PE Weekly Journal and Agenda Template

Thinking Prompt: According to the article: “… experts agree that the professional dispositions of teacher
candidates are important predictors of teaching effectiveness (pg.91)”. Read the article and consider how your
professional dispositions have evolved throughout your career at SUNY Cortland. As a point of reference,
consider the table 1 on page 36.
Daily Prompt: Each day (Monday through Saturday), choose one of the 6 dispositions as outlined in the
article, table 1. Outline the behaviors within each disposition and explain how you have met or are working
towards meeting the behavior.
Daily Journal Day 1 (Monday)
Response: Collaboration is a disposition that is made up of many different behaviors. This includes
having the ability to work with others, share ideas, and build consensus through communication with
others. Having the desire to want to work with others cooperatively in order to achieve a common goal
is a key factor that every teacher candidate should have. Having a lack of ability or willingness to work
well with others will not translate into the best practices of teaching.
Some examples of how I have gained these behaviors during my time at SUNY Cortland are the
way I communicate and work well with others. During group projects, I have always been an active
participant by communicating with the entire group. I have also created group chats with the members
of the group in order to make communicating with each other easier. Another behavior I have met is
always providing solutions instead of complaints. An example is during my student teaching when I was
planning on teaching a volleyball unit, the school would not allow it (COVID-19). Instead of complaining,
I worked with my host teacher and together we came up with a new and safe unit to teach (corona
ball). One behavior that I struggled with earlier on at SUNY Cortland, but I am getting better at is
seeking out opportunities to work with others. An example of this is when given the option, I always
preferred to work on a project alone and only worked with others when I had too. I have now realized
that as a teacher, it is important to show your willingness to work with others and I have recently
shown this by helping out a substitute teacher who was in for another PE teacher.

I have read the required reading which was titled: Transitioning from Students of Teaching to Teachers of Students:
Developing Professional Dispositions

Daily Journal Day 2 (Tuesday)

Response: Respect has outlined behaviors such as having the ability to honor, value and demonstrate
consideration and regard for others. This includes listening and responding to others in a professional
manner. Another example of respect is making an effort to understand and apply critical feedback
given by others. In order to have a positive effect on others, these behaviors must be met on a day to
day basis. Some examples of how I have met these behaviors during my time at SUNY Cortland include
responding to others with care and compassion. While at Cortland, I have always spoke to students and
professors in a way that showed that I cared about what they had to say. Another behavior I have met
is using inclusive tones and demeanors. I have always used a professional tone when speaking to my
professors, supervisor and cooperating teacher and will continue to do so. I also showed them respect
by calling them Mr./Mrs. In front of students. I also continue to address others, both in verbal and
written correspondence, in a professional manner. This includes sending formal emails with a proper
heading and format to others. One behavior I am working on improving is listening and allowing others
to share information without immediate judgment. I will continue to improve on this behavior by
letting others continue to speak until they are finished, even if I feel like what they are saying false.
Interrupting others as they are speaking is extremely disrespectful and I will continue to fork on this in
the future.
 Daily Journal Day 3 (Wednesday)
Response: Reverence for Teaching and Learning is a disposition that has outlined behaviors such as
indicating, through choices and behaviors, a value for the process of learning how to become a teacher
of students. This also includes behaviors such as regular, punctual classroom attendance, arriving
prepared to engage in class discussions and asking questions that help deepen understanding and
knowledge for the betterment of student learning. Failure to demonstrate these behaviors conveys the
message that learning how to be a teacher is not your top priority. Examples of some of the behaviors I
have met in this disposition include completing assignments of high quality and on time. Very rarely
during my time at SUNY Cortland did I submit low quality work or needed to ask for an extension in
order to complete an assignment. Another behavior I have met is using body language that I am
enthusiastic and ready to engage. I regularly demonstrated this during my student teaching when I
would be enthusiastic in order to get the students excited about PE. Another behavior that I struggled
with early on at SUNY Cortland but got better at later on was regularly arriving to class on time and
ready to learn. I have since gotten much better with this behavior and during my student teaching, I
would regularly arrive to the school before my host teacher. One behavior that I struggle with and will
continue to get better at is asking for clarification when the result will affect the students learning. An
example of this as when I did not understand a group assignment and I failed to ask questions about
what I was supposed to do. This resulted in me and my group receiving a lower grade. I the future I will
continue to improve this behavior by clarifying and asking questions when I don’t understand
something that has the potential to affect others.

