Truth and Transformation:

The Teaching Philosophy of Jean Morales

Jean K. Morales
Colorado State University

Author note
Jean K. Morales, Department of Adult Education and Training, Colorado State University
Contact: jkmorale@rams.colostate.edu

THE TEACHING PHILOSOPHY OF JEAN MORALES

Truth and Transformation: The Teaching Philosophy of Jean Morales

An educators philosophy (a belief system that interprets the world and the
actions in it) (Galbraith, p. 40) is the soul of their practice. When a philosophy goes
unobserved, according to Elias and Merriam, it can lead to mindless activism (as cited
in Galbraith, p. 42). The result produces no changepurposeless; or the wrong kind of
changedestructive. As I observe my own teaching philosophy, I am impacted by my
career where education equipped learners to advance the organizations mission. But I
not only want learners to become skilled contributors but also desire their personal
growth. As a teacher I believe in exposing learners to truths and supporting their
transformation in light of that truth, because this more effectively motivates life-long
learning and development.
I will first discuss how truth as a subject matter impacts my educational
philosophy. And secondly, I will discuss the origins of these ideas as derived from my
worldview, my life-philosophy. A caveat: the aim of this paper is not to cement a
complete philosophy, but rather to provide a broad-stroke survey of my current, everevolving teaching philosophy.
Exploring Truth: An Educational Philosophy
Education is defined as affecting change (Galbraith, p. 41). I believe when
learners encounter truth, this compels them to change and to adapt. Truth is the body

THE TEACHING PHILOSOPHY OF JEAN MORALES

of information, facts, and/or ideas that align themselves with reality (Merriam-Webster,
Inc., 2014). Truth can take the shape of the best skill needed to solve a problem or
perform a task. It can also be crucial knowledge needed to understand a situation we
may encounter. But truth can compel more than competency in problem solving and
negotiating new situations. It can spark deeper, more meaningful transformations, such
as a refinement of character (e.g. possessing qualities of humility, peace, servant hood
etc.) and/or the ability to lead social change (e.g. fighting unjust systems, creating outof-the-box solutions for complex situations, etc.). The reason I teach is to help bring
about this type of deep transformation.
I believe the learner is central to teaching in that who they are (their knowledge,
personality, experiences) contributes to how they may interact with truth. The role of
the teacher, therefore, is to provide an environment conducive for this interaction.
Though learning experiences are conducive to truth, not all learner responses to truth
will be positive. Some truths can be uncomfortable (e.g. coming to grips with a
character flaw that has hampered their efficacy as a supervisor); some can be troubling
(e.g. recognizing we often perpetrate racist micro-aggressions unconsciously); some can
be angering (e.g. realizing that the system you are striving in automatically
disadvantages you). Regardless, the key aim of a facilitator, when truth and learner
collide, is to provide, guide, and resource the learner to grow and self-actualize.
Spirituality and WorldviewHow Personal Philosophy Impacts Teaching

THE TEACHING PHILOSOPHY OF JEAN MORALES

A personal philosophy clarifies the reasons and meaning behind the values
asserted in a teaching philosophy. The table below outlines the relationship between
the teaching philosophy the personal philosophy.
Teaching Philosophy Value
The goal of education is to help the

Personal Philosophy Reasoning

(Galbraith, pp. 44-45)
Why is it meaningful to see a learner

learner grow, adapt, and self-actualize.

develop in these ways?

The role of the facilitator is to create an

What is the relationship between

environment conducive to learner truth-

facilitator and learner?

seeking.
When the learner is exposed to truth, s/he What is the relationship between truth
will adapt, grow, transform.

and the learner?

My personal philosophy stems from spiritual rootsChristianity. Faith in Christ

creates a worldview that is anchored upon several tenants: 1. All truth is derived from
God, for God is the ultimate reality (God can be expressed in nature and science, in
human knowledge and philosophy, and in artistic expression) (ref: Job 41:15-42:34, New
International Version); 2. The condition of humanity is that it is partially and potentially
completely blind to truth; 3. The mission and purpose of Christ was to reconnect
humanity to truth and in light of truth see humanity transform. This worldview impacts
the meaning behind the act of teaching. For me, teaching is a spiritual act of
appreciationuncovering together the inner workings of reality. This reality can be
both practical and enlightening. My worldview reminds me of my humanity (and

THE TEACHING PHILOSOPHY OF JEAN MORALES

blindness) and therefore in relating to my learners I must honor their process with
humility and respect because it is not unlike my own. And my faith teaches me that
each persons engagement with truth is varied and sometimes unpredictable. Because
of this, despite my drive to achieve specific educational goals, I can still have peace by
owning what I can and letting go of things that are not in my control. My faith,
therefore, helps define my objective as a teacher, my relationship with my learners, and
my capacity to impact change in a learning process.
Conclusion
My teaching philosophy is essentially one of the many branches (e.g. parenting
philosophy, civic philosophy etc) that stem from my personal philosophy. In other
words, my faith influences all that I do, least of all my teaching. Because my worldview
asserts that when people encounter God (truth) they are transformed, my teaching
philosophy is built upon the assumption that if a learner encounters truth they will be
changed. And if change is the purpose of teaching, then the objective is to help learners
be exposed to truth. My faith also reminds me to approach the learner with humility
and be open to learning from the learner while teachingbecause I believe that all
people are partially blind to truth, all equal before God. And lastly, my faith aligns my
teaching endeavors to a broader mission, one shared by Jesus, to be an agent in
reconnecting all humanity to God through discovering truth. It is my hope that my life

THE TEACHING PHILOSOPHY OF JEAN MORALES

(my vocation included) would be my faith manifesting itself in tangible and measurable
waysan act of worship.

References
Galbraith, M. W. (2004). Adult Learning Methods. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company.
Merriam-Webster, Inc. (2014). Truth. Retrieved October 12, 2014, from Merriam-Webster.com:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truth