Running Head: DIVERSITY STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

Diversity Statement of Informed Beliefs Sherman, Jennifer Instructor: Dr. Egbert Education 204: Families, Communities, and Cultures 9:00

DIVERSITY STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS Diversity Statement of Informed Beliefs Everyone has their own beliefs that they construct their life around. As a teacher, having my own set of beliefs and having reasons for what I am going to do is really going to help me grow and become the best teacher that I can be. Some of my beliefs are going to revolve around diversity as well as remembering that all students can learn and putting a plan into action to

make sure that I accomplish that. I also plan to provide an equitable education for all students, no matter what their socioeconomic status is. The success of my students is going to be very important to me, and I will do whatever I can to be the best teacher I possibly can be. All Students Can Learn No two children are the same, and that plays a huge role into how each student learns. Some students ability to learn is right on track, where as others might need a little more guidance. Some students need extra direction to help them understand the lesson. Also, some children are more tactile learners and learn best by being actively involved. Others may be more visual and learn better by seeing things be done. In order to ensure that all of my students will learn I am going to take into account the different ways that each of my students learn and adapt to those different learning styles and observe their behavior and their performance throughout each lesson. I will also provide them with a lot of guided practice and make sure that they have the tools necessary to succeed. Rousseaus theory was learner-directed and stated that how learning occurred was more important than what was taught. He concentrated more on the development of the child rather than the subjects to be taught. (Berns, 2010). I like this theory because I too think that in order for children to succeed they have to grow and develop and realize what life is really like. Teachers expectations also play a large role in the success of the student and what they learn.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS Discrimination, such as the students ethnicity or their gender, can make an impact as well. Discrimination can hurt the students self-esteem and make them feel less valued which will cause big changes in the success of that student. Educational goals, whether they are academic

goals or even physical goals, can also play a part in the success of each student. The expectations that are given to the students when they begin a new school year help them see the importance of these educational goals. Students Social Ecology Theory Depending on which stage of the chronosystem each student is at is going to affect their development in the school. Being able to connect the stage of which they are at with how each student learns is going to be important to their success. Competence, or the effective adaptation to ones environment is an important factor on the students learning as well. Having a competent family and culture is going to be very helpful and positively influence how each student learns. Urie Bronfenbrenners bioecological theory is based off of the chronosystem and its four basic structures. The first structure is the microsystem which is based on the relationships that people have with their families, peer groups, school, media, and the community. The second structure is the mesosystem which links two or more of the Microsystems together, such as the school and the community. The third structure is the exosystem which deals with settings where the child doesnt actually participate but still affects them, such as their parents jobs. The last structure is the macrosystem which is based on all of the subcultures that each individual belongs to. (Berns 2010) Depending on where the student is at in the chronosystem the way in which they learn and interact is going to be different. This system improves learning because it

DIVERSITY STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS gives the teacher a better understanding of where that child is at in life, and gives them a chance to accommodate for that. Discrimination and Learning Teachers are seen as role models, so showing the students how to deal with cultural differences will show them the difference between right and wrong. I will provide my students with information from harder times where discrimination was a huge part of the world and help them see how much we have grown and teach them that all people are created equally. I will teach them about all of the different cultures, the learned behavior, such as knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, and law that are the characteristics of the social environment in which an individual

grows up, and teach them that not everyones culture is the same as theirs. I will also teach them that discrimination is not tolerated and that it can be very harmful. Cultural pluralism, which is the mutual appreciation and understanding of various cultures, religions, and different languages, is an important aspect in the world today. Teaching the students about cultural pluralism is going to help them understand the different cultures that they are going to experience inside and outside of the classroom. Often times, several people share one culture and there are only a few that do not. Often times, those people that dont feel like they fit in will try to assimilate and adapt to the environment by incorporating experiences. In the classroom, we need to teach the importance of individualism so that those few people dont feel the need to conform to the rest of the group. Taking into account the needs of each person and remembering cultural pluralism is going to really benefit the classroom and help aid in their success. Having such diversity in the classroom makes building the curriculum that much

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more difficult. Providing the students who are lacking the right tools for success is important, as well as providing the same thing for the students who are ahead. Equitable Education for all Students Taking into account the different families and lifestyles of each student is a very important aspect to the success of the students. A student who comes from a low socioeconomic household is going to learn differently than a child who is coming from a high socioeconomic status household. A student who deals with divorce or poverty is going to have a lot of stress and have a harder time in school. They are going to have a lower self-worth and are going to see themselves differently than a rich family or someone who comes from a family with parents who are still married. This will affect not only their emotional learning outcomes, but also their behavioral outcomes because they tend to act out more. I will provide a caring and fair education for each of my students despite the diversity. I will provide the best environment possible for them to learn and grow and help them succeed. I will give them an environment that they will be excited about going to each day and provide them with a place where they feel safe. I will show them that diversity doesnt define them and show them how to achieve success to the best of their abilities. Lev Vygotskys Tools of the Mind curriculum is designed to help children become intentional and reflective learners. He believes that children learn the tools of their culture by engaging in activities with more expert others, such as teachers. He believes that each person has five parts to their mind that help with the self-regulatory skills. The five parts include: the disciplined mind, the synthesizing mind, the creating mind, the respectful mind, and the ethical mind. Research show s that these skills have a stronger association school readiness than an IQ

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test does. (Berns, 2010) I like his theory because it helps explain how the mind works, which will help me as a teacher know what my students are thinking and how they might be feeling about certain situations. Remembering my beliefs and letting them help me make decisions is going to make me an effective teacher. Knowing how to deal with my students and what they might be going through is going to help me get along better with my students and make them enjoy coming to my class every day. Providing them with an environment that makes them feel safe will help ensure the success of my students. I know that not every person shares the same beliefs, but keeping mine in mind when I am teaching a classroom is going to help me become the teacher I have always strived to be.