Dispositional Expectations of Teacher Candidates
The Educator Preparation Programs at West Chester University in the College of Education and Social Work have developed professional dispositions and requirements essential for the profession. These dispositions are based on the 2011 Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards. Candidates have the opportunity to demonstrate dispositions in courses (assignments, interactions with others) and out in the field with mentor teachers and students in P-12 settings. The four professional dispositions (summarized below) are empathy, open-mindedness, responsibility, and communication.
Empathy Highly effective teachers are sensitive and understanding of the learner's own perspective. It involves the process of observing something from another point of view or putting oneself in another’s shoes (Detert, Trevino, & Sweitzer, 2008). This requires the acceptance of varied perspectives, values, and beliefs to use the information to develop positive learning experiences.
Open-Mindedness Involves the “active perspective that allows the individual to be willing to be flexible and to consider, if not try out, new ideas” (Alawiye and Williams, 2010). It is the process of showing receptiveness to new or different ideas and willingness to accept constructive feedback. Being open-minded is one of the several components of high-level thinking essential for the teaching profession.
Responsibility Includes the ability for a teacher to be accountable and reflective on the outcomes of professional and personal actions. This includes being responsive to needs of students’ learning and takes ownership of mistakes or errors to refine personal and professional practice. Related to responsibility is having what Elder and Paul (2009) define as Intellectual Independence. It is wise to listen to others to find out their thinking, but you must take ownership of your actions and thinking that are rooted in fairness and sound judgment.
Communication Develop positive relationships with others in a variety of venues (face-to-face, digital, etc.) to achieve a common goal. To effectively develop these relationships one should be a good listener. This includes being attentive and not dominant when communicating with others (Norton as cited by Faull, 2009). Engagement is an essential process to communication. How you engage others in this involves planning engaging learning experiences and demonstrating confidence in communication with others (Faull, 2009). Effective teachers collaborate with learners, colleagues, school leaders, family and key stakeholders within the community to better understand students and to maximize learning.
Evaluation of the Professional Dispositions of Teacher Candidates
The evaluation of Professional Dispositions of candidates is conducted through the Unit’s online assessment software system Anthology. The evaluation is administered to candidates in several education courses. In courses where there is a field experience, the faculty member collaborates with the mentor teacher when evaluating each candidate’s dispositions. The faculty member has the option to submit a dispositional concern.
The complete dispositional policy and concern process is found in the Professional Dispositions website.