Hello again self. Why is it important to have values? This is a questioning worth exploring. Core values are the principles that each of us live by. It is important to understand what your underlying principles are. If you are aware of them, you can change them or strengthen them or come to see yourself more clearly. We all have biases and prejudices that we need to recognize and often come to grips with before we can change or correct them. Our principles guide us on how to behave or respond to any situation that we are in. Unlike rules, principles don't tell us exactly what to do in each situation, but they give us a foundation to work from. Having core values or principles give us a healthy place to start when solving problems in the real world. When our values are good ones, they free us and help us to act in a consistent and appropriate way whatever our situation may be.
Some values I find most important as a music teacher are...
1) Love of children
2) Every child can learn
3) Music is worthy of study
4) Freedom of ideas & expression in the classroom
5) Classrooms are communities
6) Restore Integrity - Do the right thing, especially when no one is watching!
Adam,
ReplyDeleteYou are quite right that having core values is your primary defense against being biased, and I am very glad that you are thinking in such large-scale terms. On the more practical side, your core values will help you develop a philosophy of music education which will in turn affect everything you do and create as a teacher. We encourage all incoming teachers to develop a clear philosophy so that they are not swayed or overwhelmed with the details of the job and lose sight of the big picture. While I don’t think this will happen to you, it is important to acknowledge the connection between education values and your daily life as a teacher.
1/1 NS