This document contains a statement of informed beliefs from Kasey Graves and Kae Hamilton about their views on education. Some of the main points discussed include: - The importance of providing all children with a good education and resources to learn. - Welcoming diversity in the classroom and adjusting to different student cultures. - The belief that all students can learn, though in different ways, and it is the teacher's responsibility to ensure this. - The role of socialization, community, families, and peers in a student's education and development. - Welcoming cultural diversity and doing research to better understand and respect students' cultural backgrounds.

1. Statement of Informed Beliefs
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Statement of Informed Beliefs
Kasey Graves
Kae Hamilton
Education 204
Fall 2011

2. Statement of Informed Beliefs
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Introduction
All children have the right to a good education. As a future educator it is my
responsibility to provide children with the resources and knowledge they need to learn. I must
set the highest standards not only for myself but also for my children. I will challenge my
children to learn something new every day.
Education encompasses much more than just student teacher relationships. There are
other members involved such as the community, school boards, and students with their peers. I
will interact with other peers, parents, and the community to ensure each child is succeeding in
the ways they can because all the people who play a role in the child’s life will also participate in
some way with their education. Children will learn to socialize in the school environment.
They will begin to learn what is acceptable in our society. They will learn and apply the rules we
live by so one day they can be valuable members of society
I welcome diversity in my classroom. One thing I want to do is allow each child the
opportunity to represent a part of his/her culture, and I also want to teach my students to be
accepting of all the amazing differences we have. I hope to see a great deal of cultural diversity
in my classroom. I also hope I myself can adjust appropriately to the different cultures so I can
communicate well with my students and their parents.
As a teacher you must always be prepared, yet flexible. It is important to remember not
all children learn in the same ways and so you may need to make adjustments to the way you
teach. Something I always want to keep in mind, children are the audience, and the audience is
always listening. They will pick up on the smallest things you do, good or bad.

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All Students Can Learn
Every student who enters a classroom may not be there because they want to learn.
However, each child can learn and it is up to the teacher to make sure that happens. Students
will learn things in different ways. Some topics may come easy to them but others may not
come as easy. It is important as an educator to realize when a child is falling behind and to get
him/her the help he/she needs as quickly as possible.
Bandura has developed a learning which basically states actions are contingent upon
consequences. If behavior is reinforced it will be repeated. Behavior that is not reinforced will
cease. Children can learn and they will learn if they are given the right reinforcements to follow
their actions. I also believe modeling is key in guiding children to learn what is appropriate and
what is not appropriate. If a child sees a good behavior they are more likely to repeat it. As a
future educator I will begin shaping these children by reinforcing good behavior with little
rewards. I believe this will encourage the students to set higher standards for themselves and
want to achieve more.
Inclusion is something you will find in my classroom. In order for all children to learn it
is important all children have the opportunity to be involved in the classroom. I think children
also need to participate in groups to complete tasks. I will have my classroom set up into islands
because I truly believe teamwork and group effort is a great way to encourage learning. While
working in groups students will be able to identify their zone of proximal development. Or it
will help me to identify it. This is important because there are so many things we may miss as
educators. We do not want to have children slip into cracks so I

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believe by observing things like group work; seeing what a student can do on his/her own, as
well as with the assistance of others than you will know what steps you need to take next. In
some instances you may need to get more members involved like parents, and other teachers and
get a child set up on and individualized education program. I will always do this kind of
checking because it is so important all children are able to learn.
Teachers Expectations
A teacher needs to be enthusiastic about the materials they are teaching. If they are not
enthusiastic about what they are teaching than how can they expect their students to be? They
really cannot. The teacher must have a good attitude about the materials being presented because
the children will pick up on the negative attitude if not. The teacher must set high expectations
for her children. If she does not then the children will have nothing to hold themselves
accountable for. It is also important a teacher has high accountability for her students. Children
will not want to apply themselves if there is nothing in it for them. Even if it is just receiving a
good grade or a sticker they need some motivation or someone to hold them accountable for the
work.
The teacher must also possess the gift of guidance. As educators at times we may get
frustrated and just want to give a free answer or feel like we are unable to explain certain
concepts. However, it is important that instead of giving free answers we provide students with
guidance. Show them where they can find the answers for which they are looking.
Goals are important not just for teachers but also for students. Goals give you something
you want to achieve. They give you something you can work toward. They are your

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motivation and they will keep you working for more and more. You can achieve the most out of
your life with goals instead of just applying yourself to do what is the minimum. Goals will help
you to reach the highest out of an authentic assessment. This is because you would be applying
yourself. It is real life not just a test. By setting high educational goals you achieve mastery of
something and do well on an authentic assessment.
Students’ Social Ecology Theory
Socialization is the process by which individuals acquire the knowledge, skills, and
character traits that enable them to participate as effective members of a group and society. It is
important for children to understand the way people live and survive in their environments and
they learn a lot about this by watching people socialize with each other. One of the reasons this
is so important is because children need to develop a social competence; they need to understand
thought and feeling and be able to respond to it appropriately. In order to be an effective
member of society you have to know how to be an effective member which means you need to
know and understand others.
There are many factors that have an impact on how students learn. The community is a
big general group because all these people live in the same area. They also share the same
interests. The community will be the ones who will support the school. They can be donors, or
they also just contribute by casting a vote.
Families have a sense of collectivism they share with their child and their child brings
into part of their education. They may have different values, beliefs, and traditions that they are
bringing to the school. This may mean that for a religious reason they are unable to

