Teacher Dispositions

Not everyone is born to be a teacher. Some people are naturally more inclined to work with kids, or have effective communication skills. However, not everyone born with the skills to be a teacher has the passion or drive to teach. Teaching is hard work, and educators must have an internal motivation for teaching. It is not a career for making money or being famous. Teaching requires a high level of dedication and commitment. The passion needed for entering the teaching profession isn't something that can be taught. Those kind of dispositions must come from within a person. It is hard to enhance something that cannot be taught, but I think there are some things teachers can do to enhance teaching dispositions. First of all, new teachers should learn from and ask questions of more experienced teachers. Because teaching is a profession of learning on the job, it is very helpful for inexperienced teachers to learn from the mistakes of those who have already gone through their first couple years on the job. Secondly, future teachers can get as many teaching experiences as possible before entering their own classroom. This can include anything from babysitting to tutoring to volunteering in an actual school classroom. The more time spent with students in a learning environment, the more that person will think about what it takes to be a teacher and the experience will enhance their dispositions. Finally, everyone entering the teaching profession must go into it with a humble attitude and a hard working mindset. Teaching is not easy and the dispositions needed to be a good teacher must come from within.