EDU 550
Section 3
Power of Belief
Discussion
Q1: I believe in the power of self-fulfilling prophecies and while speaking with colleagues, we determined that a person’s initial attitude in any discipline has an impact on the final outcome.
Even if a person’s attitude towards a goal changes after a period of time, the initial attitude, if a person “believes he or she can’t,” will have a negative effect on the progress towards a goal. If a person “believes he or she can,” that will aid him or her in moving towards that goal.
I do not want this to be considered as avoiding the question, but I have never been in the classroom and believed “I could not” do something in regards to educating my students. “I believe I can” teach anyone who chooses to be in my classroom.
As an example of that, I once taught a student named Junko who spoke very little English. She was twenty years old and very shy. At the time, I was fairly new to living in Japan, so my Japanese speaking ability was very low as well.
Junko planned to study English in the U.S. within six months and I remember thinking that it would be a difficult challenge to help her progress to a level where she would have enough confidence in herself to use her English in an unsupervised setting. But I felt that the experience would make me a better teacher, regardless of the outcome.
Initially she was apprehensive to be in my class because her level of English was low. Normally, students with limited second language ability feel more confident in having a teacher with the same native first language. Most ESL/EFL teachers agree that the language of instruction should be the language that is being studied. Her English skills progressed normally, but what “improved” more was her lack of apprehension and openness before going to the U.S. for a three month home stay program.
Junko returned to my class after three months and it felt as though I had met a totally different person. She was not able to be in the same low level class because she had improved her English dramatically. The change in her personality was even more dramatic.
I do not take credit for Junko's English improvement while she stayed in the U.S., however I believe that because she was in my class, I helped to instill in her the confidence to believe that she would be able to live and study in the U.S. and someday further study overseas.
Nine months later Chika transferred to the University of Wolongong in Australia where she completed her bachelor’s degree. She just completed her master’s degree in social work at Eastern Washington State University.
Had I felt at the start that “I could not” teach her, for any reason, I may have had a negative impact on her achieving her goals. Students can sense when a teacher “believes he or she can or can’t” work with them. As it stands now I have to credit her motivation to achieve those goals because she “believed she could.” As her teacher early on I helped her with her English skills, believed in her ability to learn, and helped develop her confidence which helped her in her studies overseas.
Most of the time as teachers, we do not get to see the final fruits of our labor. When we are able to see early positive results, it is very encouraging.
Q2: Our answer here was instant and simultaneous, “Why are you teaching then?” It created a brief laugh the three colleagues I discussed the question with.
Sarcasm aside, all of us agreed that nothing should be said in reply to such negativism.
I thought if at all possible, Chad should be taught by a teacher who felt they could teach him or a teacher who was willing to accept the challenge.
If those options are not available I think the teacher in question should be made to give progress reports on what types of strategies he or she is using to help Chad cooperate. Should Chad remain uncooperative, he or she should meet with a senior teacher or a teacher willing to work on the problem, to look into what other options are available to help Chad adjust socially.
There are other students of course, but in matters of behavior, the classroom atmosphere nees to be taken care of before the teacher can teach other students effectively.
Study Team Activity – Part 1
3 / ST 1:
Negative
Beliefs Focus Actions Feelings
Lack of time to Clock Will not take on Angry,
prepare quality watching. additional frustrated,
lessons. responsibilities. and stressed.
3 / ST2:
Positive
Belief Focus Actions Feelings
Learning is Positive and Find new and Motivated,
fun. enjoyable innovative ideas energetic,
learning to add to classroom and positive.
environment. instruction.
Study Team Activity – Part 2
3 / ST3: We chose Gail Schack. Her beliefs are that every student is hers and that every child can learn regardless of the circumstances. She has high expectations and accepts no excuses. She wants to turn even negative situations into positive experiences. She believes she is the teacher who can motivate her students.
3 / ST4: When dealing with Roberto in the video, she clearly outlines what she expects of him in his behavior and lets him know that she believes in his capabilities academically as a student and socially in his behavior.
She later goes back and lets Roberto know that he is doing what she expected of him.
Many adults are quick to point out when young people are not doing what is expected of them, but I think it is just as important to recognize students when they are doing the things that are expected them. It is human nature to do the latter, but we need to be more aware how we treat students when do well as well as when they do poorly.
Application Assignment – Part 1
3 / AA1: My negative belief is that students who do not go to class waste time when they do finally go to class because they do not do their homework and have not stayed up-to-date on what is happening in class.
This negative belief has influenced my actions by making me noticeably annoyed during class. I may snap at these particular students at times and that reflects poorly on my professionalism to the other students in class.
Application Assignment – Part 2
3 / AA2
NEGATIVE BELIEF:
Students who do not go to class waste time, do not do their homework, and do not stay up-to-date even when they do attend class.
Restate as a positive belief:
Students can utilize there time better even if they are unable to attend class, will do their homework and will stay up-to-date even if they are unable to attend class.
I will work with the administration to set up “counseling” sessions with students who are not attending classes, so that we can find out why they are not attending classes and what we can do together so that they will start attending classes. I will work with the students to make sure that even if they are unable to attend class I will call them directly and/or send them E-mail to notify them of their homework or other classroom information so that they can stay up-to-date for class when they do return.