Moral Education Framework



Moral Education FrameworkMiryam ChristensenSeattle Pacific University EDU 6085 Morals in Education Moral Education Framework The Creation of My Moral Compass The core religious and philosophical values that motivate me as an educator often interlink with indistinct boundaries. The first and foremost of my values, the one that drives all of the others, is that of my religious conviction and my personal commitment to keeping covenants as I live the gospel principles that have become my moral compass; they provide the foundation for my teaching practice as I seek to be a positive model in and out of my classroom. The next value is a complementary blend with the first, for my personal integrity – being honest, trustworthy, and respectful – is important as I work to live the standards I have set for myself through spiritual guidance. The final moral comprises of building relationships; I believe that creating positive relationships is critical to creating a healthy, safe classroom environment and moral character of its members, and that part of my mission as a teacher, is to embrace diversity and spark the understanding within my students that we all have purpose and potential in this life. Although the values and philosophies that drive my work as an educator blend together, I will address them as separate components.“Jesus was the greatest teacher because he was most ideally what man should become. The more a teacher can be what he wants his students to become, the more effective he is likely to be in leading them in that direction, once they decide that is what they want to become” (Flinders, 1975, p.11). It has been my lifelong desire to teach with my whole soul, to become an instrument in God’s hands, by living principles of positive morals, to invest myself as Jesus did, by being an impact for good on my students (Flinders, p. 12). I remember exactly where I was and how I felt, as a three or four year old child, when I received a surge of personal revelation; knowing, and literally feeling, that God had endowed me with the gift to be a teacher. Just as Vanier (2015, p. 47-48) explains, I was present within my inner self, and God’s voice was able to resonate within my being to lead me to know how I was to fulfill my role as a teacher. Just as I knew at a young age that I wanted to be a teacher, I always knew that God lives and has a plan for each of us; I never doubted the existence of a Savior and grew to feel a personal connection to deity. The teachings within my home, religious experiences, and striving to live by Jesus Christ’s example, have developed the fundamentals of my moral compass; my faith has expanded my understanding and purpose of my role as a teacher. Religion is embedded in my life’s experiences in so many ways; it’s more than just a way to believe – it’s a way of life (Hauver, et al., 2015, p. xii) –thus I see my covenants and dedication to serving as a disciple of Jesus, as my religious identity. I regard teaching as an extension of my faith (p. 40), and consciously take steps to create an inviting, inclusive classroom. As humans, “We are complex beings composed of mind, body, and spirit. For our best selves to emerge, we must nurture and balance these three aspects” (Houston, et al., p. 27); thus, I endeavor to prepare myself to exhibit God’s love through my relationships with students and colleagues; I can offer that to them even if I’m unable to discuss or label it as such (James, et al, 2015). My goal remains constant: to pattern my work after the Master teacher himself, which often requires sacrifice. My religious moral compass affects my life as an educator, yet it is not my desire to “convert” my students to my faith, nor do I worry about their eternal salvation or see differences of belief as problematic or inconvenient (p. 28-29); my morals affect my lesson planning and how I balance the compositions of one’s being, to teach my students in a positive way. Living what I believe comes through active worship and scripture study. One of the most powerful ways a teacher can influence his/her students is through providing a model of the expected outcome. In order to present that model, the teacher must understand and prepare the materials for effective delivery of the concepts, keeping in mind the best form of sources and presentation; everything must be thought through and prepared through study, best educational practices, and meaningful, concrete manipulatives. Just as I endeavor to follow these steps through physical lesson preparation, I practice similar steps to prepare myself spiritually for my daily work as an educator –active worship, serving others, daily scripture study and prayer, all strengthen my mind and spirit, which is the beginning of my private preparation as I seek to fulfill my potential as a teacher – putting the principles and teachings of my faith into action are what cultivate my ability to extend my instruction beyond my personal, mortal capacity as an open-minded leader; “enlightened leaders continually work at being open to divine guidance to pursue the highest good” (p. 31). Additionally, the challenge for my spiritual compass entails sacrificing time for study and meditation, and demands constant vigilance for recognizing matters that may cause interference from my spiritual progress. Initiating inward spiritual growth replenishes my mental and physical capacities for