EDU 6085 - Reflection (Winter 2018)

Bryan Van Pelt

EDU 6085

Course Reflection: EDU 6085 Moral Issues in Education

Course goals

Too many individual goals to state

Teacher Leadership  Standard:

Teacher leaders model ethical and moral behavior

Response:

            My preconceptions prior to this course were highly selfish.  I thought this course was all about me, the teacher. “I know what it means to be moral” and “I am a responsible educator” where a couple thoughts in my head.  For some reason, none of my thinking revolved around the students and how moral teaching impacts them and their experiences. There was disconnect from me, the teacher, to the students.  Likewise, I firmly believed, coming from public schools, religion had no place in the classroom. My viewpoints were rigid and unfair. I thought with a subject matter as “touchy” as religion, it is best kept out of schools. This course shed light on the importance of making unselfish teaching decisions. Likewise, I now view religion as a powerful subject matter and vehicle for teaching larger ideas in a classroom.  

My first takeaway is foundational in nature regarding moral and ethical teaching.  Judith Pace (2015) states in the book, “The Charged Classroom”, the importance of valuing a student and their beliefs, opinions, and ideas. We, as educators, must take this into consideration when instructing a class and cannot simply barrel through our lesson plans. Pace states, “when students express their own ides, they make manifest the ideal of political equality, which means every person is qualified to participate in discussion and decision-making” (Hess, 2009, p. 15).  This quote speaks to the importance of establishing and viewing the classroom climate as a fluid and dynamic space in which all students have input in what occurs. The teacher does not rule with an iron fist, making all decisions.  Implementation of this idea is relatively simple. I must provide platforms for all students to actively express their viewpoints.  More importantly, I must establish a classroom climate in which students feel welcome in stating their beliefs.

            Second, in a similar manner, is the importance of understanding the ways in which ideas manifest in the classroom.  As mentioned in the book “Religion in the Classroom” (2015), Simone Schweber mentions topics stated in the classroom are “on the table” and can be talked about openly.  Instilling a culture of honesty and trust, requires this exact framework as everything needs to be “on the table” for discussion and critique. It is important to implement these student-centered values early in a clear, but appropriate manner.  By doing so, students feel valued in their beliefs. Moving forward I will check in with myself periodically and ask, “How is this topic or idea manifesting in my classroom”. Are the ideas “on the table” or am I brushing things under the rug so we do not engage in discussion.  

            Thirdly, through the Moral Educational Framework assignment, I discovered my own value of placing trust in the students.  As stated by Todd Finley (2013) in the article “How to Trust Your Students”, “You have to make yourself vulnerable; otherwise, you aren't doing it right. Trust is an action word.”  I will instill trust in my students through large and small tasks.  This might look like asking a student to manage a certain aspect of the class logistics (attendance, door holder etc.).  On the larger end, I might instill trust through allowing students to choose their partners or topic for a final presentation.  It is important I use the language of trust frequently as the students must understand the faith I am putting on them in the classroom.

            Lastly, Norman Wirzba instilled a beautiful idea and representation of heaven.  As stated in “Way of Love” (2016), “If heaven represents the complete realization of life as it is meant to be, then it cannot only matter some future time” (p. 200). Or in other words, “Heaven is forever desirable, because it is the place and time in which the love of God is fully and freely at work in all creatures” (p. 201). I see the idea of heaven manifesting in the classroom related to the idea of time.  Heaven, for the students, is the end of the year. “I made it through 6th grade! I’m free! I’m done!” This mentality isn’t productive for the students. It would be a momentous task, but definitely beneficial to have the student's become more present and mindful about their education. It is not about “making it” to the end of a grade, but being aware of everyday and the challenges and opportunities they bring.  Building this mindset contributes to the ultimate goal of teaching students how to be lifelong learners.

Artifacts: Moral Educational Framework https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B6dqTtt5aj8VTrySYMC_OgLJeTmzwoRLqmRcN0XWoZY/edit?usp=sharing

Sources:

Finley, T. (2013). How to trust your students. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/how-to-trust-your-students-todd-finley

James, J., Schweber, S., Kunzman, R., Barton, K., & Logan, K. (2015). Religion in the classroom. New York, NY: Routledge.

Pace, J. (2015). The charged classroom. New York, NY: Routledge.

Wirzba, N. (2016). Way of love: Recovering the heart of christianity. New York, NY: HarperCollins.