EDUC 7702/7703
Dispositions of Expert Teacher-Leaders
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), our primary accrediting agency in the Bagwell College of Education, expects institutions to ensure that candidates
"demonstrate dispositions that value fairness and learning by all students." See NCATE Standard 4 In addition to these common sense expectations, institutions may develop additional dispositions that fit their mission. NCATE refers institutions to licensing standards for professional educators adopted or adapted by most of the states. Institutions often identify dispositions that encourage pre-service educators to be caring teachers, collaborative partners, life-long learners, and reflective practitioners. Institutions are encouraged to measure dispositions by translating them into observable behaviors in school settings. The caring teacher creates a classroom in which children respect each other. The collaborative practitioner works with parents and other teachers to help students learn. The life-long learner reads education literature and the reflective practitioner re-thinks how she teaches the unit on geometric shapes.
NCATE expects candidates to demonstrate classroom behavior that is consistent with the idea of fairness and the belief that all students can learn. Consistent with their mission, colleges of education may determine additional professional dispositions they want their candidates to develop.
How should dispositions be measured? NCATE expects institutions to assess teacher candidate dispositions based on observable behavior in the classroom. (Retrieved 08/17/06
Graduates of the M.Ed in Adolescent Education at KennesawStateUniversity should possess appropriate professional and ethical dispositions as outlined in the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards for each content area and level (Early Adolescent or Adolescent Young Adult). These dispositions are consistent with the ones embedded in our Candidate Performance Instrument. Questions 1-5 below directly address the behaviors associated with the professional dispositions we expect of our M.Ed graduates.
DESCRIPTION OF YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Read the essential question below and the additional prompts in questions 1-6. After viewing your entire videotape several times, in a four (4) page written reflection, address the following essential question and each of the following questions numbered 1-6.
Essential Question:What behaviors do you see in the videotape which provide evidence of the dispositions you hold toward students, teaching and learning?
Consider these possibilities:
1. Do you respond to or interact differently with students in ways that could hinder their learning? Consider gender, ethnicity, SES, ability, linguistically diverse, diverse learning styles, etc. Reference evidence from the tape to support your evaluation?
2. What evidence is there on the tape that you hold the belief that all students can learn? Is there evidence on the tape which is inconsistent with this belief? Reference evidence from the tape to support your evaluation.
3. What evidence is there on the tape that you treat students equitably and that you provide equitable access to the full curriculum? Is there evidence on the tape which is inconsistent with equitable treatment and access?Reference evidence from the tape to support your evaluation.
4. What evidence exists on the tape that supports the practice that you create safe, inclusive, challenging environments for all of your students? Is there evidence that contradicts this practice? Reference evidence from the tape to support your evaluation.
5. What evidence exists on the tape that supports the practice of adjusting instruction for individual differences? Is there evidence that contradicts this practice? Reference evidence from the tape to support your evaluation.
6. Identify at least two areas (more if you have noted them in questions 1-5) and describe a plan you will follow to strengthen OR to develop the professional dispositions noted above. Be specific about the dispositions you are addressing AND be specific about the details (time line, activities, etc) which you will follow to accomplish your plan.
Your response should follow appropriate APA guidelines and formatting.