presenting instruction that connects my students to a higher level of awareness and understanding of their world; planning my day centers on my spiritual compass.Believing, studying, and having faith are the first measure to my compass. More important is how I put what I believe into action – how I put my morals of faith into my daily work. The major connecting force between God and my teaching comes through prayer. Knowing I always have an understanding power and support behind me brings peace and comfort. I seek to put into action what Wright regards as a link to truth. “Asking for what we need is appropriate. It’s what children do with parents. That is precisely the relationship God wants us to have with him,” and “is firmly rooted in the ministry of Jesus” (Wright, 2015, p. 159). I pray for insight and direction when planning my lessons, to know how to reach a child who behaves outside defined boundaries, or those who may have additional specific needs. I ponder, think, and pray to understand how I can help my students know they are important, valued, and enjoy the gift of learning new things. Prayer helps me stand between God and his children, so my students can feel God’s love, and my constant supplication is often answered through the help of other people answering a question or providing a teaching method to fulfill a need I have prayed for (p. 168). I cannot overlook a most special instructor when it comes to my religious path as an educator; for there are times I may become preoccupied with curriculum requirements, student needs, and managing the logistics of instruction, by losing sight of the uniqueness connected with spiritual learning. The one teacher who is capable of teaching me what I need to know, “who understands the mystique of human personality” (Flinders, 1975, p. 15), without confusion or misunderstanding, is the Holy Ghost. The sequence of understanding I receive, through the Holy Spirit, often comes as a result of meaningful prayer and meditation. It’s that little voice that gives me direction and insight to connect my lessons to the needs of my students. It provides a miraculous lens of insight and empathy that helps me teach beyond what I otherwise could alone. My acts of prayer, meditation, and seeking of answers, is always done in private, as to maintain propriety and respect to its source and comply with state practices, however, I strive to show gratitude and appreciation by acknowledging the source from which it came, in quiet moments of solitude. My personal and professional identities are fused as one; I cannot separate them (James, p. 50), so I find there are times when I have concerns about legal issues regarding religious belief, as I associate with students and colleagues with differing viewpoints and wish to be inclusive and respectful of diversity in the school population. I find there is little to no training or support to undertake or discuss the influence our religious beliefs and morals have on teachers and students in public schools. Advocating for professional development to clarify boundaries and create a framework for conscious implementation, will enhance my school community’s personal knowledge and methods for involving students with mindful, open, and respectful actions in the study of world religions (James, p.22). My spiritual connection leads into the next supporting measure of my moral compass: integrity. As integrity is the state of being complete or unimpaired, I find myself adhering to a significant code of moral values (Merriam-Webster, n.d.); integrity is so closely united with my thought process that it acts as a filter with every move I make. As I reflect on the development of my integrity, I recognize that much of it has developed through my religious studies and practices, yet there was a distinct point in my life when I consciously chose the moral path I would take. That point in time was the summer of my senior year in my undergraduate studies; I took a required class that examined religious education and moral educational practices. I don’t remember all of the discussions and reading from the textbook, but I do remember feeling a strong connection with the topic of morals and personal integrity. That summer I made a conscious decision to live my life by being honest, trustworthy and respectful. I was very careful and conscientious about my conduct at the time I took this course, fitting a solid model of integrity, yet I made a resolute commitment to myself and God, that integrity would be the foundation of my core value system, and that I would steadfastly conduct myself with the highest of moral values. After all, “Moral idealism protects and builds; the lack of it makes us cynical and destructive” (Flinders, 1979, p. 8). I chose the field of education to build and strengthen children and their community, not to break down those relationships and make them weak.As an educator, I consider myself to be in the public eye, even when I’m not teaching students. I am endlessly thinking about the consequences of my decisions and how I act and respond with my colleagues, students, and their parents; this manner of conduct is not for appearance, rather, I am thinking about the implications my actions will have on the school community and society as a whole (James, p.35). Being truthful, straightforward, and humble are important characteristics that drive me to show my integrity and high moral