Professional Dispositions are exemplified by the following competencies:

25. Demonstrates professional demeanor and ethical behavior

Reflection - It is particularly difficult for a younger teacher to gain the respect of his/her students because it is easier for them to see me as an equal.  In the beginning I had students who wanted to know my first name and wanted to be friends but the reality is that I am their teacher and we need to have a professional relationship above all else.  I enjoy having a positive rapport with the students but this does not mean that that wall of professionalism is lowered.

Artifacts - The observations of both my cooperating teacher and university supervisor recognized my professionalism with students, parents, and faculty.

26. Participates in and applies professional development

Reflection - I have been an active participant in all professional development offered at Jamestown High School.  I have attended department meetings, school-wide meetings, staff development programs, and student teacher-cooperating teacher meetings.  I contributed to the alignment of standardized grammar tests for each grade.  I also apply the content of the meetings.  Our previous staff development meeting consisted of a slideshow documenting a fellow teacher's trip to Japan and his interaction with the culture.  During my American Studies class I shared something that Mr. Horvath had conveyed.  He informed us that everywhere he went in Japan, people were apologetic for the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  This provoked an interesting conversation in my American Studies class and I think it offered them a new perspective. 

27. Demonstrates effective oral and written communication

Reflection - Communication with my fellow teachers, particularly my cooperating teacher, proved to be vital during the student teaching process.  We frequently conversed via emails, journaling, and daily conversations during the planning block.  I also found that communication was a necessary part of the teacher-parent relationship.  I had a suspected plagiarism incident in my classroom and I immediately opened the lines of communication with the parent.

Artifact - The following is an excerpt from my journal documenting the points of contact with the parent mentioned above:

May 1st- 10:50 AM- phone call to the house and cell phone leaving message at both places

                10:55 AM- email regarding the situation

May 2nd-10:50 AM- phone call to the house and cell phone leaving messages at both places

                11:20 AM- phone call received in the teacher's lounge from mother; explained the situation and informed her that we would be sending her a copy of the paper under suspicion as well as copies of the websites with identical phrasing; we also explained that we would be showing the documents to the curriculum head to determine further steps

May 3rd- 10:50 AM- phone call to cell phone to discuss the paper now that the mother had looked at the papers; established that the son had printed out the wrong paper and had printed out his notes

(this artifact also fulfills NCTE standard 4.10)

28. Reflects actively and continuously upon practice, leading to enhanced teaching and learning

Reflection - I reflect daily in a journal that I then hand to my cooperating teacher.  He and I maintain a running dialogue based on my journaling.  Some days I reflect upon my instruction or student behavior.  Other days I simply comment on how I feel or how I was personally affected by something in the classroom.  This way I am developing not just as a teacher but as a person.

Artifact - Excerpts from my dialogue journal (this artifact also fulfills NCTE standards 2.1-6)

29. Cooperates, collaborates, and fosters relationships with members of the school community

Reflection - I have strived to go beyond my role as just a student teacher to become a true member of the Jamestown High School Community.  I take an active interest in my students and try to attend every soccer game, baseball game, basketball game, football game, school musical/play, and anything else that I can.  When the students see me at events they recognize that I care about them and see them as more than a face in the crowd of my second block.  Most recently I contributed to the school community by attending the annual Swamp Run, a 5K hosted at the high school that raises money for the athletic boosters.

Artifact - This is a link to check out my amazing third place time for my division in the race

30. Demonstrates potential for teacher leadership

Reflection - As I stated in regards to the William and Mary framework, I have acted as an educational leader in and out of the classroom.  For my ninth grade students, I implemented a wikispace to allow my students to interact with content material and easily communicate with other members of the class.  I created the wikispace and then unfortunately discovered that the filter system for Williamsburg-James City County was blocking the site on school computers.  Rather than becoming frustrated and giving up on my plan, I became flexible and sought the aid of my curriculum leader.  She referred me to Peter Schweitzer, one of the technology experts at our school.  Upon my request, he emailed the system director and I was able to get the site unblocked for my students.  Instead of allowing obstacles to stop my plans, I recognize my available resources and rectified the situation.

In addition, I am constantly trying to develop new ideas and evolve my previous plans.  As so many mentors have wisely shared, there is no reason to reinvent the wheel.  I do frequently look at other lesson plans or discuss plans with another teacher.  However, I am constantly trying to find new ways to approach material to differentiate the instruction and encourage learning.

Artifact - Cooperating Teacher's final evaluation which describes my teacher leadership potential as above expectation