Morality
Subjects
taught currently: Grades
9 -12
Creative Writing, Biology,
Anatomy & Physiology, Consumer Economics
The
only gift is a portion of you. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
If
not me, then who will embrace the heart of the world’s present and future
youth? We should go above and
beyond as educators to focus upon each individual’s power and learn to
listen with our hearts versus our ears. When
one begins to listen to the concerns of others, we learn the underlying
reasons why a person’s potential to live in excellence is blocked;
excellence that is reached by living a life that allows the person to capture
seemingly impossible “successes.”
The
allowance of vulnerability will awaken the infinite possibilities in their
lives. As educators we target the
student, but we must realize that we should go to the center of the
circumstances. The target is the
caregiver of the pupil. There are
several venues to help enroll people in the vision to live responsibly.
The meaning of living responsible is embracing the opportunity of an
ordinary human being do an extraordinary wonder in the lives of students and
schools across the nation.
When
you view the overall concept of enrolling other people to become role models,
one must view their own lives in order to build bridges and fill gaps of
involvement with concern, commitment and dedication.
The power that we evolve within our spirit and souls is reflected as a
mirror image to the world. Everyone
in the world is a role model whether they are aware or accept it.
Someone is watching you whether you are behaving “good or bad.”
We as humans imitate the next person.
We are all walking advertisements.
Thus allowing people to make a choice, whether or not to buy who we
are. It is solely the authority of the person to promote themselves so that
people look deeper to excavate the “good” that is seen through heaven’s
eyes.
Focusing
on a person’s refusal to be a role model will only build an obstruction for
a better tomorrow not only in their lives, but within the human race. We will
never see the light at the end of a tunnel by trudging through the murky
waters of self-doubt. Through the
keen focus upon capacities, inevitably, the human race will experience the
cleanliness of each person, saving everyone from the dark and dismal path of
selfishness. Ultimately, when we as individuals give to the world, the world
gives us more than we can ever fathom.
It
is not merely the individual refusal to be a good role model, but the person
refusing the opportunity to step into full manifestation of living up to the
loving, beautiful, wonderful altruistic people they truly are. The “refusers,”
will only teach us how to extend our tentacles of tenderness to those that are
in the midst of their own trials and tribulations.
While in the midst, they choose not (respectfully) to look towards
innovative ways to help them become powerful within their own right in order
to do great wonders in their lives and the lives of others. With the
ingredients of commitment, passion and respect one can become motivated to
help the “ refuser”; to see the full spectrum of the power that they
possess thus allowing them to see the pertinence of not allowing anyone to
fail.
We
as humans carry a rhythm of care deep within our hearts.
We owe each other the responsibility to honor great moral standards.
Great moral standards will be rewarded by the benevolence of God.
God utilizes us as tools to pull the strength out of each other and to
evoke those who once refused to take the torch to become motivated and
determined to become catalyst to construct a world with infinite
possibilities.
The
mere question of “What Do We Do When Adults refuse to be Good Roles
Models?” brings to mind the question, “what do we as individuals to
inspire the role of being good to mankind?”
The question gives me the inspiration within my spirit to never worry
about the “how” when we enroll people in our vision to build a circuit of
connected, loving, and caring human beings. Through the implication of sheer
desire to build a better tomorrow full of limitless dreams and passions, we
can help others reach their full capabilities.
George
Washington Carver was a great man who took one peanut and discovered a vast
amount of resources from one seemingly useless object. The beauty and essence
of peanut was taken to a new plateau, exceeding the gradient. We are the
peanuts built with a powerful source to make abundant triumphs. As peanuts, we
will be appreciated because we recognized that we are a source of inspiration.
We are human beings who can speak things into existence through faith
and belief. Through acting upon
sound mind and judgment bestowed from the omnipotence of God, we can never be
steered wrong by acknowledging a higher authority.
Let’s us pray, and ask God for guidance.
Let him remind us of the authority that we have trapped inside of our
love that is generated through his heart.
