Throughout the Indiana Wesleyan Master of Education program, I have been asked to reflect upon my feelings about the ten basic education dispositions. Two of the most useful exercises that were presented asked the candidates to align their beliefs and content standards to the dispositions. It was interesting to see how the things that I truly feel are important for every teacher to believe were also valued elements by others.

The disposition that states that all students can learn is central to my teaching and to the curriculum development projects on which I have worked. The other candidates within my cohort group have helped me to focus on this disposition. The other candidates teach kindergarten, special education and other groups of students that are very different than those in my classroom. Seeing students through the eyes of these varied teachers also helped me to understand the disposition that learning takes place in a variety of ways and in a variety of methods.

The learning logs and the work that took place analyzing the action research project emphasized the importance of self-reflection. These exercises allowed me to really look at what I was doing and to determine my level of understanding of new subject matter. Additionally, they allowed me to see if my students were learning. I now include pre and post testing as a normal part of my classroom practices. These tests offer the proof that the lesson has worked or give me direction for reteaching.

The literature reviews have shown the advantages of staying current in knowledge and skills. The information that I learned was shared with colleagues in my interdepartmental study group as well as presented as part of a several school wide in-services. Many of the topics coincided with my school's improvement goals. This was a great help as I helped to organize materials for our North Central visit and wrote parts of the school improvement plan.

The information that I encountered during the program that dealt with content and developmental stages led to our school's first in-service this year on differentiated learning. Also, it was important to see how this information applied at the various learning levels represented by the cohort members.

Time is a precious commodity in the classroom, but I have learned that one of the best uses of time is to individualize approaches to learning. Several of the lessons that were developed throughout this program offered me the opportunity to see this process at work. I was able to accomplish more in less time by aiming my method at the student.

Through the course, it became clear that the environment in which we ask students to learn needs to be inviting to students. I looked at the rooms in our elementary schools and compared them to the classrooms within our high school and saw many differences. The elementary classrooms were arranged for the student. There were stations and areas that offered quiet time. The high school rooms were arranged more for the teacher. As a result, I have attempted to make some changes in my classroom. There is still too much junk around, but I am working on it.

Honesty is a very valuable component of any relationship. In education, we are constantly building or trying to build relationships, therefore, we must base all that we do on honesty. It is difficult to accept that someone does not agree with you, but that disagreement can be worked out. Finding out that someone has lied or that they can not be trusted ends any true communication. Students see through lies faster than most people do and if they believe that you are giving them false praise or being dishonest in other ways, they will shut you out. As a teacher, we need to reach out to others, not shut doors.

Throughout the school improvement process and this program, I have been placed in teams. It has been remarkable to see how much more can be accomplished by teams rather than by individuals. This was a difficult lesson for me. I have always been one to go out on my own in search of answers. I had used group learning or teaming in my classes prior to being involved in this program, however, I found it to be less than productive at times. I blamed the process, but through this program I have found that it was the structure of the teams that needed to be changed. The use of WebQuests and other research modules have helped to put a better focus on the group activities and they have been much more successful.

I teach in a small district where everyone either knows everyone else or is related to him or her. I have had brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles in my classes. Student privacy is vital in this situation. You can not even talk in generalities because even those can be applied to individuals. As I have advanced through this program and begun dealing with data, the need for privacy has been further emphasized. One can chart information, but one can not include names. The same principles apply to having samples of work. Student identities must be protected at all costs.

Overall, I have developed a much greater understanding of my beliefs about education and the educational process through this program. I have also come to an understanding that my beliefs are not stagnant. I will continue to redefine them as I continue to be placed in new situations or encounter new research.