Essay --

I believe having positive dispositions are the key to a healthy and fulfilling classroom, and as a future teacher, I know the importance of evaluating my dispositions on a consistent basis. I have reflected upon my strengths and weaknesses as a future educator, and an area of strength for me is in reflection. Reflection will also be an important part of my professional teaching because it will allow me to assess my strengths and identify areas for improvement. Through the practice of self-reflection and evaluation in my studies, I have been able to evolve and grow into an educator. Clinical practice and classroom observations have also helped me develop and fine tune my self-reflection skills. My mentor teachers instilled in me the importance of reflection and how to use it as a tool to benefit not only my students, but also myself as a professional. They have helped me gain an insight into the world of teaching and how to improve as an educator. Another area of strength for me is in my critical thinking skills which I have developed through my studies at Dominican University. Critical thinking allows teachers to analyze and evaluate information in order to solve problems in their instruction. Teachers must be responsive and use questioning as a tool for critical thinking. I have learned about fostering critical thinking skills through problem-based learning and I have developed confidence in my own ability to lead the student towards their learning goals. I like to think of myself as a lifelong learner and I believe a teacher should always be a student so they can enrich their classroom and instructional skills. I have worked hard at Dominican University to become an effective teacher and I believe in the importance of... ...l allow me to teach effectively in diverse classrooms and facilitate learning. The other area of improvement for me is in my commitment to social justice and the ability to critically analyze social problems or conditions. I want to be sensitive in the recognition of individual forms of oppression and be able to correct injustices in my classroom. Oppression can have such a profound effect on teaching and learning, so I want my students to understand that each classmate is valuable and they deserve to be treated with kindness. My goal is to develop a classroom culture that discourages bullying and promotes friendship. I will teach social justice by using lesson plans that help students learn how discrimination feels and to identify strategies for combating it in the real world. Through my teaching, I will be a humanitarian and promote social welfare for all.