“I Didn't Mean That…”

Abstract

Features of teacher education have been explored extensively over the years with researchers trying to find the key elements that are characteristic to producing high quality teachers. This community was able to readily identify that to be an effective teacher one must possess knowledge, skills, and commitments about teaching. While knowledge and skills have been more easily defined, the definition of dispositions continues to be a source of debate. This chapter explores the use of dispositions within the construct of a source of shared language for improving teaching. The history of teacher education, assessment of teacher education, and use of dispositions literature are reviewed. Using vignettes to illustrate the various uses and emphasizing the need for a common language, rich descriptions are provided. Lessons learned are discussed.