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Professional Dispositions Statement Assessment

As an educator, it is my responsibility to help each of my students to reach his potential.

In order for this to occur, I will need to get to know my students’ strengths and weaknesses, likes

and dislikes, and their backgrounds. Each student will have slightly different needs and goals

and getting to know them well will allow me to meet their individual needs. This includes

setting goals for and with my students and holding all of them to high expectations. Allowing

my students to give input on their goals will lead to ownership and increase their motivation.

Teachers are professionals, and it will be my responsibility to act appropriately in my

school as well as in our community. A teacher’s influence extends past school hours. I will need

to be punctual when arriving and when performing duties such as monitoring a crosswalk or

ensuring that I grade papers in a timely manner. In a small community like mine, I will see my

students often outside of the school setting. My disposition and behavior in public should be just

as professional as in the classroom because my students will be influenced by my actions.

My professional disposition assessment showed me that while I am on the right track, I

still have room for improvement. For example, my experiences with ELLs and students from

cultures different than my own show me that while I am sympathetic to students’ needs, I still

have a lot to learn. I am open to experiences that will allow me to develop a better understanding

of what different students need, and I believe that my comfort level will increase as I spend time

with students.

As a former SPED paraprofessional, I used to implement the interventions necessary for

students’ success, but I did not understand why one student had a goal that differed from a

similar student in the same group. Between my coursework and my cooperating teacher’s in-

depth explanation of our students’ IEPs, I feel as if this is an area that I have grown in. I also
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feel as if I have a better understanding of how a student’s culture, home life, and background can

have an impact on his success. This is an area that I would like to continue to expand my

knowledge.

In order to improve myself as a teacher, I will seek professional development

opportunities that allow me to add to what I know. Also, I have been keeping an observation

journal throughout my time at GCU. I always ask the teacher that I observe what they wish they

knew when they started teaching, what they learned this year, and what books I should be

reading. I have a list of professional development, personal growth, and children’s literature

books that I will never be able to get the whole way through. I am slowly reading through them,

and I am enjoying every minute of this adventure!