character. Charlotte Danielson (2007, p. 106) addresses integrity as a professional quality that helps teachers serve students and colleagues in the profession. She goes on to explain that “expert teachers display the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct,” clarifying that a teacher’s integrity is best demonstrated through honesty. Being honest is not just telling the truth; this component of integrity goes farther by maintaining confidentiality, supporting colleagues, and avoiding compromising language and behavior that would lead me away from professional judgment. Integrity implies my professional conduct as a way of life. I consider practicing integrity as part of my stewardship as an educator; it is about being enlightened through listening, trusting, and growing together. My school and specialist teams have created norms to foster a culture of kindness and trust, which I take seriously by implementing them as threads of my moral conduct. One way I exhibit honesty and self-discipline is by being truthful with my professional circles and presenting my thoughts using direct yet diplomatic communication. In addition, I take precautions when discussing confidential matters about students and staff by addressing them in privacy, refraining from gossip, and confiding in leadership when the need may arise. “Truth is about unity” (Vanier, p. 79); when we are truthful we trust, and when we trust, we become unified – when our teams and schools are unified, there is acceptance, growth, and progress. Honesty leads to trustworthy mannerisms; I have a lot of colleagues who are comfortable confiding in me because they sense I can be trusted and will not breach their trust. If negative communication or actions happen around me, I choose to do the good thing anyway. Principles of integrity are components that lead me to be an enlightened leader. Trust is a principle I highly value and carefully choose my actions to protect. “We trust leaders who are authentic, leaders whose walk is aligned with their talk. We trust people who do what they say and say what they really do” (Housten, et al. p. 33). Lastly, addressing an often misunderstood piece of my personal integrity is that of humility. Being humble and teachable is not a sign of weakness or indecisiveness; rather it leads me to understand that different contexts require different approaches to advocate for civil and respectful solutions; it is being open-minded, involving a personal commitment to working toward what is best for the school community (James et al. p. 84). The field of education contains many pedagogical approaches and philosophies, and opinions can be rather strong among staff when discussing serious policies and instructional approaches. Rather than taking the stance that there’s one right solution to a problem, I weigh out the various ideas, look where I need improvement, and listen with an open mind so my team and I can work toward the best solution vs the most popular or current trend. I’m willing to listen, think, and engage in the process of unified problem-solving.The final theme of my personal core values is working to create a healthy classroom environment where positive relationships are fostered through respect, inclusion, and acceptance toward every facet of student diversity. Throughout my life, I have found myself gravitating toward people concealed from the center of society – the quiet, awkward, and misunderstood. Whether it was my introverted manner, observing persecution targeted toward any minority for the sake of dominant intimidation, or sensing anyone feeling left out and invisible, or associating closely with people from numerous cultures and circumstances, I have developed sensitivity and acceptance toward differences in humanity, with an appreciation for diversity in the world around me. In addition, taking professional courses that have addressed diversity and fostering sincere acceptance of multi-faceted differences, have transformed much of my thinking and instructional methods.It is my philosophy that one of my key roles as an educator is to address diverse needs regarding any facet of a student’s life. This must be accomplished in a tasteful fashion by acceptance and understanding of each student’s differences; only then will the rest of the components for a healthy classroom environment fall into place. I have found this to be true as I aspire toward achieving a culture in my classroom that is a diverse and accepting place where students are able to respect and hear all voices, while developing their own voice as well – a place where they are valued for what they have the ability to contribute – a haven where diversity is in the spotlight (Pace, p. 121). Curriculum drifts toward standardizing its practice in relation to social norms and needs of the mainstream student body, however, this often conflicts with religious, racial, ethnic, cultural, dialectal, and socioeconomic diversity (p. 82). In addition, it is “neither appropriate nor desirable to be in a position of dominance,” where race, ethnicity, and religion separate us from becoming partners in our school and larger communities (Banks, 1996, p. 333). Culture affects the way students process learning – each student comes into my classroom with different experiences and customs from their family’s culture – if my classroom and instruction are to circumvent cultural alienation, it is essential