This I Believe: Governance and Finance and My Life as a Teacher

For each item, circle the number that best represents your belief. use the following scale as a guide:
4 = I strongly believe the statement is true.
3 = I believe the statement is true.
2 = I believe the statement is false.
1 = I strongly believe the statement is false.

1. All state govern education in basically the same way. 3

2. The state office of education in each state is responsible for setting rules and regulations. 3

3. In the past, the federal government has provided the largest source of educational funding. 1

4. Most of a district's budget goes to funding instructional activities. 4

5. Students in different districts across states are provided with approximately the same amount of money to fund their education. 1

This I Believe: Choosing a School to Being My Career

For each item, circle the number that best represents your belief. use the following scale as a guide:
4 = I strongly believe the statement is true.
3 = I believe the statement is true.
2 = I believe the statement is false.
1 = I strongly believe the statement is false.

1. My school principal is the person who will have the ultimate responsibility for the successful operation of my school. 4

2. If I decide to teach in an elementary school, I'll have to choose between promoting my students' social and emotional development versus preparing them for standardized tests. 1

3. Middle and junior high schools are essentially the same but are given different labels. 2

4. Larger schools generally provide students with better educations, because they have better facilities and can provide a wider variety of programs. 3

5. If some of students fail to master the content at the grade level I'm teaching, retaining the students in that grade is the best way to ensure that they will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to succeed at the next grade level. 2

This I Believe: Educational Philosophy and Me

On a scale of 1-4, 1 strongly disagreeing and 4 strongly agreeing, rate the following:

1. The purpose of educational philosophy is to help me and other prospective teachers understand how past experts have thought about teaching. 2
2. Children should learn morals in the home. Teaching morals in school is not part of my job. 2
3. As a teacher, my primary goal should be to help students master essential content rather than to help them develop emotionally and socially. 2
4. Our nation's schools should focus on teaching students to think and solve problems in the real world. 3
5. I should encourage my students to think about their personal role in making the world a better place. 3

This I Believe: History of Education and Me

On a scale of 1-4, 1 strongly disagreeing and 4 strongly agreeing, rate the following:

1. The Constitution of our country requires that religion and public schooling be kept separate from each other. 2
2. A free public education for students like me has always been a cornerstone of education in the United States. 2
3. The American high school has historically attempted to meet the needs of all students. 1
4. When slavery ended in our country, cultural and ethnic minorities were welcomed into our public schools. 1
5. In recent times, the federal government has used our nation's schools as instruments to achieve national goals. 3

This I Believe: Student Diversity and Me

On a scale of 1-4, 1 strongly disagreeing and 4 strongly agreeing, rate the following:

1. Culturally sensitive teachers treat all students the same way. 1
   Definitely not. Just like any other difference between people (girls don't have the same needs as boys), students of different cultures are going to have different needs, ideas, and desires than others. It is not culturally sensitive to treat all students the same; in fact, it's extremely insensitive and tells students that you don't recognize their individual identity.
2. Students who aren't native English speakers learn English most effectively by hearing the teacher use correct English. 1
   Well, duh. If a non-English speaker is being taught English, they obviously need to hear correct English. Interacting with someone who speaks the language you want to learn is the fastest and easiest way to learn a new language.
3. Boy generally get better grades in school than girls. 3
   I could either see this as being true or both genders are equal, but I don't think boys get better grades than girls. Girls generally tend to be more motivated, in my opinion, but there are also factors like teen mothers that could affect the average.
4. It is important for me to adapt my instruction to the individual learning styles of my students. 4
5. Experts in special education advocate the creation of special classrooms to meet the needs of students with exceptionalities. 3
   I could see the usefulness in having a separate environment for special education students because they have different needs and learn at different rates than other students. If it's not advocated, it's probably because of education politics and not based on the actual needs of the students.

This I Believe: Societal Changes and Our Students

Many students come to school with "baggage" that is often linked to societal issues. How do these issues affect our students, and how will they affect your life as a teacher? On a scale of 1-4, 1 strongly disagreeing and 4 strongly agreeing, rate the following:

This I Believe: Teaching and Me

I'm only taking one education class this fall, and I bought my book today for EDUC 101.

I can't believe they charge $200 for these things.

I'm a zealous type, so I started reading the first chapter. On the fourth page, the authors have a little questionnaire titled "This I Believe: Teaching and Me". They actually have a "This I Believe" for every chapter in the book. But since I'm reading it, I decided I might as well do it.