Program Responsiveness: Increasing Professional Dispositions With Vulnerability in Graduate Teacher Education

Introduction

One is brave who enters teacher education now and is one who must have a crossover of confidence through vulnerability–a willingness to grow by failing (Brown, 2016; Maxwell, 2000). Oftentimes vulnerability is not seen as confidence, but through initial review it is apparent vulnerability, as a teacher's disposition, is foundational for confidence, immediacy, and motivation. There is a critical need for more high-quality teacher preparation programs. PK-12 enrollment hasn’t declined significantly over the last decade (varies by state, ≥ 9%), yet teacher preparation enrollment has declined 56% with an alarming drop in certification completion (Title II, 2019). These numbers don’t identify who or why teacher candidates aren’t completing their programs, but multiple factors are no doubt at play (e.g., cultural, social, programmatic, economics). Based on continued instructor observation and survey data, the authors identified a strong correlation for strengthening educator dispositions related to professionalism with a need for embedding confidence and vulnerability. Through practitioner inquiry, these teacher educators seek to better understand their roles and how to best support graduate teacher candidates.

Adult learners (graduate-level learners) have unique needs compared to undergraduates (Knowles et al., 2015). Teacher candidates in this chapter exist at the intersection of preservice and inservice educator designation. They are directly connected to a school with collegial and administrative support, yet at a higher level than traditional preservice teachers but have not yet met certification requirements that meet the inservice teacher designation. Their needs are unique. Unpacking these needs offers a model for implementing dispositional development and program growth focused on professionalism. By implementing an andragogical framework into teacher preparation, teacher educators can better assist second career adults (i.e., graduate teacher candidates) earning initial certification while simultaneously working in the field (Knowles et al., 2015).

With a focus on responsive dispositional support, teacher preparation programs can strengthen development and ownership of candidate’s completion and long-term retention. Specifically, for this chapter, non-traditional means meeting the need of retaining new teachers through creative programmatic designs and flexibility versus traditional, undergraduate teacher preparation programs. The authors frame their assumptions and processes of this work with these beliefs:

• 1.

  Confidence building through organic or structured vulnerable experiences supports the growth of all learners (Brown, 2016; Zhu et al., 2018).

• 2.

  Teacher educators must apply andragogy (adult learning theory) and immediacy (relationality) in graduate, student-centered learning settings (Anderson & Boutelier, 2021; Knowles et al., 2015; Estepp & Roberts, 2015).

• 3.

  Dispositions must be viewed and altered for adult learners with the purpose of immediate application in PK-12 settings (CCSSO, 2013; Danielson, 2013).

Educators need to elevate each other to lead students to empower themselves through confidence building, empathy, and vulnerability (Bartz & Bartz, 2017; Brown, 2016; Lau, 2019; Syafril et al., 2021). Vulnerability should be viewed as a strength that demonstrates confidence, engagement, and a humanistic pedagogical lens with an ethics of care for learners of all ages (Gilligan, 2014; Noddings, 2013). This intersects adult learning theory where modeling lends to the idea of learning and knowing together–an open mind of life long learner from all adults (i.e., faculty and graduate students) to co-exist in this process (Brown, 2016; hooks, 2009). This confidence and co-experience increase professional development in candidates.