Standard 1: Moral and Theological Issues In Education
Standard 1 states teacher leaders model moral and
ethical behavior. Upon reflection, it makes sense this is the first of twelve
standards in the program. It does not
matter if we have the best classroom management, assessments, or
differentiation strategies. If an
educator is not moral and ethical toward the students and fellow faculty and
staff there is a massive problem. How we carry ourselves as individuals is
highly important. This is step one of
many. It all starts with who we are as
people. To fulfill this standard I
engaged in the course Moral Issues in Education. Through numerous books and lengthy discussion
posts I have a much clearer idea of what it means to teach with integrity,
morals, and love.
Response:
My
preconceptions prior to this course and standard were highly selfish. “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 a 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 to be kept out. This course
has shed light on the importance of viewing teaching decisions in an unselfish
manner. 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 in 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 say
in what occurs. The teacher does not
rule with an iron fist with all decisions coming from them. On a similar note,
research indicates students who believe they have a voice in school are seven
times more likely to be academically motivated than students who do not believe
they have a voice (Quaglia Institute for School Voice and Aspirations,
2016). 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:
MEF
Sources:
Finley, T. (2013). How to trust
your students. Retreived 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.
Quaglia Institute for School Voice and
Aspirations. (2016.) School voice report 2016. Retrieved from
quagliainstitute.org/dmsView/School_Voice_Report_2016
Wirzba, N. (2016). Way of love: Recovering the heart of christianity. New York, NY:
HarperCollins.
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