Professional Dispositions of Early Childhood Educators

Professional dispositions are the tendencies to think and act in certain ways that are valued by the field. Professional dispositions go beyond knowledge and skills; they are not just beliefs and they are not just actions. Professional dispositions are vital because they become a way of being for a professional that affects the why, how, and what one does as an educator. Dispositions have also been referred to as habits of mind. This entry first provides a more detailed examination of professional dispositions with an example that illustrates how building dispositions is an interactive and ongoing process. Next, it examines ways to develop professional dispositions. It concludes with a look at the benefits of such development.

For early childhood educators, professional dispositions are the thinking and ...