I've been reading a book called "Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire" about a fifth grade teacher in an inner city school in California. He's won lots of awards for elevating his students artistically with Shakespeare, Vivaldi...etc. His students improve by leaps and bounds in his classroom, which is really a sanctuary.
Anyway, on the first day of class he reviews with them these Six Levels of Morality:
I behave morally because...
Level 1 - I don't want to get in trouble.
Level 2 - I want a reward.
Level 3 - I want to please someone (a teacher or a parent, usually)
Level 4 - I obey the rules.
Level 5 - I am considerate of others.
Level 6 - I have high moral standards and live by a personal code.
He points out that behaving morally is always a good thing, but it is better to be motivated by the higher levels than the lower levels.
Anyway, this has me thinking about my own personal motivations -- why I do the things I do. I've always been good at staying out of trouble, jumping through hoops to earn rewards, trying to please others (even people who are impossible to please.) [He points out that people who live at Level 3 are generally miserable.] I have always been a bit of a stickler for obeying the rules, so I'm covered on Level 4. In general, I strive diligently to be considerate of others (see Level 3). But I'd really like to live at Level 6. That's something to think about with each decision I make.
After the Unibomber published his personal manifesto in the New York Times, Scott joked that if I ever found him writing his, I should have him psychologically evaluated. The writing of a personal manifesto seems to portend bad behavior with the manifesto itself written to justify it.
A personal code does not have to be written in a manifesto -- in fact, I don't really think it can be. A personal code is 'manifest' in one's attitude and behavior.
3 comments:
As Mom, I can vouch for her pretty well. I believe, dear writer@home, you do a good job on all six levels!
When I went to Purdue, grading was done on a one to six point level. Six being the equivalent (at other schools) of an A+. The problem was that it was impossible to get a six! I certainly never got a six!! I got a few 6s on individual tests and the like...but never for a semester grade.
Years later I sat in meetings where they were discussing an application for hire from a Purdue graduate. And one of the Human Resource people would say, "but he only has a 5 for a grade point average"! I would then go through a harangue on the merits of 5 gpa.
I don't know what this has to do with anything, except, that sometimes a 5 is pretty good thing!
Russ
PS I think I may be a 5 on the above scale...not sure.
I am reading this book now, (actually listening to it), and that part stuck out to me. We are developing a curriculum at our church and I would love to teach this to the kids. His illustration of level 6 was powerful.
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