Desirable Teacher Dispositions
Personal Integrity
1. My friend Lori, a schoolteacher, has recently become the head of student affairs at the school she works. In this position, she is responsible for organizing students and their elected representatives, discussing and helping them arrange events and dances, and, most importantly, speak with them privately and in a confidential manner. Essentially, she is the liaison between students and teacher. Initially, she did not like the task, but she has grown to appreciate the responsibility and has revealed the characteristics that are needed in such a job. Although she is 15 years older than most of the students she deals with, she treats them with respect and shows understanding. The students have learned to trusts her and, more than once, have come to her with concerns that are very sensitive in nature. First, she advises them what to do, then she helps them accomplish what they need to do all the while remaining trustworthy. Much of her job involves listening to others and only when the student (or teacher), ask her for advice does she offer it. She has found that very often people just want to vent and have someone to talk to who does not give order, judge, or make demands. Her disposition is useful for teachers because it allows the teacher and the students to develop a healthy, trustworthy relationship. Too often the teacher is seen as an authority figure who should not be liked. Such a viewpoint is usually the teacher’s own fault as he or she fails to connect with the students. Education should be seen as a partnership, not a punishment, and to do so the teacher must have integrity and show respect for the student’s personal affairs.
2. For a couple of days I worked in a school on the near west side. The school is devoted to educating students who come from unfortunate environments, especially abusive families. I met the principal of the school and found her to be an exemplary model for the disposition of personal integrity. The students who attended the school were sent from other districts, recommended for their behavior and personal problems. The principal had every student who entered the school photographed with a Polaroid. She took the time to memorize each student’s name, even though they might only be in her school for a few weeks, although most often the students attended much longer. She read every student’s portfolio and learned why there were there and what they required. The information she was handling was very sensitive material, often explicit in nature as countless students had been sexually and physically abused. For legal reasons the principal kept the information confidential, but for personal reasons she continued to respect and show affection towards the students. Many of the students came from situations that were so severe in nature the students themselves had difficulties behaving. Many were already deemed juvenile delinquent and had criminal records. Despite all of this, the principal would often be found in classrooms, the lunch room, and the hallways talking with students and showing them respect no different from what other, more average students might receive. When the students had problems at her school, they would visit the principal in addition to visiting a counselor. The reason was that the principal wanted to develop personal relationships with each and every student at her school. She wanted them to understand and appreciate her position, hoping their newfound respect for authority would carry into the rest of society. She also wanted the students to understand that they were not at the special school strictly because of their behavior, that is, because it was their fault; rather, she wanted the students to come to understand their own background and what led them to misbehaving. To do so, the principal developed relationships with each student. They entrusted and confided in her with personal, sensitive information. Within a short time of being there, the principal would become their biggest advocate and they would quickly fall in line and begin to modify their behavior. The principal’s disposition is important to consider as a teacher because it shows what can be done. She expended an enormous amount of energy getting to know each and every student. She showed and gave her trust to them, and in return, they began to trust her. As a result, the school environment was improved from the mutual understanding between the principal/teacher and the student, as they each understood where the other was coming from and what they had to do. Personal integrity is perhaps one of the most important dispositions because, without it, any other disposition or action the teacher performs is immediately questioned.
Content Knowledge
3. My mother in law has been a teacher of over 30 years in Brooklyn. She has become an advocate for phonics based whole language. She has played an important role hiring advisors and specialists to come into her district and teach the project. Although she has a comfortable position, and reaching retirement, she continues to learn about the newest theories. He energy and commitment is staggering and humbling to an individual who is just entering the field. She seems devoted to teaching and education. Now that I have entered the education field, she loves discussing topics of the day. I learn many new theories and methods in college yet she is always knowledgeable of the ideas I discuss with her. She visits numerous conferences and seminars, advocates in her school for teachers to adopt new programs and devotes most of her attention to staying current. I often wonder why she is so devoted so late into her career. She could easily coast through and retire with a decent pension, but she continues to push for new reforms and for her coworkers to become more devoted. However, I have come to realize that it mean much more to stay in touch with new developments and changes. She is at a position where her every action affects many others. Even something as slight as attending a conference and learning something trite could drastically affect others. By gaining new knowledge and passing it on to those she supervises, she could teach hundreds of students in a new way. Such a disposition is extremely important to teachers. Although college offers a new teacher a great education about all of the most recent theories, information changes and new studies produce unexpected results. Like doctors, teachers should be expected to stay current with their content knowledge, stay abreast of new findings, and help improves education and learning for everyone involved.
