Dispositions

In the end, I do not believe dispositions can be taught. I think they are something that all people are born with, and can possibly improve with time. For example, there are people that naturally command respect when they walk into a room, and everyone present can "feel" that. Whereas over time, one can improve on this and gain respect through their actions. To me, dispositions are traits that are instilled in every person at birth and its up to them to control them in a sense. Everyone has some sense of creativity in them, its up to each individual to express their creativity. To improve dispositions I think we just need experience. They seem like traits that can only be improved through experiences such as being in the classroom. Someone can tell you how to deal with difficult situations or come up with creative ideas, but only with time and experience will you get better with performance. I heard that Drake's education department spends nearly if not more than half of the time out in the field. I believe that is what would really prepare teachers in regards to dispositions. It gives the teacher opportunities to struggle, be resilient, attempt to teach and create lessons, gain the respect of students and reflect on their experiences. Sitting in an education class and listening to someone tell you how to do it isn't nearly as effective (its constructive learning at its finest).