Professional Dispositions Statement Assessment

I believe that all students have the ability to achieve success in the classroom. With multiple and varied learning strategies, I will respect the fact that each student has different strengths and weaknesses in their own unique learning process. I will engage students’ minds with rigorous activities and use assessment to gauge success in learning. I will respect students’ differences; whether it be cultural, cognitive or otherwise. I will endeavor to treat all students fairly, in the same way that I would wish to be treated. I will reflect on my own practices, seeking out ways in which I might improve my practices and skills along with new and creative ways to impart knowledge. I will conduct myself with honesty and integrity so that others may trust in what I present. I will have compassion for my students and their individual circumstances, advocating for them when they are unable to advocate for themselves. I will dedicate myself to professional growth and building relationships that will push my students to the highest level of success.

I have grown in patience throughout my course studies. When I first began to teach, I had trouble seeing the potential in students because I was blinded by their starting point. As my self-assessment shows, I have started to learn how to look at a student’s potential, rather than his or her starting point. I see that they have unique needs, backgrounds, and learning styles, and I am willing to work around that.

At this point in my student teaching, I have begun to realize that even the most difficult students can be inspired to take part in the classroom if the teacher is willing to listen to them and show an interest in them. In the past, I have been easily frustrated by such students and have been willing to throw up my hands in surrender. Through the actions of my mentor teacher, I have seen that building relationships and practicing patience with the more difficult students can make a world of difference. I see these difficult students beginning to engage in learning, however I have noticed that they are having trouble obtaining that same success in other classrooms. I hear the same thing over and over from them, that the other teachers just get mad at them and react by sending them out into the hall. I have learned that I want to be the teacher who keeps them in the classroom and learns to pick the important battles.

I still need to improve on my ability to use varied strategies of instruction and differentiate. I need to work on listening to my students so that I may better understand their needs. While I can be punctual, I would also like to improve at arriving to work early, so that I can be properly prepared for the moment when my students enter the classroom. I will continue striving for patience, and I will try to adjust my teaching according to the diverse needs in each learning block. While I still have room for improvement, I believe that I am well on my way to becoming an effective educator.