4. The professor in my philosophy class is amazingly well versed in his field. I have taken philosophy courses in the past and found that typically, professors specialize and only know of one area, usually related to their own interests and most often their doctorial dissertation. This professor, however, is able to discuss any topic relating to philosophy, and has memorized countless facts and details about the philosophers themselves. I have been very impressed with his versatility and ability to teach largely without class notes and from the top of his head. I have encountered other professors who are equally well versed in their own field. Art historians, for example, tend to be haughty and uptight, and feel that any time a student might know something they do not, it is a direct challenge to their position as professor. Not this philosophy professor, however. Although he is more than willing to argue and debate, when it is obvious a student knows more than he does about a particular subject or topic, he admits his lack of knowledge and promises to investigate the matter. Much of his content knowledge derives from the fact he has been teaching for many years. Repetition and rehearsal of the same subject matter is a great part of content knowledge, but he maintains his education by reading recent papers. Although the majority of important philosophers are deceased, there continues to be new research and interpretations on their writings. Such a disposition is important for teachers because it demonstrates, or models, appropriate and desired behavior and ability to the students. Too many teachers rely on basal readers and teacher editions where the answers are written in the books. It is better to teach students by proving that you, the teacher knows the material; otherwise, the students might get the impression the content is not very important.
Diverse Learners
5. A teacher at a school I routinely substitute at instructs a class of 15 students, all diverse learners. The school is mostly Hispanic and the ability to speak fluent English is not common, the ability to read and write in English even less so. This teacher’s class is composed of special education, slow learners, and other disabilities that make her small class far more diverse and difficult than a class of 30 regular or average students. Her students learning styles are so unique they cannot be described. Yet, the teacher is very understanding and energetic. She is constantly moving around the room, interacting with each and every student at least once every minute or so. Her methods are so unlike traditional teachers as she has to accept the variations in the students and how they learn. Even though many of the students are developmentally disabled, she does not seem to give up on them and continues to believe they can all succeed. She is a native English speaker but she has taught herself Spanish and accepts and respects her student’s native language. She uses her learned language, Spanish, to reach the student but then teaches English and other skills so they may survive and succeed on their own. A disposition that respects diverse learners is very important as every student should be viewed as unique and respected for their differences as much, if not more, than their similarities.
6. A college professor of mine is an advocate for students with mild disabilities. She is adamant that they are not disabled, but special. The term is important as it changed the perspective of the students. Historically, students who could not perform on par with their peers, and routinely performed below average, were labeled as less than good learners. Currently, there is a wave of new thought that has revised such a viewpoint, and this teacher is one of them. She respects the diversity of all her students and, based largely on Vygotsky’s and Howard Gardner’s philosophies, views children and people as learning through multiple manners. She realizes that some students learn by doing, others by listening, some work best in groups while others work best alone. Her class lectures routinely tell stories of her encounters with unique students and their experiences, and how other teachers disregard the student’s abilities. She treats and respects every student equally, although she considers them all different. The reason is because she sees they ways they learn to be integral to who they are and how they react to school. Such a disposition is very important to a teacher because learning and teaching should be as equally diverse as the students. Formally, traditional teachers have relied on lectures and tests, where as today, education should involve a diverse number of aspects and ways to learn.
Pedagogy
7. I observed a teacher who seemed to have no lesson plan. I found out later she did, but at the time, it seemed the class was helter-skelter with no particular direction. Not that there was no direction, but the teacher led the class in a haphazard, although fascinating manner. She would allow the students to complete the assigned work but, when a student would ask a question, she would use is an opportunity for learning. She would introduce the question to the class and compliment the student for asking an intelligent question, even if it had been a rudimentary one. Instead of telling the class what to do, she would ask them questions and guide them to the correct response using their own curiosity and knowledge. In effect, the one original question would lead to ten or more questions, both from the teacher and students. The classroom turned into a conference of sorts, where the topic was discussed with enthusiasm. However, the topic at hand would often shift and take in and involve other subjects. The class might be studying math, but because of one question and the teacher’s style of discussion, the topic would quickly involve nearly every other subject matter from science to language. She was very enthusiastic about teaching and learning and loved to see the students’ faces light up when they made a connection and learned something new. Such a disposition is vital to teaching as the enthusiasm can carry over and be infectious. The teacher is able to show how every subject matter interconnects, and does so not by lecturing but through questions and leading the class to find insight in their studies.
