthy area may not be able to understand the struggles students from an impoverished

area of town may face. As discussed in chapter 3-5, students whose circumstances are less than

ideal may have experiences such as hunger, head of household responsibilities, and absent

caregivers that can affect their ability to not only retain information that isn’t specifically

relevant to them but even their ability to do school work outside of class due to their families

socioeconomic status. Providing an environment that is empathetic to their situation and lessons

that incorporate aspects they may face helps these students better connect with the material,

leading to better understanding and retention. These days, the family unit is more diverse than ever.

Single parent homes, same-sex and nonbinary parents, or parents with differing cultures are no

longer a rare occurrence. Being able to have curriculum that is inclusive helps students feel that

their family unit is respected and valued. Being proactive about creating activities and assignments

that don’t focus on just mother/father households, Caucasian households, and predominately

Christian households helps students who have grown up in a different culture or family situation

connect with material and feel like it is relevant to them.

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Our economy and culture is what helps shape who we are. While we always have the ability to

change it, learning material that relates to what we know helps create the building blocks necessary

to form higher ways of thinking to be able to actually learn and grow from cultures that differ from

ours. Ensuring that a student does not feel isolated or singled out by their school curriculum helps

create learners that will not only change and improve their own environment but possibly the

environment of others.

Cultural Diversity Instruction

America is a melting pot of all different cultures, races, nationalities, and genders. That has

never been more evident than it is in this day and age. With this growing diverse economy comes

individuals who also have diverse education backgrounds. This is something that even as recent as

the 1950’s was not something our education system took into consideration. Now that we are in the

21st century, it is important to be inclusive in our education models to ensure that we are

representing not only the majority but also the minorities.

Being a teacher, it is imperative to make each of your students feel important and included. This

includes not only equal participation and accessibility in group activities, but representation in

materials as well. Growing up in a predominantly white town being the only person of Colombian

descent, very rarely did I see minorities represented in assignments. As a child I didn’t know

better, but as I grew older and began to understand the importance of diversity, I became more

vocal in wanting equal representation in school. I feel providing information and equality in

education about different cultures and races is not only important to the children of the minority

but even more so for those of the majority. By providing students with assignments that explore

different cultures, countries, and ethnicities I hope to instill in children empathy for others,
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understanding that the world is much bigger than just their immediate surroundings, and a yearning

to not only learn more about the world but hopefully be an advocate for change for the better.

I think the US is a good example of both cultural pluralism and assimilation. In larger cities

such as New York City and Los Angeles just traveling a few miles you can experience vastly

different mini cities within the larger metropolis. In San Francisco, walking into Chinatown

is as if you are overseas in the country itself. For minorities, to be able to celebrate their own

cultures while being a part of the United States is important for passing along their heritage

to future generations while also celebrating customs found here in the US and is a great

example of cultural pluralism. Traveling to smaller towns, you may begin to see less diversity

among the people. You may see areas where those of a Latin background may identify more

with their surroundings then the Hispanic heritage of their ancestors you can see evidence of

cultural assimilation. I think both cultural pluralism and cultural assimilation is something

experienced all across the country but most apparent in larger cities due to the diverse backgrounds

of its citizens.

In the past, being a minority was something many looked down on. From slavery to

segregation, many citizens have experienced hardships due to being a minority but many brave

individuals fought and advocated for equality for future generations. In this day and age it is

important to not only accept other’s differences but celebrate them. Being able to teach children

about acceptance, other cultures, and inclusion not only ensures a better understanding of the world

for the dominant culture but gives the minority a voice and assurance that they are just as important

and valued.

Curriculum for all Learners

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Starting out as a new teacher can be daunting. You yourself go from student to teacher in the

blink of an eye. You are no longer the one sitting at a desk trying to absorb all the information

being given to you; you’re now the one giving the information. In order to ensure you are heading

in the right direction, you need well-crafted curriculum. When taking any trip, you need a guide,

some type of map, to ensure you reach your destination. This is also true when teaching. Creating

curriculum that helps ensure you are providing all students with equal opportunities in their

learning not only sets you up for success but also your students.

Once out of school and in the real world you are no longer facing hypotheticals but real world

situations. You may be faced with students who need accommodations, parents who think they

know how you should be teaching their child, and administration that wants a detailed account of

your every move in the classroom. Being able to adjust your curriculum to ensure that you are not

only satisfying all of the demands but also engaging your students to the best of your ability is

vital; this can be done by providing your students with assessments throughout the year. With

information gained from the assessments, you are able to adapt your curriculum to help in areas

where your students may be struggling.

I believe that open communication between teacher, administration, parents, and students is of

great value to creating curriculum that is going to best teach all students whether they need

accommodations or not. There is not one best type of curriculum and I think it is important to

implement different outstanding aspects from various ones such as the ones described in

Chapter 5-8 of our textbook. While Direct Instruction Curriculum is more prevalent in

public schools, I think it is very important to also incorporate learner-directed curriculum to

help ensure my students stay engaged and curious. To ensure I am able to provide the best

learning experience for all of my students I hope to implement the routine of weekly emails to
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parents with updates of what we are working on in class, create assignments that are not only

solitary ones but group collaborations to help students work on team work building skills, and

create assessments that not only measure academic progress but progress that will be of value

outside of the classroom and academic settings as well. This will help me see where students may

be falling behind and adjust lessons accordingly to help ensure that every student is benefitting

from their schooling. While I know this may not be practical in all grades. , I believe setting these

standards at an elementary age will help students in their later years of learning.

A teacher’s job is to teach, but how does one make sure a student is actually learning the

material being presented to them? While standardized tests are the standard way of measuring

student’s knowledge, I feel that this is not the only way to find out what a student has learned. I

plan to implement questionnaires at the beginning of the year along with several throughout the

year that provide students with the opportunity to give feedback on what they came into the class

knowing, what they hope to know, and then later in the year provide a section that gives students

the opportunity to detail what they feel they have improved on. I think involving students in

assessment and reflection of what they are being taught and learning will help ensure the

curriculum I am creating is going to be better received.

Everyone’s life is touched by a teacher. Whether it is a positive or negative encounter can

depend heavily on the curriculum being provided. By creating curriculum that evolves and adapts

to the changes brought on by current events, different cultures, and various backgrounds of your

students you can not only ensure your students are learning but also succeeding.

Citations

Herbert, B., Anderson, K. J., & Herbert, F. (2001). In Dune: House Harkonnen: Dune novels.
Prelude to Dune bk. 2. Bantam Books. 
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Berns, R. M. (2015). In Child, family, school, community: socialization and support (pp. 54–55).
essay, Cengage Learning. 

Berns, R. M. (2015). In Child, family, school, community: socialization and support (p. 241).
essay, Cengage Learning. 

Berns, R. M. (2015). In Child, family, school, community: socialization and support (pp. 244–245).
essay, Cengage Learning. 

W. Clement Stone Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved December 15, 2020, from
BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/w_clement_stone_193778

Berns, R. M. (2015). In Child, family, school, community: socialization and support (pp. 105–107).
essay, Cengage Learning. 

Berns, R. M. (2015). In Child, family, school, community: socialization and support (pp. 186–191).
essay, Cengage Learning.