K. Murphy TED 606 Assignment 1.

Kelli Murphy
Activity 1.1 Professional Dispositions
TED 606: Equity and Diversity
Professor Kristina Lyman
March 11, 2015

K. Murphy TED 606 Assignment 1.1

Activity 1.1 Professional Dispositions

Professional dispositions of teachers are essential since they are constantly being
observed by children in the classroom, parents, other teachers and principals around their
campus, and in the community. As a result, it is important for teachers to model ethical behavior
and exhibit integrity in their professional and personal lives. Dispositions are values,
commitments and professional ethics that influence behaviors toward students, families,
colleagues, and communities and that affect student learning and achievement, motivation and
development, as well as the educators own professional growth. These dispositions of
educators are what influence their decisions and judgments on a daily basis and teachers may
even have to learn to put aside personal preferences to achieve professional responsibilities.
Some examples of dispositions you would see in teachers are high expectations for students,
respect for the diversity of others, professional conduct, fairness, compassion, advocacy, and
dedication. For example, teachers should be sensitive to individual learning and the social needs
of students and embrace the cultural diversity of the community. Educators should also be
dedicated to their profession by continuously seeking opportunities for professional
development. Another example is that teachers, through advocacy, can promote positive change
in the school and local communities that will benefit the well-being of others.
Educators dispositions play a large role in classrooms and while working with families.
One way it is important is when it comes to respecting the diversity of others, teachers should get
to know the backgrounds and cultures of students in their classroom and embrace diversity in all
things. If they get to know the cultures they can better teach each individual student since they
will likely all come from different backgrounds. It is also extremely important that educators
maintain professional conduct. There will be times when students or parents act or say
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K. Murphy TED 606 Assignment 1.1

inappropriate comments or voice their strong opinions and it will be the conduct of the teacher
that can help to mitigate the situation. Teachers are not only a face of their classroom, but of the
school and the community that it has built so it is very important for educators to exhibit
professionalism through all avenues such as timeliness, attendance, attire, and attitudes.
When it comes to my dispositions, overall I think I have strengths and weaknesses in all
categories and I know as time goes on and as I have more practical experience in the classroom
they will evolve and my strengths and weaknesses will rotate. Two areas of current strengths are
in scholarship and active reflection. I believe that a lot of my strength in these categories came
from my involvement in Alpha Kappa Psi, the professional business fraternity I was involved
with in college. We learned the importance of lifelong learning, oral and written communication,
professionalism, and problem solving; all of which make up this category. I recently received a
compliment at work when we had a procedural change and I took the initiative to make sure each
team member learned it properly, and after I was done one coworker told me she could see why I
want to teach people because I am passionate and very thorough when teaching. I also learned
how to improve on my weaknesses and perfect my strengths. This was because I worked with a
relatively large pledge class of 21 people and then went on to lead rituals with the entire chapter
of 68 students. My team helped me utilize my strengths and learn when to lean on others for help
in areas I was not as good at.
The two areas I would say need improvement are teamwork and responsible citizenship. I
consider myself a great team player for the most part, but one problem I have is that I like to take
on too much or do too much myself. I need to learn to let others help me and lean on others more
so that I can become more well-rounded and adapt my teaching styles as I go. One way I plan to
do this is to try to pick other teachers in the school to collaborate with and sometimes this might
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be outside of my grades team. I believe that collaboration with other teachers benefits both the
teachers as they adapt their learning styles and for their students to experience different
environments, stimulations, etc. My ultimate goal would be to collaborate with a partner monthly
on lesson plans and through classroom activities. Another area I feel like I need improvement on
is through responsible citizenship and this is because I think I can improve in areas such as
community outreach, time management, and initiative. I would like to improve on my own
behaviors that show dedication such as punctuality, exhibiting positive attitude, and participation
in educational social networks. Often times in my current role I get wrapped up in my personal
life and feel like I let it spill into my attitude at work and that needs to be improved. I want to
incorporate a joke, positive quote, or short story each morning with my classroom to kick start
the day on a good note. This is something very little, but I feel it will set a good tone for the day.
I also need to work on my timeliness. I am running late too often at my current job. As a teacher
I know that I will need to use the morning for classroom prep, lesson planning, and set up or
clean up, so it will be imperative that I make sure to show up early and be prepared. Lastly, I
would like to make sure I am involved with the social networking workshops and opportunities
with other teachers on campus. I think this can improve my attitude at work as I am meeting
people outside of just the school and I would also be improving my own skills. Since I like to
plan, I would like to help with the organization of these activities. Lastly, one area of responsible
citizenship I need improvement with is respect for human diversity. It is not that I am
disrespectful, it is that I feel like I need to learn and incorporate more about different cultures
while teaching. I will make sure to get to know the backgrounds and cultures of my students,
embrace diversity in all things, and promote a positive environment for students to feel
comfortable sharing their own culture and beliefs.

K. Murphy TED 606 Assignment 1.1

Everyone has things to improve on, and I have a lot, but I know that through student
teaching I will better be able to decipher my strengths and weaknesses of these Professional
Dispositions. They will likely significantly change through my first years as a teacher and I look
forward to figuring these all out and adapting.

K. Murphy TED 606 Assignment 1.1

References
Carrol, D. (n.d.). Developing Dispositions for Ambitious Teaching. Retrieved from
http://www.wce.wwu.edu/Resources/CEP/eJournal/v002n002/a010.shtml

Professional Dispositions of Learners. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gcu.edu/College-ofEducation/Program-Essentials/Professional-Dispositions-of-Learners.php