Professional Commitments and Dispositions.
At the initial level, the Unit is firmly committed to developing the knowledge, skills, and dispositions in candidates that will enable them to work effectively as classroom teachers. The faculty members in the Unit are convinced that teaching has an intellectual and moral significance, and that effective teachers must demonstrate a core set of behaviors articulated in the conceptual framework as "professional dispositions and communication skills."
We believe that it is our shared responsibility to ensure that candidates completing our teacher preparation programs possess professional dispositions that include adherence to professional ethics, collaboration, commitment to teaching, commitment to diversity, emotional maturity, initiative, responsibility, self-reflection, and student-focus. We also establish expectations that all candidates will:
1. Know the importance of fostering relationships with school colleagues and agencies in the larger community to support student learning and well-being.
2. Communicate clearly and effectively in interpersonal situations.
3. Communicate clearly and effectively in writing.
4. Understand the ethical dimensions of teaching in a culturally diverse democratic society.
The professional commitments and dispositions of candidates are systematically assessed at multiple points in our initial teacher preparation program.
The College of Education is firmly committed to developing the knowledge, skills and dispositions in advanced program candidates that will enable them to work effectively in a variety of educational roles. The professional dispositions for advanced programs resulted from discussions of ways in which the dispositions of graduates of advanced degree programs might differ from those of teacher preparation students. While many of the dispositions should be similar (for example, ethical conduct, commitment to diversity or reflective thinking), students in advanced programs are expected to develop dispositions of leadership and advocacy that are not required of initial preparation students.