Secondary and K-12 Education Dispositions
Disposition: Natural mental and emotional outlook or mood; characteristic attitude. Disposition is the natural or
prevailing aspect of one’s mind as shown in behavior and in relationships with others. (Webster’s New Universal
Unabridged Dictionary, 1996, p. 568).
Student’s Name:
Abraham Miller___________________________________________________
Please complete all that apply:
1) Attendance/Punctuality
 Perfect attendance record
 Always on time
 Rarely absent/generally punctual
 Frequently absent
 Frequently late
 N/A
Comments: I have not missed one class or appointment this semester and realize
that being there when you say you will is a huge part of being an intentional,
professional teacher and person. The goal I have for myself is that next semester
I am not late, and continue to present at all meetings.
2) Self-Initiative/Independence
 Self-Starter; Identifies needs and attends to them immediately
 Creative and resourceful; Independently implements plans
 Has good ideas, works effectively with limited supervision
 Passive; Depends on other for direction, ideas, and guidance
 N/A
Comments: Every time I receive an assignment, I immediately begin to think about
what I can do to complete it. Sometimes it becomes overwhelming when I have 25
different tasks on my mind, but that is when I realize I need to take a step back
and prioritize the tasks accordingly. Throughout the semester, our courses have
been designed to push us into thoughtful, independent and creative individuals. In
order to complete the assignments, being a self-starter is almost a must. My goal
for next semester is to continue this independence, but to avoid the chaotic times
of having the 25 tasks all at once in my mind. A way I can do this is by creating an
up-to-date to-do list.
3) Reliability/Dependability
 Responsible; Attends to assigned tasks or duties on schedule without prompting
 Sometimes needs to be reminded to attend to assigned tasks or duties
 Usually fails to complete assigned tasks and duties
 N/A
Comments: I will openly say that I have attended to more coursework and focused
more on my education than ever before. I have been extremely busy with projects
and reflections, and have been on task all semester long. I realized from the
beginning of the semester that there is no “pushing things off until the last minute”
in Block 1. Besides that, our courses have been designed to make us stay on task by
motivating us to do our best work. What I can do to set up a goal for myself to
continue my work ethic and better it is to make sure that I am not always working.
I have primary needs that must be met, (sleep, nourishment, social interaction),
before I can efficiently attend to tasks.
4) Oral Expression
 Expressive, animated
 Articulate
 Inarticulate/hesitates to express self
 Makes frequent speaking errors
 N/A
Comments: I have always been a very vocal person, and usually only speak when I
know what it is I am talking about. My word choice when expressing myself is most
often clear and correct. A goal for me is to learn even more ways to express
myself. Learning more words to add to my vocabulary is one way. Also, ensuring
that I show enthusiasm only when it is appropriate is a goal to work for.
5) Written Expression (Please attach writing examples if available)
 Frequently and effectively communicates with peers, instructors, advisors,
parents, and/or administrators
 Organizes and clearly expresses ideas
 Writing is often unclear and disorganized
 Written work demonstrates frequent misspellings and/or grammatical errors
 N/A
Comments: Although I have not made too many opportunities to express myself in a
written fashion to my stakeholders, I feel that whenever I have it has been clear
and well organized. My view is that if you are communicating with people of such
importance to your career, you must be prepared and effective in your written
communication to them. If you are trying to obtain something from them, you must
make yourself clear and concise in order to avoid confusion. I have mainly used
email in my written expression, and have maintained a professional and organized
appearance when doing so. A goal for me here is to put forth more effort in
contacting my advisors and parents/teachers/administrators of my apprenticeship
site. Contacting them in a written manner can help develop my professional
appearance as a teacher, making me more reputable.
6) Critical Thinking Skills
 Distinguishes between relevant and irrelevant information, claims, or reasons in
an efficient and effective manner
 Poses probing questions and problems once issues are identified
 Struggles with initial analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information
 N/A
Comments: Sometimes in order to truly see an issue or idea, you must cut away the
fat, so to speak. If I come across information or a claim that I must analyze, the
first thing I do is make sure it is consistent throughout. If there is any irrelevant
information, I will identify it, remove it, and then re-assess the information. Once
the concept is truly revealed, there may or may not be obvious queries to pose. If
there are, I never hesitate to bring them up. In order to have a sound, or even
valid claim or reason, this process needs to be familiar to you. A goal to set for
myself is to do further research on those issues that have the probing questions.
Many times I leave these questions unanswered when I should do more follow-up.
