CANDIDATE DISPOSITIONS

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The University Teacher Education Committee at Western Illinois University believes that well prepared teacher candidates understand and can demonstrate knowledge of professional skills and dispositions. We further believe that teacher candidates must apply their knowledge skills and dispositions in school settings. The mission of Western Illinois University’s Teacher Education Program is to prepare versatile teachers who appreciate the importance of our diverse population: who adapt to emerging social, economic, and demographic patterns; and who are skilled in the use of technological tools to promote teaching and learning in our nation's schools. We further believe that the disposition of our candidates is important for their success as a teacher and a professional. Therefore, the following dispositions will be assessed of all teacher education candidates. Teacher education candidates are expected to show growth in these dispositions throughout their teacher preparation program.

The candidate demonstrates:


Collaboration: Works together with others to achieve a common goal.

Honesty/Integrity: Demonstrates truthfulness, professional behavior, and trustworthiness.

Respect: Honors, values, and demonstrates consideration and regard for oneself and others.

Commitment to Learning: Demonstrates a respect for and is serious about knowledge acquisition.

Emotional Maturity: Demonstrates situational appropriate behavior.

Responsibility: Acts independently and demonstrates accountability, reliability, and sound judgment.


Teacher education candidates must address these dispositions in reflective paper one and two.

Faculty/Administrators/Advisors will use a checklist to assess teacher education candidates’ dispositions for teaching. When the desired skills and/or behaviors are not evident or insufficiently developed, faculty and/or administrators will conference with the teacher candidate. Candidates that continue to demonstrate major weaknesses in disposition(s) or continue to demonstrate areas of weaknesses following conference may be advised out of teacher education.


Adapted from Illinois State University’s Special Education Department
UTEC approved 10/29/01

DISPOSITIONS INDICATORS


Collaboration: The ability to work together

  • Cooperates with others
  • Makes contribution to group effort
  • Shares information and materials with others
  • Assists peers
  • Supports decisions of group willingly, even if different from own
  • Volunteers to participate in group effort
  • Supports work of others
  • Plans and sets goals and priorities with others
  • Establishes professional goals that are aligned with those of the organization
  • Makes relevant contributions to discussions

Emotional Maturity: Demonstrates appropriate situational behavior

  • Uses appropriate strategies to respond to emotional and emergency situations
  • Responds to situations professionally
  • Uses appropriate tone of voice
  • Initiates communication to resolve conflict
  • Maintains emotional control
  • Uses self-disclosure appropriately
  • Uses appropriate non-verbal expressions
  • Responds appropriately to actions and reactions of others
  • Acts from a positive frame of reference most of the time, including when changes occur
  • Accepts feedback from others
  • Identifies personal responsibility in conflict/problem situations
  • Adapts to unexpected or new situations
  • Accepts less than ideal situations when necessary
  • Demonstrates good personal hygiene
  • Dresses appropriately for the situation

Honesty/Integrity: The ability to demonstrate truthfulness to oneself and other; demonstrate professional behavior and trustworthiness

  • Models behavior expected of both teachers and learners in an educational setting
  • Communicates without intent to deceive
  • Makes decisions and acts with honesty and integrity
  • Gives credit to others when using their work

Respect: The ability to honor and demonstrates consideration and regard for oneself and others

  • Considers opinions of others with an open mind
  • Listens attentively to others in a variety of contexts
  • Demonstrates a warm, friendly, and caring manner to others
  • Interacts in a polite and respectful manner
  • Uses appropriate language
  • Takes care of property of others
  • Demonstrates empathy and concern for others
  • Displays equitable treatment of others
  • Acknowledges perspectives of individuals from diverse cultural and experiential backgrounds
  • Interacts appropriately in relation to cultural norms
  • Appreciates and embraces individual differences
  • Demonstrates positive attitudes toward diverse cultures and learners

Values Learning: Respect and seriousness of intent to acquire knowledge

  • Values knowledge, content, and experiences presented in pre-service academic programs
  • Takes initiative to expand knowledge base
  • Values instructional time
  • Seeks opportunities to learn new skills
  • Uses credible and data-based sources
  • Demonstrates enthusiasm for the subject being taught
  • Demonstrates positive attitude toward learning
  • Demonstrates intellectual and academic curiosity
  • Conveys high expectations for achievement

Responsibility: Acts independently and demonstrates accountability, reliability, and sound judgment

  • Gives priority to health and safety concerns of self and others
  • Protects personal health to avoid absences
  • Accepts consequences for personal actions or decisions
  • Submits assignments on time or follows procedures for extensions
  • Uses sound judgment in decision making
  • Takes action to solve problems
  • Prepares classes, meetings, and group work
  • > Manages time effectively
  • > Completes assigned tasks from group activities within an acceptable time frame
  • Seeks clarification and/or assistance as needed
  • Prioritizes work based upon established goals
  • Returns borrowed materials in a timely manner
  • Takes initiative to get materials and notes when absent from meetings or classes
  • Seeks/locates needed resources
  • Ensures accuracy of information for which he/she is responsible
  • Arrives for class on time
  • Attends class regularly

Adapted from Illinois State University’s Special Education Department
UTEC approved 10/29/01