Integrating Social Emotional Learning Into the Formative Development of Educator Dispositions

Abstract

Educator dispositions are a perpetual topic of interest and an ever-evolving construct but can be difficult to define. How a set of desired dispositions manifests within various teaching contexts and learning communities will continuously evolve with changing historical, social, and societal issues. This guiding conceptual framework will help teacher educators engaging in dispositional development and assessment. Drawing on social emotional learning (SEL), this chapter unpacks desired educator dispositions. Three guiding forces underscore the framework: dispositions toward one's inner world, dispositions toward learning, and dispositions toward human differences. It is imperative to address ongoing dispositional development meaningfully and thoroughly to nurture educator dispositions in teacher preparation programs and ongoing professional development. This chapter utilizes the three main guiding forces identified above to conceptualize a framework on the formative development of educator dispositions and to guide future research and practice.