Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/the-toddler-that-got-away/5021014/
Effective classroom leadership requires integrity (Brown, 2007). In our roles (Sue as director of a campus-based child care center and Ann as coordinator of a university early childhood program), we view integrity as a core value. We constantly look for ways to help our pre-service teachers develop integrity, as well as other essential professional dispositions.Integrity is one of many dispositions that influence teachers’ behaviors:
• Integrity is the trait that keeps us from acting in ways that we might later regret (Goleman, 2002).
• Having integrity involves upholding one’s values, being authentic and open about one’s feelings and beliefs, and following through in one’s actions.
• Integrity is what you’re dedicated to, from which no one can deter you, no matter what (Brown, 2007).
We defined integrity as: A firm adherence to a code of values that is consistently displayed in one’s words and actions. We gained particularly valuable insights regarding integrity through an alarming event at our campus child care center and surprising findings from conversations with student teachers.
The event presented a momentary ethical dilemma that was quickly resolved when considering transparency, truth, and honesty. In the end, we learned a great deal from the experience, made changes ...