Program+Dispositions

Dispositions

· Value change as the source of opportunity for improvement.

From the Industrial Revolution to the impact of social networking, change inevitably affects individuals, families, and communities. It is important to anticipate and value change to improve classroom practices and the educational system. Students need to be educated for success in the world of tomorrow not the world of yesterday.

· Display the ability to understand people and relations and be receptive to the ideas of others.

Giving students a voice in the classroom can be scary for teachers because acknowledging their ideas can be seen as devaluing fact and tradition. However, this stagnant philosophy has no place in education where it is important to nurture students’ thoughts and ideas. I have seen too many students fight the urge to contribute to class discussion for fear of peer judgment not to foster every student’s participation to the best of my ability.

· Show a willingness to implement non-discriminatory access, accommodations and assessments.

Every student should have an equal opportunity for learning and achievement regardless of physical capabilities, learning difficulties, family means, language barriers, or peer ostracism. I have been as flexible and accommodating as possible to encourage these students to overcome their hardships and succeed in class, and this year I began posting class content online to further expand accessibility.

· Demonstrate empathic understanding of diversity in all domains

It is especially important to realize that as an adult, I am able to compartmentalize my life in a way that students cannot. Though a minor argument with a family member may be furthest from my mind at school, students are not as readily able to let their personal issues go and to focus on learning. It is important to realize that high school students have bad days, and when they lash out, it is usually less related to class than to their lives. It is important to always remember to be empathetic first and foremost and then to be there to help students pick themselves up from a figurative fall.

· Regularly reflect upon the philosophical assumptions, ethical principles, and rationale that guides one's practice

One of the most practical dispositions garnered from my undergraduate work is the ability to reflect. Philosophy and ethics are not stagnant, so it is important for a teacher to look at his or her practice through many philosophical and ethical lenses. Questioning ones practice leads to abandoning antiquated traditions and incorporating innovative procedures.

· Understand oneself as a learner, and value learning as a core capacity.

More than anything else, students need to be life-long learners to stand out in modern society. Rather than teaching them a novel, or even how to analyze a novel, it is more important to teach them how to learn, adapt, and excel. Modeling the value of learning by incorporating new ideas into the curriculum helps students connect with traditional literature in new way. Even something as simple as discussing my role as a graduate student with my high school kids reinforces the notion that learning is important and helps them see education as something more exciting and beneficial than memorizing a periodic table or list of important events.