Let us began to praise God for behaving in manner that will show the
world.
It
is better to be the giver than the receiver. The teacher, who began to share
her heart and “put herself on front street,” allowed others to enter her
space to comprehend her vulnerability. It
is when we become vulnerable and live outside of society’s ideals we stop
worrying about ourselves. As a result, we encourage others to make
breakthroughs. It is duly our
responsibility to express the face of tenderness and compassion.
Then, the melodious sound of wholehearted passion, commitment, and
respect will reverberate towards everyone.
Building a path for others to follow and to learn by the example of
living in excellence, as God intended, supersedes when others hurt us or speak
condescendingly or even to those for a moment in time are behaving with
dignity or reverence. Let us walk with integrity and respect, exuding love
that will copiously drop upon every man woman and child. Let us concentrate
upon the adults who refuse for they have the answer to why they are in the
slump of life’s circumstances. The
answer to the question “who do we need to be in order for the adults who
refuse to surrender and extend a helping heart to everyone” lies within us.
It is a domino affect within our entire society.
If one fails, then you too are a failure.
We are all in a position to water the plant that somehow stopped
growing. But if everyone neglects
the plant it will surely die. We can water many plants by enhancing what we
all have inside to give: love.
We
drop out and cop out, thinking that because we can’t do everything we
can’t do anything. ~ Dr. Ernest Fitzgerald
Answers To
Questions For Required Reading
Q1—Comment
on the 6-year-old with a telescope and his interest in abstract ideas.
How unusual was he? Have
you encountered students with similar focus and reasoning abilities?
Discuss.
My
perspective of the six year old was that he was quite enchanting and a
profound thinker. He obviously
has embraced his childlike faith and ability to comprehend concepts about
life. He was able to convey his
ideas that challenged an adult’s thought process.
The six-year-old interests allowed me to drift into a childlike state
of mind that allows acceptance of people for who they are.
Yes,
I have experienced students with the capacity to reason and who have a similar
focus as a six year old. One of
my students was somehow able to connect how the stars and the atmosphere will
be ends to our destruction.
Q2—Were
you surprised to read that young children may be “ethically introspective
citizens”? Discuss.
As
human beings, the capabilities of man never cease to amaze to me. Our children
learn in part by vision, sound and touch. Generally, at birth children are
able to differentiate sounds, lights and emotions. Our children are born
learning and teaching simultaneously.
Q3—Do
you agree that morality can be taught in all kinds of classes.
Give examples from experience.
Morality
can be taught and is being learned outside of classrooms each and everyday.
The virtue that we reflect to others is being mirrored.
For example, I have taken my students on various field trips.
On this particular excursion, the students and myself were treated
quite condescendingly. Dare I say
the person made us blatantly aware that she did not enjoy our presence because
of our skin color? My students
became perturbed as well as myself by her disrespectful comments.
Several students desire to engage in a brawl with the young lady.
I immediately gathered my students and told them I too was irritated
and that I would handle the issue at hand.
I asked the young lady to step to the side, to converse with her.
I told her that my experience of her was that she was showing an
unpleasant disposition, but I saw perhaps she was having a bad day.
I reiterated what she had said and allowed her to analyze her actions
towards my class. She immediately
apologized and shared that she was feeling under the weather.
I hugged her and expressed my concern about her health and our tour was
pleasant thereafter. My students
could not hear the conversation, but they did experience my heartfelt concern
to correct the circumstances and how I didn’t react based from another
person’s distorted image about people of color.
The students observed me connecting with the young lady to understand
the underlying reason why she was behaving in such a manner.
After a few *minutes, they saw me extend my vulnerability and love.
In their eyes, the tour guide was a stranger.
Yet, to me, she was a person who was handed down the message of hate
and was taught this negative image about people of color.
They observed me live by my words.
Everyone needs a hug.
Q4—What
was meant by the phrase encountered in you required reading:
“We are all moral witnesses”?
Describe an instance in the classroom when you were a good moral
witness.
