Undergraduate Dispositions and Discipline: Addressing the Strength of Dispositions Policy in Individual University of Maine System Undergraduate Education Programs

Abstract

Undergraduate student dispositions in the field of education are of prime concern to faculty and other professionals in the field. Just as medical professionals are expected to display appropriate “bedside manner”, undergraduate teacher candidates are expected to develop dispositions and professional understandings that are observed in the field. Skills such as interpersonal communication with parents, children, site faculty and administration, along with timely written communication, attire, mannerism, planning, problem-solving, etc. are just a few examples of the skill sets that university education programs expect students to develop before graduation. A common problem for university education programs is that teaching dispositions to teacher candidates requires appropriate context. It is difficult to teach a student how to " scommunicate with parents” without having access to such groups. In this writing, I plan to first explore the basis around which dispositions and discipline policies are crafted. Following that, using a framework suggested by Kaplin and Lee (Law of Higher Education, 2007), I will review dispositions policy contained in student teacher handbooks developed by the University of Maine System in terms of the strength of the language included.