7) Tact Judgment (with peers and/or instructors)
 Diplomatic; Sensitive to others’ feelings and opinions
 Perceives what to do in order to maintain good relations with others and
responds accordingly
 Limited sensitivity and diplomacy
 Appears thoughtless, Insensitive to others’ feelings and opinions
 N/A
Comments: I feel as though I have always been one to try to be sensitive to others’
feelings. I realize that we are human, and have the capacity to think differently
than others. If I do not show sensitivity to these differences of opinion, I not only
become a burden on others, but also display a lack of professionalism and
understanding. In short, I will be perceived as being ignorant and stubborn, which
are not qualities I should possess as a teacher. A goal for myself in this area is
that I need to realize that people will have certain perspectives or boundaries that
are invisible and I may be crossing them. I must learn how to deal with someone
who I may have inadvertently hurt in a professional manner.
8) Collegiality
 Willingly shares ideas and materials
 Prefers being part of a team
 Reluctant to share ideas and materials
 Prefers to work in isolation
 N/A
Comments: Part of me being a vocally expressive person comes out in my willingness
to share ideas and materials. I’m the sort of person that likes to bring something
to the table to share with others. I also enjoy receiving shared ideas and materials
from others whenever I get the chance. A goal for myself here is to become even
more aware of others’ ideas and learn to trust them. I am not even close to always
being right, and I must learn to trust others’ judgments more than I do now.
9) Reflective Response to Feedback/Supervision
 Solicits suggestions and feedback from others
 Receptive and adjusts performance accordingly
 Receptive but doesn’t implement suggestions
 Defensive: Unreceptive to feedback
 N/A
Comments: I regard constructive criticism as a way for my peers, teachers and
cohorts to show their care and concern for me as a growing teacher and human
being. When suggestions are made to help improve my work, I take them to heart
and willingly make necessary changes. The goal for me here is similar to the last
disposition. I must be more trusting of my peers’ judgments and implement them
into my work. There isn’t only one way to do something.
10) Interaction with Students/Peers/Teachers/Others
 Outgoing; Actively seeks opportunities to work with students/peers/others
 Relates easily and positively with students/peers/others
 Shy; Hesitant to work with students/peers/others
 Is sometimes antagonistic towards students/peers/others
 N/A
Comments: Part of the fun of Block 1 was being able to meet new faces and work
together with others. I believe that this past semester has brought a large amount
of positive interaction and cooperation among all of us – students and teachers
alike. The goal for myself in this category I have been trying to work on for a
while. Most of the time I end up being the one who not only seeks out the
opportunities to work with others, but also always sets up the meeting times and
places and makes sure to bring all the materials. I think I need to let others worry
about those things more than I do. It goes back to the trusting of others to be
responsible, and how I need to be more trusting.
11) Desire to Improve Own Teaching Performance
 Continually seeks new and better ways of teaching
 Makes some effort to improve own teaching performance
 Makes no effort to improve own teaching performance
N/A
Comments: In alignment with my teaching philosophy, I am making efforts and
strides to becoming a better teacher. Reflection is my main means of accomplishing
these steps towards becoming a better teacher. I can set the goal for myself to
implement more strategies in the classroom next semester. I have learned about so
many of them, I need to start using more of them to see what works for me and
what stays in alignment with my philosophy.

12) Commitment to the Profession
 Appears deeply committed to the teaching profession
 Expresses a sincere interest and enthusiasm for teaching
 Genuine interest but lacks enthusiasm
 Unsure of teaching as a profession: Treats it like an Insurance Policy
 N/A
Comments: Being an intentional teacher means so many things, including knowing
your content area, being present, owning a repertoire of teaching strategies, and
many other things. I believe being deeply committed to the profession is a good
way to try to sum these things up. I believe that my level of dedication to
coursework and self-reflection give me the appearance of being deeply committed.
I also feel that when I am vocally expressive and willing to share ideas with others,
I am displaying my interest and enthusiasm for teaching. My goal is to ensure that
I keep this enthusiasm for teaching. I have heard too many stories about teachers
“burning out” after a few years. I must be able to keep the balance of life and
work in check so I don’t over-stress myself.
13) Attitudes Towards Learners
 Seeks instructional strategies that provide opportunities for all students to
attain higher order learning outcomes
 Believes all students can learn
 Makes negative comments about students’ abilities to learn
 N/A
Comments: One of the main ideas or concepts I have grasped this semester is that
students will learn on different levels, but all students have the ability to learn. It
is my job to find that bridge that is sturdy enough to connect the material to each
student’s mind so the information will travel safely across that bridge and end up in
the student’s head. Modifying your classroom and your teaching strategies to
effectively communicate to all students is how to create good pedagogy. I am
constantly trying to do this, because it is one of the most important parts of
teaching. My goal is to implement these strategies into my new classroom next
semester. I also want to learn about more specific strategies that address the
students with special needs.
14) Professional Ethics and Demeanor
Indicate:
Yes
No
Unable to Judge
_Yes_ Maintains high ethical and professional standards (e.g., does not share
confidential information)
_Yes_ Is aware of program policies and professional practices and responds to
these guidelines
_Yes_ Maintains a professional appearance