Professional Dispositions of the Education Professional: The College at Brockport

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The Professional Education Unit (PEU) is committed to providing education programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and advanced graduate levels that prepare school professionals who are highly qualified to teach, counsel, lead, and administer. read more...

PEU Governance

The Professional Education Unit at The College of Brockport is nationally accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The Unit is governed by the Professional Education Council (PEC) and linked to the professional community through the Unit Advisory Board. The Unit Teacher Effectiveness and Assessment committees are the two standing committees of the PEC.

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The development of professional dispositions in education professional candidates is a key component in Brockport's education professional preparation programs. A successful education professional displays the beliefs, attitudes, and values that reflect the philosophy that all students can learn by demonstrating classroom behaviors that create caring, supportive, and fair learning environments.

The classroom behaviors indicative of this philosophy are demonstrated as professional dispositions. Based upon research in the field, Professional Dispositions is Theme Two of The College at Brockport’s Conceptual Framework. The Conceptual Framework establishes the shared vision for preparing educators to work effectively in P-12 schools. It provides direction for programs, courses, teaching, candidate performance, scholarship, service, and unit accountability.

The faculty and administrators of The Professional Education Unit at The College of Brockport identified five key professional dispositions essential to candidate success upon entering the profession. They are dedication, respect, intellectual integrity, positive outlook, and self-awareness and are defined as:

Positive Outlook: Candidate demonstrates behaviors that reflect the traits for the work of a teacher on a daily basis, for example, the belief that all children can learn, cheerfulness, praise of others, finding good in most situations, seeing possibilities rather than obstacles, responding to challenges, laughing easily, and seeing crisis as opportunity. Candidate demonstrates genuine enthusiasm and optimism.

Intellectual Integrity: Candidate demonstrates the ability to foster trust among and between students, colleagues, school-based teacher educators (SBTEs), and professors by maintaining a high level of reliability. Demonstrates sound moral character; is truthful, honest, and sincere; is fair and just in all situations with all students.

Respect: Candidate is respectful to school staff and faculty, professors, and colleagues; respectfully self-advocates when necessary; takes the time and energy to show compassion and empathy for students, colleagues/classmates, SBTEs, and professors.

Self-Awareness: Candidate demonstrates an appreciation for differences among people; has a strong ability to interact, work and be with people who have characteristics different from self, and continually seeks opportunities to learn more about others’ perspectives; is open to considering the myriad of new attitudes, beliefs, ideas, and opinions that are encountered in the school environment.

Dedication: Candidate does not become frustrated easily but chooses to stick to a task until the task is done at a high level of competency; independent and continually uses, develops, and adopts a wide range of personal and professional resources; consistently solves problems drawing on his or her own abilities and knowledge for their solutions.

The importance and development of the Professional Dispositions are integrated throughout each certification program’s curriculum and are assessed regularly as candidates’ progress through their programs. Each teacher candidate is required to read and affirm the PEU Policy on the Assessment of Professional Dispositions upon enrollment in their education preparation program. Faculty in key courses and supervisors of clinical experiences rate the candidates on their demonstration of each of the dispositions. Candidates also self-assess with the intention of developing a career-long, professional habit of taking time to reflect on their professional dispositions as educators.

PROFESSIONAL DISPOSITION INFORMATION:

TEACHER CANDIDATES: Initial and Advanced Certification Programs