Professional Dispositions Reflection

Two dispositional areas I feel very comfortable with and why:

1. Initiative and Dependability

One dispositional area I feel very comfortable with is Initiative and Dependability. Throughout student teaching, I found that this became one of my strongest professional habits. Moving between both secondary and elementary placements pushed me to become flexible, organized, and dependable in different classroom environments. As I became more confident in my role as a teacher, I naturally took more initiative with lesson planning, demonstrations, classroom management, and supporting the overall classroom environment. I consistently looked for opportunities to extend my learning beyond what was required, whether that meant collaborating with mentor teachers, observing other educators, asking questions, or adapting lessons when things were not going as planned. I also became more confident advocating for myself when I needed support or clarification because I recognized that asking questions and being honest about areas of growth ultimately made me a stronger teacher. Student teaching reinforced for me that dependability is not just about completing responsibilities, but about being someone students and colleagues can consistently rely on.

2. Collegiality and Responsiveness

Another dispositional area I feel very comfortable with is Collegiality and Responsiveness. Throughout student teaching, I learned how important collaboration, communication, and feedback are within a school environment. I became more confident working alongside mentor teachers, staff members, and students while remaining open to constructive criticism and reflection. I view feedback as one of the most important parts of professional growth because teaching is constantly evolving depending on students, curriculum, and the world students are growing up in. Being open minded, reflective, and willing to adjust helped me strengthen my teaching practices and become a more thoughtful and adaptable educator. I actively sought advice, collaborated on planning and scheduling, and reflected on feedback because I genuinely wanted to improve. I also learned how important strong relationships are within a department and school community, and I appreciated becoming part of supportive teaching environments where collaboration and communication were valued.

One dispositional area I want to focus on in the future and why:

Cultural Responsiveness

The dispositional area I want to continue growing in is Cultural Responsiveness. Student teaching helped me realize that creating an inclusive classroom goes beyond representation within curriculum and also includes accessibility, adaptability, and making sure students feel capable of participating meaningfully in the art room. One challenge that stood out to me during my second placement was adapting lessons for students with physical disabilities within a fast paced art program. I sometimes found it difficult to modify certain materials, processes, or demonstrations in ways that allowed all students to participate as independently and confidently as possible. This experience helped me recognize that inclusion is not only about being supportive and encouraging in the moment, but also about intentionally planning for accessibility from the beginning of a lesson.

Throughout student teaching, I also became more aware of how differently students experience school depending on their backgrounds, support systems, abilities, and life experiences. These experiences reinforced for me how important student choice and student voice are within the art room. I found that lessons with flexibility, personal connection, and opportunities for creative decision making often allowed a wider range of students to participate successfully and feel more invested in their work. Because of this, I want to continue moving toward curriculum that encourages individuality, self expression, and multiple approaches to artmaking rather than relying only on highly structured, step by step projects. I also want to continue improving my ability to collaborate with support staff, adapt instruction when needed, and better understand the community contexts that impact student learning. These experiences pushed me to reflect more deeply on consistency, empathy, flexibility, and the importance of showing up for students every day.

How these dispositions support the professional goals I have for myself:

Overall, these professional dispositions support my goals by helping me build strong professional habits that I can carry into my teaching career. Student teaching reinforced for me that teaching is not just about delivering content, but about being reflective, adaptable, collaborative, and responsive to what students need in the moment. These dispositions continue to push me to seek feedback, communicate professionally, build relationships, and continue learning from the people around me.

Most importantly, these dispositions support the kind of educator I want to become. Student teaching helped reassure me that I want my curriculum to prioritize student voice, choice, and meaningful personal connection within the art room. I want to create learning experiences that allow students to bring their own ideas, identities, and experiences into their artwork while still feeling supported and successful. I have found that this type of environment often allows more students to participate confidently because there is not just one “right” way to create. Moving forward, I want to continue building a classroom that balances structure with flexibility, supports a wide range of learners, and encourages creativity, problem solving, and self expression.