Integrity

I am very bothered. I really need to get stuff done and I want to go enjoy the beautiful weather but I just really have to cry out into the cosmos! I just came from a staff meeting. This year, as a school we have attempted to craft a new mission statement to combat what many have seen as an erosion of our school community. The process has created a lot of dialogue and has actually been led by an incredible group of students. I respect them so much and wish I had them in my classes. Last meeting the staff chose 4 words we saw as being what Newport should define newport high school and the student were to take those four words and make them jazz with our 4. For the most part, it was actually really great. But there was one word that didn't jazz. The most important word we as a Newport Staff had highlighted was "Integrity." The students, though very accomodating and very useful (they took their "purpose" and our "curiosity" to make "discovery" which I think is better than both), didn't want to have Integrity because they thought it was a "hot" word.

I was horrified and I feel like I want to cry, which could be because I'm emotional today anyway (I just want that d*** test to be over!!!), but there just isn't another word to mean Integrity. And it hurts me to the core that the word "Integrity" is "hot" now. The kids associate it with cheating. It is meaningless to them if not seen as something evil. That makes me so sad. We talked about it in my small group, and actually, the ASB President joined us and I think what we said really struck home with him. He agrees that it's sad that Integrity has such a negative association for students but helped me understand why. But still, it cuts me to the core that "Integrity" has gone by the wayside. I work very hard to teach integrity in my classroom and although it's not perfect, I think it can be seen. Integrity when it comes to honesty between students and teacher, but even beyond that in consistency, in holding yourself to high expectations, and strength of character, that who we are is seen in the actions we take... It bothers me to no end that it leaves such a bad taste in so many mouths.

But what the ASB Pres said was true, I may teach integrity by example and by the expectations I hold my students to, and the reasons I give for things we do, but I probably don't associate the word with it...so why should students associate those things with integrity?

I think that is all the more reason to make Newport a place of Integrity. That it is sad that Integrity has fallen to such a level. I say, all the more reason to make it a priority in our school.

Because honestly...if integrity dies completely...it will be a sad world.

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