Quality Teacher Dispositions Paper

My name is Hannah Schueder. When I was younger, I loved to provide

childcare for families like I still do today. I have had the opportunity to use the
Iowa Teacher Quality Pre-Service Teacher Disposition Assessment Instrument to
assess my characteristics within each of the five categories provided within the
model and explain my strengths within these areas and how I can use those
strengths in the early childhood education profession. Currently I am in finishing
my last semester taking Early Childhood Education classes and will graduate in May.
I will them continue my schooling to get my AA and transfer on to further my
education.

Caring:

People with this disposition display kindness and concern for others.

Respect Show appropriate regard for the needs, ideas, and experiences
for others.

I truly believe that I am respectful. When growing up my family especially my

parents taught me to be very respectful to others by listening to your elders, and
when someone is trying to have a conversation with you to listen and give them your
full attention. I feel like I am very respectful from how my parents taught me to
be and still learning on new ways to still be respectful in my profession.
In the future, as a teacher I am going to be respectful in many different ways.
By respecting the familys needs and what they want for their child or children. Let
alone not only the families but the other staff members within the school as well
and the schools policies. So by this profession by respecting others not only can I
grow by learning new ideas from others but others can learn and grow in their
profession.

Patience Demonstrates ability to understand childrens behaviors and is

tolerant, caring and understanding of developmental abilities of children.

I believe that I have great patience because I am very calm and have
acceptance that things can happen in a different order than what I have in mind. I
feel that I have more patients than others when it comes to children.
 When working with children and having great patience will let the children
explore and learn more how to figure something out then getting frustrated with
that child and just doing it for them. As a teacher there is that breaking point
where you can point the child to the right spot but they are going to have to learn
how to get to that point since you as the teacher are not going to be that childs
teacher forever.

Communication:

The successful conveying or sharing of ideas and feelings.

Presence Keen with-it-ness and engagement in human interactions and

others needs.
When caring for anybody it is important to meet their needs to benefit the
interactions. When working with families and children is important to meet
their needs, communication, and have a strong supportive relationships with
them. When working as a child care provider, listening to the children and
adapting to their environment is how to make positive interactions with the
children.

Responsiveness Attentive to others need; the ability and inclination to act

as best meets the needs, asks supervisor if unsure of how to respond; when
appropriate advocates for needs of children and families.

As an educator in early childhood being responsive to children and their familys

needs that need to be met. I currently work with my supervisor at my job as a
childcare provider at a center. We work together as making sure everyones needs
are met as they are needed to be met.

Creative:

The use of the imagination or original ideas

Flexibility Adopts, adjusts and modifies practices to meet the needs of

children and peers; thinks on ones feet; is comfortable with change; willing
to take risk.
 I view myself as a very open minded and flexible, especially when it comes to
working with children. Research shows that children learn the best when the
classroom is child led. I believe that is true because the center I work at is child
led and I feel that the children learn fast on how to problem solve. So by being
flexible it gives the children the freedom to finish a project or problem solving
instead of rushing them or giving them the answers.
I believe having this quality benefits me when working with a child who has
special needs or has a behavioral situation. My schedule is never the same when
working with this child and I have to be flexible and adapt myself to the childs
needs.

Inventiveness Uses the needs and interest of children to approach

curricular and strategic decisions; visualizes and implements novel ideas and
practices; utilizes creative strategies, materials and or teaching aids.

I feel inventiveness is the quality of being creative. As a teacher, being

inventive, you are teaching children what they want to learn, instead of teaching
the children something they dont want to learn. When doing a project especially an
art project with children you as a teacher will have a picture in your head of how
you are going to create it and then its not as easy as it seemed to be pictured in
your head. So then you have to go to your next step of being inventive and coming
up with something easier and simpler.
When working in the classroom I would use the project approach as my
curriculum. With that being said I feel that promoting creativity and inventiveness
with children is great because it lets the children have that space of doing what
they want to do and how they do that project. When having them do how they want
to do a project jump in and ask the child questions, it might spark questions the
children never have thought of, interests, and comments.

Critical:

The ability to examine closely, to critique, and to ask questions.

Reflectiveness takes time consistently to evaluate effectiveness of

curriculum and learning experiences planned for children; evaluates own
behavior and behavior of children in terms of the larger goals of education;
nurtures reflectivity in children and peers; reflects on own growth and
accountability.
 I find myself reflecting on myself often throughout my day especially at night
right before bed when I go over how my day went and what I could change to make
it better. I believe it is very important to self-evaluate because it is beneficial
when assessing children. Being able to truly self-reflect is a helpful and essential
quality to possess because in the end you are making something else better.

Initiative Exhibits a willingness to pursue solutions to problems or

questions; participates and takes initiative in classroom routines; and
persistently seeks to improve situations or personal areas of needs.

I feel that I take initiative. By helping children solve their problems with one
another and helping children become interested in things like reading books, blocks,
and nature. By taking initiative in the classroom is important because it helps
children problem solve their own problems. When that happens you as a teacher
have to have a flexibly schedule for the children in order to have the children be
successful and gain the independence.

Professional Requirements:

These are qualities and practices that people must exhibit in order to be
recommended for employment

Professionalism Endeavors to meet the standards expected of a teacher

such as appropriateness of dress, grooming, demeanor, punctuality, tact,
discretion, and courtesy.

I think of myself as a professional person. When I am working with children I

present myself appropriately and professionally. I present myself by wearing
appropriate clothes and am able to communicate with children. When I talk to
children I always make sure I get down to the childs level. When speaking to
someone you should make eye contact with them and let them know that you are
listening to them.

Work Ethic/Responsibility Attends to center/school policy for teacher

attendance; completes teaching related tasks in a thorough and efficient
manner.
 I have a strong work ethic. I always feel like I should be doing something. I
dont like to just sit around. I am always making sure that for whatever activity I
am doing I have all my materials ready and available for the learning experience I
have organized for the children.

While I am still learning and gaining experience there are disposition I need
to grow in. These dispositions are personal and professional ethics and integrity ,
patience, and attentiveness.

Attentiveness Concentrates on others communication; takes others

communication into account

I have strong communication skills, but there are times when I really dont do
well communicating when I should be listening. I prefer communicating with others
face to face because I found out that a majority would rather communicate over
the phone or email. But with that you cant tell how that person is really feeling
when you read the message.

Open-mindedness Exhibits an ability to look at different sides of an

issue; recognizes the possibility of error in ones own beliefs and practices;
does not display or act upon prejudices against people or ideas.

Being open-mindedness has to be able to always be eager to hear others ideas

and opinions. I need to work on this because sometimes I think Im listening but in
the end I dont recall what that person said. So by working on this skill I need to
stop what Im doing and give the person my full attention.

Personal and Professional Ethics and Integrity Adheres strongly to high

moral principles and ethical standards as expressed in the NAEYC Code of
Ethics; demonstrates integrity and confidentiality.

Seeing myself as being somewhat knowledgeable in the NAEYC, but there is

always room for growth in the knowledge you get from it. This is so important to
me to be a knowledgeable source of information for not only families that I serve
but others in the community that need help.