My fourteenth year of teaching is ending and I still have more years to work as a teacher. Completing the masters’ degree has been a lifelong dream to me. I am glad that I will soon be completing the degree and continue to use the knowledge and skills acquired to improve learning outcomes in my school. As I enter my fifteenth year of teaching, my focus will be to obtain the national board certification. This certification is important to me because it will boost my self-esteem as a Montessori teacher. According to Czimbal and Brooks (2013), a person is likely to act with integrity if he or she has a “high self-esteem, a strong support system and a balanced life.” Integrity refers to the internal set of principles that guides the behavior of individuals.
The “external manifestation of high integrity is high-quality work” (Tracy, 2010). Concisely, integrity is important to Montessori teachers because it enables them to do the right thing, even under minimal supervision. Palmer (2007, p. 34), emphasizes the importance of integrity by stating that authority comes as I “reclaim my identity and integrity, remembering my selfhood and my sense in vocation. Then teaching can come from the depths of my own truth and the truth that is with my students has a chance to respond in kind.” The main principles of integrity include “compassion, dependability, generosity, honesty, kindness, loyalty, maturity, objectivity, respect, trust, and wisdom” (Czimbal & Brooks, 2013). These principles are essential virtues, which teachers must develop and demonstrate in all their professional duties. These virtues are considered professional assets because they empower teachers to behave consistently, thereby achieving high standards of teaching and learning outcomes (Hattie, 2003, pp. 1-15).
The most important thing to me now is to financially support my two college going daughters. Upholding high standards of integrity requires an individual to help those who are in need. This involves giving assistance that enables others to achieve their personal goals. Thus, I have to give financial assistance to my daughters so that they can complete their education. As a mother, I want to work closely with my third daughter who is in second grade. In particular, I intend to encourage her to play the harp and to start rowing as soon as she can. This will enable me to support her social and academic development, thereby giving the opportunity to build a strong relationship with her. Additionally, it will enable me to enhance her spiritual development. In this context, “spirit does not mean one’s personal belief in a higher power or one’s religious persuasion.
Rather, spirit refers to the fundamental, positive qualities inherent in all beings such as love, goodness, honesty, perseverance, courage, and integrity” (McFarland, 2012, p. 3). Thus, supporting the development of my third daughter is a commitment that I will have to fulfill in the coming years. This is Montessori’s great attainment, the “discovery of the child. This, in the realm of the human spirit can be set against the discovery of those terrible energies latent at the atom, just as they can be used to create the good armament of peace” (Standing, 1998, p. 370). Making sugar flower, cake decoration, and sewing are hobbies that I like to engage in. However, I have never had enough time to engage in them. It has always been my intention to spend my summer at home in order to engage in these hobbies. Despite the time constrains, I believe that I will achieve these dreams by remaining cheerful and optimistic.
I have launched private after school art lessons to benefit students in the Cuppertino and Bay Area. The success of this project will be a dream-come true for me because I will be able to teach art subjects to more students in the Bay Area. The core principles of ethics require individuals to be generous and unselfish. In this regard, individuals should be kind to the people they interact with regardless of time, place, or circumstances. Standing (1998, p. 309) asserts that Montessori makes use “of various similes to illustrate what she means by the teacher being a dynamic link between the child and the environment. The directress must act as a vivifying presence, which awakens the sleeping soul of the child.” In this regard, committing more of my time to helping students in art subjects through private teaching programs will be advantageous to the entire community. Even though giving this help is the right thing to do, accomplishing it might not be easy due to personal commitments. Therefore, I will devote my time and effort to the students with honesty in order to uphold my standards of integrity. The rationale of focusing on honesty is that it enables an individual to gain more courage and self-confidence. High self-confidence will enable me to be more positive and enthusiastic, thereby developing a great feeling of power and strength. Thus, I do believe that sharing my God given talents with others is a privilege that I must use to benefit my students.
It has always been my mission to dedicate my time and effort to sharing my knowledge about the Montessori philosophy. Pursuing this mission will involve working as a fulltime instructor at the Bay Area Montessori Training Center. In this regard, I will have to dedicate my summer holidays, as well as, weekends to teaching students. In future, I will be glad to consider helping students in the Bay Area as a lifelong commitment. McFarland (2012, p. 26) emphasizes the importance of long term commitments in teaching by stating that as we consciously take “the time to express the peace and tranquility of our spirits, we will be filled with joy and guided in our actions.
We will have the confidence to be vulnerable and the humility to continually remove that which is keeping us from achieving our potentials.” Concisely, teachers can overcome the challenges that prevent them from achieving learning outcomes by committing more of their time to expressing the peace and harmony of their spirits. McFarland (2012, p. 26) further asserts that as we work sincerely to “self-actualize we will achieve increasingly higher degrees of excellence and be able to model this for the children and others.” In this regard, I will be happy to see many young teachers achieving their goals of becoming Montessori instructors in future. In addition, it will be an honor to me to work hand-in-hand with some of the veteran Montessori trainers who are, currently, waiting to handover their responsibilities to younger generations. I believe that it is time to take more responsibilities as a Montessori teacher. Thus, I am preparing myself to lead the process of spreading the knowledge and philosophy of Dr. Montessori.
In order to realize my objective of spreading Montessori’s philosophies and knowledge, I will have to focus on improving my spiritual growth, as well as, continuing to demonstrate high standards of ethics and integrity in all activities. Identity lies in the “intersection of the diverse forces that make up life, and integrity lies in relating to those forces in ways that bring me wholeness and life, rather than fragmentation and death” (Palmer, 2007, p. 14). Consequently, personal integrity can be developed through examination of personal beliefs and value systems. Thus, I will develop my integrity by identifying the weaknesses of my behavior and developing strategies to eliminate them. This will involve identifying and overcoming the obstacles that prevent me from adhering to my moral code. Additionally, I will focus on practicing truthfulness, as well as, listening to and respecting the views and decisions of my colleagues. I will also focus on emotional development by reading more worthy books. Moreover, I will engage in physical activities such as enjoying the natural beauty of the country by driving through the redwood forest, viewing the Niagra Fall and America’s wilderness. McFarland (2012, p. 17) highlights the importance of emotional development by stating that since emotions emit “specific chemicals into the body, they can overtake our otherwise rational minds and directly affect the functioning of our bodies. It is imperative that we acknowledge and recognize our feelings, express them effectively and channel them constructively.” Thus, emotional development will make me a better Montessori teacher.
References
Czimbal, B. & Brooks, M. (2013). Ethics and Integrity. Web.
Hattie, J. (2003). Distinguishing between Expert Teachers from Novice and Experienced Teachers. Sydney. Australian Council for Educational Research.
McFarland, S. (2012). Shining Thgrough. Buena Vista: Shining Mountain Press.
Palmer, P. (2007). The Courage to Teach. San Francisco: Jossey.
Standing, E. (1998). Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work. New York: Penguin Group.
Tracy, B. (2010). Becoming a Person of Integrity. Web.