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participate in certain functions at the school. It may mean they come to school dressed a little
different than others. Families may be very involved in their child’s education or not involved at
all. This can make or break a child. If a parent does not know what to help their child with and
keep open communication with the teacher than the student will be the one who suffers.
It is important all people learn to socialize with one another so we can all continue to
work together. There are so many different ways we learn to socialize; family, peers, school, and
the community. I believe the more we are able to socialize the less and less we will see a
negative classism, or even prejudice in society.
Cultural Diversity Instruction
All of us have our own ascribed status. This is something we are all born with, raised to
be, and it will follow us forever. I will welcome this in my classroom. On the first day of my
class I want each child to design their name tag with information about their culture. I want
them all to be able to represent a part of themselves freely on the desks. I also plan on a project
where each person will present to the class about the place from which they came. They can
bring in food, jewelry, poems, anything they feel represents how they view themselves.
If there are different cultures in my class that I have never worked with I will research
them. I want to learn more about where my students come from so I can be respectful of their
culture while I work with them and the other members of their family. For example, it may be
inappropriate to make eye contact and I would not know that if I did not do my research. I also
think it is important to understand the different cultures because they may have a different

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way of learning certain topics and I as an educator would need to understand that. If a student is
a poor reader it may just be because that is not something that they push in their country.
Cultural assimilation is when the minority group takes on the characteristics of the
majority. I believe we see this here in the United States. We are not as welcoming to other
cultures unless they can fully embrace ours. Students who are not from America often do not
know any English and yet they will jump right into a classroom and try. They may struggle for
years because they have no real way of communicating with others until they pick up more of
our culture.
Cultural pluralism is when the exchange and acceptance of cultures is mutual. They both
welcome, accept, and take on other parts of each other’s cultures. I really like this because it
allows us all to be open. No one is giving up their culture, they are just accepting more. I think
if we did this more often we would have a more accepting community as whole. I believe a
bilingual education would fall into pluralism. This is when the students are learning in their
native language as well as the language they are learning. The teachers and students are able to
show respect for each other and the different cultures.
Curriculum for all Learners
There are different curriculums all over the world, which is good considering the fact our
world is constantly changing. Howard Gardner defined the five cognitive abilities necessary for
socialization geared toward future achievement. There are : the disciplined mind, the
synthesizing mind, the creating mind, the respectful mind, and the ethical mind. With our world

8. Statement of Informed Beliefs
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constantly changing it is mandatory we gather new ways of learning and thinking through our
school work.
There are so many things we must consider as we are writing our lesson plans before
each day. We must consider that each person will learn differently. Some may want to learn
what you are teaching others may not. You must also consider the fact there will be days when
you have extra time, or other days when you do not have enough time. There are always going
to be distractions and as a teacher you must learn to juggle and adjust.
I really think I would try to work many different curriculums. Developmental interaction
is one curriculum I am interested in. It is when students can work with peers, and other adults to
solve problems. I would probably use this more than I would something like teacher directed
curriculum because I believe it gives the children the opportunity to work in more real life
scenarios. I still will use a lot of teacher directed material because I am the teacher, and I am in
charge. I think I can manage to incorporate many different learning styles and still be in charge
of the curriculum.
If I ever see there is a struggling child I will do my best to assist them as quickly as
possible. What I envision is after a lesson I do a check. The students who understand the
material well can begin their homework. The students who still need a little help can meet with
me and the rest of the group and we will work through the problems together. I also will
encourage my students to set goals and to achieve their goals. Not easy goals, but challenging
goals. I will have a reward system for those who can make their goals.
Conclusion

9. Statement of Informed Beliefs
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As a future educator it is my responsibility to make sure each child can and will learn. I
want to accept each person as he/she is and to help him/her grow to be whomhe/she desires to be.
I am going to be not only a teacher but also a guider, motivator, and mentor. With the right
presentation I believe a student could find any subject appealing and that is what I plan to do. In
order for me to achieve this I know that I will be a lifelong learner. I will keep up to date on
materials so I can make everything as interesting to the students as possible. I will hold not only
myself but also each of my students to the highest standards. I will push them, and I will push
myself to achieve as much as possible. I will create a unique curriculum which will encompass
many different learning and teaching styles. I want my students to develop a great skill of
communication and acceptance when it comes to socializing. I want them to do this so they will
grow to be influencing members of the community as well as accepting of all other people with
whom they will one day work. I know with the right teachers, materials, and skills each child
can and will learn. I strive to be that teacher not just for myself but for my students, and the
community. I believe by all of us working together we can all succeed and together we will all
go far.

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References
Berns, R. M. (2010). Child, Family, School, Community Socialization and Support. Belmont: Wadsworth .