Disposition: Reflective Practice
Reflective practice is a very important aspect of teaching on both the educator’s part and the students’. Reflection is a key skill that will increase effectiveness within the classroom by causing both students and teachers alike to grow in their ability to understand the material being presented in a way that they can communicate it to others.
Reflection involves careful examination of work through critical thinking and processing in order to properly assess attitudes, dispositions, knowledge base, and performances. There is great importance in looking back at work that has been accomplished to be able to see what things didn’t work and areas that need improvement. It is also important to be able to look back and see what techniques did work and the areas that were successes. We always have room for growth so it is important that we keep sharpening our skills and strive to attain high goals.
Reflection is also very important for students. Students should be engaging in reflection to see where they need to improve in their work and to also see where they are excelling. This will cause students to take ownership of their learning which will encourage them to better.
It will be my goal to instill in my students the value for reflective practice in their work by demonstrating it in my work. I will have my students keep track of their scores throughout the year so that they can easily see how they have improved or ways that they need to progress. My students will also actively participate in the classroom in giving verbal feedback as it pertains to ways they see success within the classroom which will serve the purpose of building other students up.
Disposition: Collaboration with parents, professional and community members
I believe that collaboration with parents, professional and community members are integral in creating the best environment conducive to the student’s success. Parents are the student’s first and foremost teacher, teaching professionals strive to instruct and enforce excellence in the students’ lives and community members provide a support structure that is necessary for the achievement of the students.
I feel that parents should be involved in their child’s learning because there is only so much a teacher can subsequently take on in their education. The role of the parent is of the essence in seeing their child do excellently. Students need the community to be involved in education because they contribute encouragement that aides in the students’ achievement. The combination of all of these forces working together will create the most advantageous environment in which to learn because the student will feel and know the support they have.
In my classroom, I will implement this by asking parents and community members to come into the classroom to help out. By their help, this will make the parents and community to be more involved in the student’s education. It is imperative that parents be involved with their child’s education in order to reinforce what they are learning at school in the home. I will also instill programs in which the community and professionals can volunteer to help and also see the work of the students’ progress.
Disposition: Commitment to Life-Long Learning
When thinking about the responsibility of teaching this generation and those to follow, I often think about how fast knowledge is progressing and how much it is increasing. As time quickly elapses, new discoveries and advancements are constantly being made. Students each year need to learn at a faster rate due to the amount of information to take in. It is absolutely essential to keep up as an educator in order to provide the most excellent education for students.
I am a firm believer of teachers being life-long learners because students need us to be. We have the responsibility of teaching children and sometimes concepts are caught more than they are taught. Students will know if the teacher is not keeping up and continually developing their cognition, not just in academic knowledge, but also that of teaching strategies. As the generations change, so do the needs represented by them. Children do not learn the same as they did 30 years ago. Individuals have a need for educators to be cutting edge in their teaching techniques to better deliver education in the best way that is most suitable to their learning needs.
It is my desire that when I am a teacher to maintain life-long learning and demonstrate it in the classroom. This will require extra research through professional development plans as well as going the extra mile in developing lesson plans to make sure that I provide my students with extra resources to make connections that are deeper than the surface information. I will attend educational conferences that will sharpen my teaching skills and cause me to be more excellent in the way I conduct my classroom. It is up to me to be a life-long learner so that my students will catch on to the vision for learning and desire it for themselves.
Disposition: Empathy With and Caring for Others
I believe one of the greatest assets an effective teacher possesses is the ability to empathize with and care for students. The teachers that I remember the most are those who cared enough to inquire about what was going on in my life. I think that these traits are becoming increasingly important as more students are coming in from broken families, difficult social situations, and many have pressing academic needs. Students need to know their teachers care for them and support them because it could be the only place they are receiving it.
In my novice teaching, it would sometimes be easy for me to place judgment on certain students if I did not have all the background information, but because I care about them, I am able to empathize with them and have compassion on them. It is evident that students see when teachers care for them because it gives them hope and the ability to rise to the challenge.
Caring for students does not always look the same way. Sometimes it is difficult to care for individuals, meaning that teachers will have to take steps of action that will be difficult in order to ensure a child’s safety at home. Teachers will have to stand in the face of adversity to make sure that their children are safe in the classroom as well.
It is a great responsibility to care for students and show them empathy, but when a teacher does, it means a lot to the student and causes them to respect authority. Teachers who care for their students leave a lasting impression. Teachers who don’t care for their students also leave a lasting impression. It is my heart’s desire and my goal to be that of a teacher who cares for their students; therefore, leaving a lasting impression upon my students that they can achieve anything and do great things.
Disposition: Leadership in the Classroom and in the Profession
Leadership in the classroom and the education profession is key to the success of our children. It is imperative that students see leadership modeled, as it is something that they may not have the opportunity to see demonstrated in their home.
I plan to implement servant leadership in my classroom. This is where the leadership role is centered on the student and their needs. Students should never feel like their teacher is lording over them, but that they are there to help them achieve their dreams and aspirations. Students are in need of a teacher with strong leadership qualities, who is confident, and provides structure. I think the best leader is one who has others’ interest in mind, and who is attentive to the needs of others.
I believe that the teaching profession is an environment in which teachers must take initiative. Teachers should be leading in knowledge, creativity, being caring, and being advocates for students’ learning. We should take initiative in collaboration with others in the profession as well. Teachers work in collaboration with each other, and this is a place where leadership should be displayed. We should be leading by sharing ideas, plans, problem solving strategies, etc. We are training the future generations and instilling values that will hopefully one day cause them to rise to the top and succeed in whatever they put their hands to. Sometimes, it is true that more things are caught than taught – leadership skills can be taught to students, but these skills are more likely to be caught. I want to lead my classroom where students feel equipped rise up and be leaders.
