Lesson 8.

Developing an Educational Philosophy

Your philosophy of education is your window to the world and your compass in life.
Your philosophy of education is reflected in your dealings with students, colleagues, parents
and administrators. Your attitude towards problems and life has an underlying philosophy.

What does philosophy of education contain or include? It includes your concept about:
 The human person, the learner and the educated person.
 What is true and good and therefore must be taught.
 How a learner must be taught in order to come close to truth.
 What is true and good and therefore must be taught.

Society and You

Community Perception on the Role of Teachers in the Community

Teachers are perceived to be:
1. Very important in a community
2. Respected in the community
3. Help in the community to some extent.

Community Perception on Beliefs and attitudes about Teachers and Teaching

1. Help develop the moral character of children
2. Are second parents
3. Are assets to the community
4. Men should be encouraged to enter the teaching profession
5. The teaching profession is one of the lowest paid.
6. Teachers should be program virtue
7. Children obey and respect and their teacher
8. Teachers play an active role in disciplining children
9. Praising boosts child’s confidence
10.A teacher is a child’s model
11.Child’s interest in studies depends upon his/her teachers.
12.Parents entrust children’s welfare to teachers.

ACTIVITY:
A. Direction: (Essay) When you will become a professional teacher someday, how are you
going to deal with your diverse learners, parents, co-workers, and the people in the
society? (20 pts.)
Lesson 9. The Foundational Principles of Morality

What is Morality?
As defined by one textbook author, morality refers to the “quality of human acts by
which we call them right or wrong, good or evil” (Paniso, 1964). Your human action is right
when it conforms to the norm, rule, or law of morality. Otherwise, it is said to be wrong.

Meaning of Foundational Moral Principle

The word principle comes from the Latin word “priceps” which means a beginning, a
source. A principle is that on which something is based, founded, originated, and initiated. A
foundational moral principle is, therefore, the universal norm upon which all other principles
on the rightness or wrongness of an action are based.

The foundational moral principle is contained in the natural law. It is the law written in
the hearts of men. (Romans 2:15). For theist, it is “man’s share in the Eternal Law of God…”
(Panizo, 1964) St. Thomas defines it as “the light of natural reason, whereby we discern what
is good and what is evil… an imprint on us of the divine light…” (Panizo, 1964) It is the law
that says: “Do good and avoid evil. “This is the fundamental or foundational moral principle.

Do Good and Avoid Evil

• Do not do to others what you do not like others do to you. (Kung-fu-tsu, negative form)
• Do to others what you like others do to you. (Golden Rule of Christianity, positive
form)
• Act in such a way that your maxim can be the maxim for all (Immanuel Kant)
*Made more explicit through the Ten Commandments and the Eight Beautitudes.
Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17 or Deuteronomy 5:6-21)
1. “I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have any other gods before Me.”
2. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
3. “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.”
4. “Honor thy father and thy mother.”
5. “Thou shalt not kill.”
6. “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
7. “Thou shalt not steal.”
8. “Thou shalt no bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
9. “Thou shalt not covet they neighbor's wife.”
10. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's good.”

Eight Beautitudes (Matthew 5:3-10)

1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
2. “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
3. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
4. “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for the righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
5. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
6. “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.”
7.” Blessed are the peacemakers, because they shall be called children of God”.
8. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of others righteousness, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.”

Eightfold Path
For Buddhist, they do good when they:
1. strive to know the truth
2. resolve to resist evil
3. say nothing to hurt others
4. respect life, morality and property
5. engage in a job that does not injure others
6. strive to free their mind of evil.
7. control their feelings and thoughts
8. practice proper forms of concentration

Islamic Koran
• “forbids lying, stealing, adultery and murder”
• “honor for parents, kindness to slaves, protection for the orphaned and widowed, charity
to the poor.
• teaches the virtue of faith in God, patience, kindness, honesty, industry, honor, courage
and generosity.
• condemns mistrust, impatience and cruelty.

The Five Pillars of Islam

• prayer
• self-purification
• fasting
• almsgiving
• pilgrimage to Mecca for those who can afford.

Lesson 10. Teacher as a Person of Good Moral Character

As laid down in the preamble of Our Code of Ethics for Professional Teacher, “teachers
duly licensed professionals who possess dignity and reputation with high moral values as well
as technical and professional competence. In the practice of their profession, they strictly
adhere to, observe and practice this set of ethical and moral principles, standard and values.”

Four Ways of Having Good Moral Character

1. being fully human
-you have realized substantially your potential as a human person.
2. being a loving person
-you are caring in an unselfish and mature manner with yourself, other people and God.
3. being a virtuous person
-you have acquired good habits and attitudes and you practice them consistently in your
daily life.
4. being a morally mature person
- you have reached a level of development in all aspects appropriate to your
developmental stage.

ACTIVITY:
A. Direction: Answer the following with a YES or NO. If your answer is NO, explain your
answer in a sentence. Use a separate sheet of paper for your explanation.
___________1. Is morality for persons and animals?
___________2. Is the natural law known only by the learned?
___________3. Did the primitive people have a sense of the natural law?
___________4. Is an animalistic act of man moral?
___________5. Is it right to judge a dog to be immoral if it defecates right there in your
garden?
___________6. Is the foundational moral principle sensed only by believers?
___________7. Is the foundational moral principle very specific?
___________8. Are the Ten Commandments for Christians more specific moral principles of
the foundational moral principle?
___________9. Is the natural law literally engraved in every human heart?
___________10. Are the Five Pillars of Islam reflective of the natural law?
___________11. Is the Buddhist Eightfold Path in accordance with the natural law?
___________12. Is the Golden Rule for Christians basically the same with Kung-fu-tsu’s
Reciprocity rule?

B. Direction: Answer the following in a sentence or two.

1. To be moral is to be human. What does this mean?
2. Why is morality only for person?
3. What do the following tell you about the natural law?
Ancient philosophers and dramatists had already mentioned the natural law.
Sophocles, for instance, in the drama Antigone, spoke of the “unwritten statutes of
heaven which are not of today or yesterday but from all time and no man knows when
they were first put forth.”
Ciero wrote: “True law is right reason in agreement with nature; it is of universal
application, unchanging end everlasting…”
“Lawless license or promiscuity is not common among primitive people. According
to Fr. Vanoverberg, a Belgian anthropologist of the CICM congregation, the Negritos of
northern Luzon have excellent moral standards especially about honesty and sexual
matters although their power of abstraction is so low that they can hardly count beyond
5.” (Panizo, 1964)

C. Journal Entry
1. “Do good; avoid evil” is the foundational moral principle. List at least 5 good things
that you must do as a teacher and 5 evil things you must avoid doing.
2. The Golden Rule of Christians is: Do to others what you would like others to do to
you.” Give a concrete application of the Golden Rule as you relate to a learner, to a
fellow teacher, to a parent or any member of the community and to your superiors.
 e.g. “Speak well of your fellow teacher just as you want your fellow teacher to speak well
of you.”

D. Direction: Explain the following:

1. What do the following statements imply about the role of religion in the moral formation of
man?
 “If God did not exist, then everything would be permitted.” Dostoyevsky
 “There is no doubt that man can organize the world without God, but in the final
analysis He can only organize it against man.” – Pope Paul VI
2. How does conscience relate to morality?
3. Are man-made laws part of the natural law? What about the Code of Ethics for Professional
Teachers is it also a part of natural law? Why/Why not?
4. Do laws limit our freedom?
5. What is meant by the statement “The Sabbath is made for man and not man for Sabbath.”

E. By means of a song, a poem, or an acrostic (on the word MORALITY), show the
importance of morality.