for me to create a culturally sensitive environment. Transformation toward an inclusive, accepting environment must come from a change in the curriculum and the total classroom and school culture (p. 124-125). I have come to see how creating a rich multicultural classroom (and school community) environment aids in breaking barriers; linking with traditions and one’s heritage diminishes borders of race, culture, and religion (p. 326). Although my district’s music curriculum addresses diversity in some aspects, I find myself advocating and acting upon the need for enriching my lessons to further expose and educate my students to the beauty of the world’s multiplicity of music, dance, religious, and cultural practices. One thing I have done to promote learning and acceptance is by posting pictures of children around the world on my classroom walls to refer to during discussions; another is through a growing document that I created to add various elements of different customs and cultures of the world to share throughout the school year. In addition, I teach songs, dances, and games by sharing history and pictures, of their origin, while including them in our grade level community performances. The indications that my efforts are making a difference have come through the response of my students. They are excited to learn, ask questions, and enjoy the experience of connecting with different customs. For example, last spring I presented my slides about Holi, the Hindu festival, and instead of me presenting to the class, I had a student eagerly offer to share the symbolism and customs of the holiday because of her experience with this family tradition; a similar event occurred when sharing the traditions and history during Hanukkah, where I had students from multiple classes voluntarily present the story of the Maccabees and miracle of the lamps. These are brief examples of my work resulted in class bonding, respect, and development of trust; although my classroom is some students’ first exposure to new customs and cultures, they respond in a positive and enthusiastic manner. My work to foster strong relationships of acceptance and diversity will never be complete; I feel compelled to cultivate more enriching experiences with my students, and to encourage and advocate for diversity training in my school community – to promote extended professional development in my school for modifying our instruction in ways that will facilitate the academic achievement of students from diverse racial, cultural, religious, and social-class groups – comprising of a variety of teaching styles that influence the wide range of our school community’s demographics (Banks, p. 337).My culminating thoughts regarding my core values include the hope and desire that I remain valiant and constant toward my faith, integrity, and influence, as an educator working to create a healthy classroom environment, so I can be an influential model within my school community. My spiritual and moral compass is firm enough, that if I should ever encounter a confrontational issue I disagree with, or people who misunderstand or question my faith, integrity, or educational practices, I am prepared to respectfully explain my personal principles, while in turn asking clarifying questions so that I may understand how I can show respect toward the opinions and philosophies of those opposing my own. Such encounters require self-control and tact – being bold, but not overbearing, disagreeing without being disagreeable and practicing humility –I believe working together is better than being right or proving a point; I would rather be respected for my morals than popular by abandoning them. Relationships are important to human connections – maintaining integrity by following school norms to preserve relationships is foremost when addressing challenges. My work as an educator in the public eye is constant and requires my attentiveness and sensitivity in the process of building each relationship. It is my vision to uphold my moral and ethical values while participating in the creation of an environment that actualizes the image of e pluribus unum; out of many, one — out of many cultures, ethnicities, religious beliefs, and personal identities, we can become one in purpose—a society that is humble and teachable, inclusive, accepting, and supportive of the growth and success of each individual (Banks, 335-336).References:Banks, J. (1996).?Multicultural education, transformative knowledge, and actions: Historical and contemporary perspectives. New York: Teachers College Press.Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.Flinders, N. (1979). Moral perspective and educational practice. (n.p.).Flinders, N. (1975). Report on religious education. (n.p.).Houston, P., et al (2008).?Spirituality in educational leadership.?Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.James, J., Schweber, S., Kunzman, R., Barton, K., & Logan, K (2015). Religion in the classroom. New York: Routledge.Merriam,Webster (n.d.). Merriam-webster dictionary. Retrieved from , J. (2015).?The charged classroom: Predicaments and possibilities for democratic teaching. New York: Routledge.Vanier, J. (2015).?Life's great questions.?Cincinnati, OH: Franciscan Media.Wright, N.T.?(2015). Simply Good News, Why the Gospel is News and what makes it Good. New York: Harper Collins ................
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