Teacherssometimes experience difficult situations and need to make decisions based ontheir personal philosophy. Some have the moral courage to stand to theirdecisions but most teachers do not. I can see that the most experiencedteachers have established “voice” in the institution but some still lack of moral courage. They believe that thereis no use trying to change the system because it is too strong. Some believethat they might get in trouble. And some say that it is none of their business.
They are not willing to take any risks and maybe afraid of what might happenwhen they show moral courage, afraid of the inconvenience it might bring, andafraid of what other people might think of them.Even this is thescenario in my workplace, I will still continue to show the kind of moralcourage I’ve been doing and displaying before. This can somehow encourage andinspire other teachers to do the same.
Moral courage is not new to me as aneducator. I have seen and observed people who displayed moral courage in theworkplace. Those people who fight for our rights as teachers and asindividuals, those people who are not only thinking of themselves but for thegood of the whole university.
I admire them in that aspect and I can say that Iappreciate them and thank them for standing up on what they think is right nomatter how they will be judged or disapproved by other leaders in theuniversity. Iam proud that in some situations I can say that I have shown moral courage.Signing a petition with what I believe is right is one of them even if I know Iwill be identified and lost my position.
Saying a problem to the management orto the immediate supervisor and also saying situation that is not fair in theinstitution require me a lot of courage and confidence. Presenting myprinciples and defending them in front of my students I flunked in class andthe parents who cried begging to pass their children but I stayed firm becauseit will be unfair for those students who really did their part for the wholesemester to pass the subject. I do not fear getting a low score in myevaluation performance, Being firm with your own philosophy and defending themI think is an admirable virtue.
And I believe that if all teachers display moralcourage will have a very fair and just environment.I have read these wordsfrom Sir Winston Churchill, “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of humanqualities… because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” This meansthat courage is the mechanism by which we put all other virtues into action. Oneof the best ways to inspire courage is through story like true stories fromhistory and family stories and by serving as models who practice courageeveryday.
The courage to act morally or doingthe right thing may not be easy for us but can be acquired through habituation.Moral courage – the willingness to face not physical danger but emotional pain,disapproval, or uncertainty rather than compromise an ethical principles. Allteachers should learn to stand up for what they believe in – no matter what.Moral courage is essential especially in protecting our learners and let us be the voice and the actionsthat our students need.