Daily Journal Day 4 (Thursday)

Response: The reflection disposition can be described as the ability to review, analyze, and evaluate the
success of past decisions in an effort to make better decisions in the future. Some behaviors that
outline this disposition includes closely and accurately examining planning behaviors, lesson
implementation, and the use of assessments in student learning. Someone who possesses reflective
behaviors also willing to step out of their comfort zone and be exposed to new teaching situations.
Some of the behaviors that I possess in this disposition includes receiving and applying feedback on my
teaching with a good spirit. I demonstrated this behavior during my student teaching when I received
feedback from my teacher that I need to add more excitement and energy to my lessons and that by
doing this, students will be more engaged. I then applied this feedback to my future lessons which has
helped with my teaching skills. Another behavior I demonstrate is honoring the success of myself and
others. An example of this is praising students during my student teaching when I saw that they were
working hard to achieve their goals. One behavior that I had struggled with early in my student teaching
but have since gotten better with is continually stepping out of my comfort zone in order to experience
professional growth. An example of this was learning and teaching a new dance for our line dancing
unit during the last week of my student teaching experience.

Daily Journal Day 5 (Friday)

Response: The flexibility disposition can be described as having the willingness to accept and adapt to
change over time. Some behaviors that outline this disposition include open mindedness and attentive
engagement to surroundings. This also includes the ability to handle “surprises,” or the occasions when
lessons do not go quite the way they were planned. The ability for a teacher to adapt and change a
lesson based on student learning/success is a critical behavior of someone who shows flexibility. Some
of the behaviors I possess in this disposition include keeping an open mind and looking for creative
solutions to problems I face. An example of how I have met this behavior is by coming up with safe and
creative activities to teach during my student teaching experience. This included uncommon activities
like frisbee golf and bocce ball as well as a game I created that combined the games of pickleball and
racquetball. Another behavior that I demonstrate is the ability to adapt in the middle of a lesson in
order to improve student learning. I demonstrated this during my student teaching experience on a
regular basis by changing up students’ partners based on skill level so that both students could continue
to improve. I would also modify activities for students who were struggling, while also going over the
fundamentals for the skill. One behavior that I need to continue to improve upon is to stop avoiding
difficult situations and to recognize them as opportunities to learn. An example of how I have been
working towards meeting this behavior is by learning the steps and cues to two new songs for our
virtual line dancing unit and leading/calling cues for both songs.

Weekly Writing Prompt (Saturday)

Paste the prompt: Weekly Writing Prompt: If you would like to increase your chances at procuring
and retaining the employment you desire, reconsider your responses to the disposition questions you
answered this week. In what ways will you maintain or challenge yourself to continuously improve as
a professional?

Response:
The final disposition responsibility, can be defined as accepting or recognizing responsibility for one’s

conduct and actions as well as what may be the result of those actions. Behaviors that outline an

individual who shows responsibility includes having the ability to act independently and demonstrate

other actions like accountability, reliability, and sound judgment. Individuals who prove to have this

disposition will hold themselves accountable and make decisions that serve in the best interest of

students. This means making the decision to do things the right way, instead of the easy way out. Some

of the behaviors I possess in this disposition include taking full responsibility for any errors I have made.

An example of how I have demonstrated this was during my student teaching experience when I had

posted an online quiz on Google Classroom and realized later that I had not given correct answers for 2

of my questions. After receiving emails from students, I owned up to my mistake by apologizing and

fixed the quiz and adjusted the student’s grades. Another behavior within this disposition I believe I

possess is doing things the right way instead of taking the easy way out. An example of how I

demonstrated this is during my student teaching experience was when my cooperating teacher was

unexpectedly absent during my first week of teaching and she had a substitute. Instead of taking the
easy way out and let the substitute take over the class, I instead continued with the unit that my host

teacher was teaching.

One way I will continue to maintain and challenge myself in order to continuously improve as a

professional is to continue to step outside of my comfort zone and be exposed to new situations. This

will allow me to continue to grow as a professional because being constantly put in difficult and

challenging situations is the only way to learn and develop from them. A second way I will challenge

myself to improve as a professional is to when given the chance, choose to work with other

professionals in my field. This will allow me grow as a professional by learning to work with others as

well as gain and share new experiences/information that I can then share with others. Another way I

will continue to grow as a professional is to be a part of and attend conferences and meeting specific to

my field of work. For physical education that would be being an active member in AHPERD and

attending local and state conferences in order to learn new information, share ideas and ultimately

grow as a professional. One way I will continue to maintain my professionalism is to continue to

demonstrate respect towards others by receiving and applying corrective feedback given by other

professionals. This continues to show that I respect the knowledge of others and am willing to apply

changes to my teaching in order to improve myself and in return, benefit the students.