8. In my former master’s degree program for art history, I have been in the process of writing my qualifying papers for some time now. The professor supervising the process has not let me off easy. Although my writing skills have improved dramatically since when I first began the program, he will not accept any weakness and is using it as a tool for teaching. His persistence has forced me to grow both academically and intellectually. I turned in a well researched paper that most professors would readily accept, but was not written to the standard he expected. I was hoping he would give in and accept the paper but he did not and forced me to attend to my writing. I had put a lot of work into the paper, but this one aspect, my writing style, he held to be the holding issue. He recommended I visit the student writing center. At first, I refused and was mildly insulted, as I did not think my writing was that bad. After I visited the writing center, I felt satisfied and believed my writing has improved to a new level. I needed the push, which the professor offered, despite my stubbornness. Sometimes I think about why he is so adamant about pushing my skills. I have come to realize that it is not only his job and duty, but his joy of seeing a student open up to the new horizons of learning.
Reflective Appraisal
9. A fellow student recently performed a 40 minute lesson plan in a classroom while a professor observed. Afterwards, the professor severely criticized the student teacher for several reasons. It was harsh criticism, but I thought it was valid. The student seemed to take the criticism hard, the room was tense and no one knew how she would react. The student paused, took a deep breath, and self reflected. I am certain, since I spoke with her later, that she had a mouthful to say and wanted to snap at the professor but, out of respect, she held back. The student must have gone home and thought about what she had been told, because the next time she presented a lesson plan it was much better. She had improved her methods dramatically. I spoke with her afterwards and it turns out she had sought out the professor for additional advice and help. She had taken the criticism without lashing out, and then used the advice for self-improvement. I thought about how she held herself. She could have easily cried foul and acted upset that the professor was treated her so harshly, and especially in public. I do think the professor was too harsh. But instead, she took the finer points and the better information and used it to her own advantage by reflecting and improving.
10. I observed a teacher who took copious notes while teaching. After the class session, I asked why she took notes, and what they entailed. She informed me the notes encompassed everything that happened during the class time. Her reasons were many: to recall any misbehavior, to remember what she said or taught of a particular subject, and for reflective appraisal. She claimed to read the notes at the end of each day, recalling how she spent the class time, what she said and how she said it, how she treated each student, if she paid every student attention at least once, and how she might improve her methods. I was surprised, and at least a bit suspicious, that she would spend so much time reflecting each and every day. Yet she was, in my estimation, a master teacher. She always seemed to have control of the classroom and every student stayed involved. She might not have read over her notes each and every night, but I am certain she did reflect and appraise her successes and failures as a teacher. Such a disposition is very valuable for teachers since reflective appraisal allows a person to evaluate and consider how one performs. Through evaluation, the teacher can thus teach oneself better methods. Reflective appraisal is an integral part of learning and teaching oneself.
Educational Advocacy
11. An acquaintance of mine is a big advocate for inclusion of special education students into a normal setting. She works with numerous teachers and principals. She is organized to a high degree and attacks the issues with a game plan utilizing an amazing amount of research from current studies, facts, figures, and even studying how the individual schools set up shop and how they can improve inclusion of special education students. She regularly consults with the parents of the students and respects their opinion, attempting to reconcile any differenced between parent, school, teacher, student and policy. One of her best friends is an old professor of hers who she visits as a sort of counseling for her self. She asks advice on how to deal with hot button issues and devotes a tremendous amount of time and energy to a cause she believes in. She believes her advocacy is for the best of everyone involved and she relies on up-to-date research as proof. I have asked why she is so adamant but her reasons never fully explain why. I have come to believe it is because she knows the issues far more than I do and must know what is right, and therefore advocates her beliefs more than most might attempt. I would hate to believe she is misguided but have seen the amount of research and work she puts into her job and I must say it is impressive, if not humbling.
12. I observed a teacher who was very much into a fairly new teaching method called integrated units. The idea is that every subject matter is integrated around one central topic. The teacher spends copious amounts of time talking with other teachers. She keeps evidence and data from her own success with integrated units and offers them as proof to other teachers. Although her main job is not an advocate for any particular cause, she has adopted integrated units as her own. She has offered meetings and conferences on the topic and lends a hand when teachers attempt to create their own integrated units. Such a disposition is important because she is willing to help others. Teaching is not a solitary profession and teachers often need help learning as well. Educational advocacy allows others to learn and update their own repertoire of teaching methods.