1. Core Values – Lori Jacobson Ethics - EDUC 6380
This final assignment is a thought-provoking one. Looking at oneself is not
always an easy task and trying to determine and then write about “what makes me
tick” is quiet reflective and somewhat intimidating. Listing my core values was easy,
ranking them was a bit more challenging, nevertheless, here they are:
1. Integrity
2. Honest
3. Authentic
4. Committed
5. Loyal
6. Dependable
7. Learner
8. Fair
9. Loving
10. Clean
It was interesting when reviewed on paper how much my top three values were
interconnect: integrity, honesty, and authenticity. I’m far from perfect and make my
fair share of mistakes, but I strive to have integrity, be honest in my dealings, and I’m
more authentic at times than I wish I was—that’s a core value I’d like to bump farther
down on the list due to the fact that I sometimes reveal how I’m feeling. This has, in
the past more than the present, given me away in situations that I’d prefer being less
obvious about—especially when it comes to handling emotionally-charged issues. I
think it’s been important to recognize this as I will continually make conscious efforts to
manage this value when serving in leadership roles.
My fourth, fifth, and sixth core values are also related: committed, loyal, and
dependable. Those are all very similar values, traits and beliefs which I strive to
demonstrate consistently in my dealings and interactions with others. The last four are
not as similar in nature as the first few. I love to learn and I’m always striving to learn
from everything—from relationships, experiences, studying, reading, watching movies,
and even from challenges I face. I see everything in life as an experience or a lesson I

2. should be striving to learn something from—something that will benefit my life. I also
strive to be fair and loving which can, at times, be conflicting values. And finally, I can’t
ignore the ever-present value I place on cleanliness. I like everything to be clean: my
physical body, my surroundings, my mind, my interactions with others; I clearly place a
very high value on keeping everything in my life as spotless as possible. I see this as a
strength and also a weakness. My family members are probably the ones who suffer
the most from this value as everyone’s level of cleanliness is somewhat different.
Making others meet my sometimes “over-the-top” level of cleanliness can at times
take its toll.
As far as conflicting values, I see and experience two major conflicts fairly
regularly, especially as an educator. Two values I know that clash on a consistent
basis are being honest and being fair. I see that especially when it comes to grading
as it is so often subjective in nature. Sometimes I give students who struggle a very
large “benefit of the doubt” when checking their assignments. I feel sometimes I am
too generous and sometimes worry about lowering the standard too much for selected
students if they have learning difficulties and/or may need to experience success on an
assignment. I often have to make ethical decisions based on the ethics of fairness. If I
believe a student isn’t capable of doing “A” work but has genuinely worked hard and
put in the time, I will error on the side of generosity when assigning them a grade. It
may not be perfectly honest (if looking at the letter of the law), but I base the decision
on the ethics of fairness; some students just aren’t able to achieve the same high level
without additional time and instruction. I don’t want to punish them with a lower grade.

3. To me, fairness might rule over “perfect” honesty when it comes to building a student’s
self-esteem.
Also, being honest and being loving doesn’t always seem to work well together
either. For example, as a teacher and a mother, giving the harsh truth according to
personal knowledge may not come off as very loving. The act in and of itself is done
lovingly, but the perception of being loving isn’t always apparent for those who receive
feedback that may be viewed as less desirable.
When my core values conflict, I generally try to weigh them against each other
and determine which should “hold more weight” based on the situation and people
involved. I try to make decisions based on ethics of caring and feel that supporting
relationships in a healthy manner is what really matters in life.
My religious beliefs have certainly guided my choice of core values. Being
raised in the faith I was raised, all of the core values listed were taught and reinforced
throughout my life. I’ve found them to be positive values and feel that they’ve been
time tested by others who have gone before me and set a good example of how to live
a virtuous life.