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Early Childhood Dispositions Essay

I’m here just starting the first class toward my CDA certification, thinking “I’m going
back to college”. As I familiarize myself with the dashboard, I see we have two assignments.
Feeling overwhelmed already, I opened the assignment titled Early Childhood Dispositions
Essay, read through the instructions, and let doubt invade me. As I kept reading the list of
dispositions for teaching, I began recognizing lots of them in me. Some made me feel
encouraged, but others brought me back to my introverted self.

After reading many times the entire list of possible dispositions toward teaching, I settled on
three that are my strongest. Accepting others was the first trait I chose. I am a person who tries to
see everyone for who they are. In my teaching practice, I have always valued my students’
personalities, no matter how old they are. I work as an early childhood teacher, and letting my
students be themselves helps me understand them. Also helps me guide them through their big
emotions and helps them learn we are all unique. All of this contributes to winning their trust,
helps them feel safe at preschool, and builds their love for learning. The second trait is
authenticity. I accept myself. I’m always honest with myself and others. Being authentic just
makes accepting others easier and more natural. This trait paired with the third one on my list,
hardworking, just enriches my teaching practice because it makes me dependable, responsible,
and the best advocate.

As an authentic person, I can say that being adventurous, reserved, and risk-takers are not traits
that many people will use to describe me. I’ve traveled a long way to get to where I am now. I
have embraced my introverted self and feel comfortable enough to try new things. Not only that,
but I can be spontaneous when needed, also try to take risks, step out of my comfort zone, and be
“extra” as my daughter said the first time, she saw me in my preschool class. During all my years
of teaching, I never felt the need to be adventurous or a risk-taker until now. Early childhood
teaching requires these traits and I try every day to keep this in mind and step a little farther from
my comfort zone. After all, I’m starting a new college career, right?

Purdue Online. (2023, March 22). Purdue University Online. Retrieved from online.purdue.edu:
https://online.purdue.edu/blog/education/dispositions#:~:text=These%20are%20the%20values
%2C%20actions,expected%20behaviors%20of%20all%20educators.

Rebecca. (2021, July 6). Basics by Becca. Retrieved from Basicsbybecca.com:

https://basicsbybecca.com/blog/hardworking-person#:~:text=A%20hardworking%20person
%20is%20someone,and%20most%20importantly%2C%20on%20time.

Schmitz, T. (2016, October 21). Conover. Retrieved from www.conovercompany.com:

https://www.conovercompany.com/empathy-accept-others-for-who-they-are/
#:~:text=Acceptance%20is%20the%20ability%20to,your%20desire%20to%20change%20them.
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Team, M. T. (2022). MindTools. Retrieved from www.mindtools.com:

https://www.mindtools.com/ay30irc/authenticity