ABSTRACT

Dispositions Are a Teacher’s Greatest Strength will fuel and reignite your classroom practice. Focusing on 13 dispositions specific to teaching, this book encourages educators to identify, reflect, and develop their dispositions, attitudes, and self-awareness to flourish in the profession. Emphasizing pedagogical knowledge and skills, this text serves as an affirmation of a teacher’s commitment to challenging, complex and rewarding work. It invites educators to consider what a unique privilege it is to teach—to dive into reading, creating space, and embracing dispositions as a teacher’s greatest strength. Each chapter focuses on one of 13 teaching dispositions—such as curiosity, adaptability, gratitude, resilience, and courage—and offers:

  • definitions and contexts for the disposition of focus;
  • concrete applications for teachers to practice and develop dispositions with reader-friendly examples and practical strategies;
  • a “pause and reflect” section with questions and space for professional reflection.

This book serves as a love letter to educators everywhere: teachers in K-12, administrators in K-12, higher education faculty, and pre-service programs and students. Dispositions Are a Teacher’s Greatest Strength reminds teachers of the significant work they do by putting dispositions at the forefront of their daily work.

chapter 1|20 pages

Introduction

Why Dispositions?

chapter 2|12 pages

Curiosity

chapter 3|11 pages

Reflection

chapter 4|12 pages

Empathy

chapter 5|11 pages

Adaptability

chapter 6|11 pages

Resilience

chapter 7|12 pages

Gratitude

chapter 8|11 pages

Encouragement

chapter 9|17 pages

Inclusion

chapter 10|13 pages

Collaboration

chapter 11|11 pages

Courage

chapter 12|11 pages

Hope

chapter 13|14 pages

Celebration and Joy

chapter 14|10 pages

Conclusion