The
statement indicates that human beings in some shape or form are all witnesses
to what is occurring in the world. Mankind
is not blind to the facts, truths and lies of the world.
We know more about morality than we claim.
One of the students that were recently in disagreement with another
young lady began to open up her heart. She
gave the other young lady her advice in a seemingly difficult situation in
spite of the fact they were angry with each other.
She took notice that another person’s problem was bigger than holding
a grudge. She allowed herself to
be an effective tool to bring forth a solution.
Q5—Define
courage. Tell of a youngster who
has had the courage to stand up for his/her beliefs/values.
Courage
is the summation of tapping into a power, strength of mind and spirit of man
that you were unaware of possessing. Courage
is the ability to supercede your own capabilities and potential.
Courage is walking by faith and not by sight and to march forward in
the darkness with only your inner light to shine forth giving you the vision
to see a positive outcome. Courage
is the authority to overcome F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real.)
During
a discussion about forgiveness, one of my students, whose eye is permanently
closed due to a childhood accident caused by her cousin, had a shared a
profound experience. For her
entire seventeen years, people who didn’t know or even care to know about
her incident only saw the permanent damage.
People had ridiculed her with taunting and belittled her by
name-calling. After the
discussion, she forgave her cousin for his actions when he too was only a
child. She learned it was better
to forgive than to eat off the “grudge plate”, where one is never
satisfied. I truly believe at the
moment she saw her inner beauty and her power to jump hurdles and obstructions
that at times occur in life. It
was a wonderful experience to view courage before my very eyes and heart.
She displayed the courage to forgive.
Q6—Comment
on the discussion on Courage that took place during a 4th grade
history lesson, as outlined in the required reading.
Share an experience where your class spontaneously engaged in a moral
analysis.
We
witness murder, mayhem, joy and love each and every day we live.
We are observers, actors and actresses, for the world stage as God
peers down to view our decisions and indecisions.
We stand in judgment and contentment of our self-value and worth.
We had a discussion about a woman who was murdered because no one
called the police after acknowledging her shrills and screams, and viewing her
running from her assailant. This
topic grew into a heated discussion whether or not it was the responsibility
of citizens and neighbors. It was
a debate that allowed them to envision themselves being murdered while others
watch as if it was a prime time movie. This
was a topic, which lead them to analyze what it truly means to love thy
neighbor and to treat people how you in turn desire to be treated.
In the beginning, and to my surprise, my students said that they
wouldn’t become involved for fear that the assailant would attack them for
not minding their business.
Q7—How
is a good person described at the end of the required reading involving A
Bronx Tale?
The
“good person”, is described as a person that is aware of that he or she is
not only a catalyst to the moral goodness to themselves but owe a
responsibility to others.
Q8—What
should a teacher do when she/he sees a student trying to get another student
in trouble or somehow disrupting the class?
When
I have experienced my students show disruptive behavior, I react by
discovering the root cause of the problem and listening to students’
concerns. Normally, when a child
is causing or afflicting pains on another child he or she is the one that is
experiencing pain internally. I
have learned whether it is positive or negative, it is overall the attention
that the student is diligently seeking.
Q9—The
Harry Singer Foundation pilot project, Dream Machine, White Hats and
Problem Solvers are based on the premise that students have the capacity
to act responsibly, interact with adults in the community and make mature
decisions. In light of the
article by Shannon Brownlee regarding the development of the teen brain, do
you think the Foundation may be giving teens too much credit?
I
believe the foundation is offering youth the responsibility to become moral
witnesses. Engaging students to
comprehend circumstances and teaching them to make win/win situations for the
growth and development of mankind are accomplishing this task.
It is the opportunity of the students to exceed limits.
Q10—If
you think your students are capable, will you engage a group in one of our
pilot projects? If not, why not?
Yes,
I will engage my students with a pilot. I
believe and trust their experience will be beneficial and effect how they
interact with others by enhancing relationships and creating healthier
self-esteem. They will learn how
to resolve conflicts and create a clear definite image that they desire to
project for the world and God to admire.