WHAT IS Integrity is a moral and ethical principles, soundness of moral character; honesty the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished. This word really comes to mind when I think about teaching children about integrity, honor, honest, innocence, decency, truth, and trust. Integrity is a great value to instill in children to boost their self-esteem. Being a modest person about one’s self with the capability of earning the respect of others, choosing to make the right choices regardless to what your peers do or desire to do. ?

“ The root of integrity is from the Latin word integritatem, meaning “soundness” or “ wholeness.” “integrity (n.) c.1400, ‘innocence, blamelessness; chastity, purity,’ from Old French integrité or directly from Latin integritatem (nominative integritas) ‘soundness, wholeness, blamelessness,’ from integer ‘whole’ (see integer). Sense of ‘wholeness, perfect condition’ is mid-15c" (Harper, ). The word integrity is derived from the Latin word integri, meaning wholeness. It is defined as a ‘state of being whole or undiminished.’ It is also defined as a state of ‘soundness of and adherence to moral principle.’ Since integrity is an aspect of one's character and behavior, the definitions are highly related. It has been argued that a leader's character cannot become whole and integrated unless it is grounded in a solid infrastructure of moral values. It is noted that “specific behaviors of a leader associated with integrity are identified as a superordinate value on which character is rooted” (Sankar, 2003, p. 48).

Wholeness Consistency of character Loyal to principles and values Doing right regardless of consequences

Teaching integrity in the classroom is a very difficult task to achieve. According to Edwin J. Del Attre, morals can only be a learned behavior after it is demonstrated multiple times. It is a task that can only be learned by example time and time again. One cannot simply walk into a classroom one day and teach one lesson and expect students to respond. Just like learning multiplication tables, it is learned out of a good habit. Modeling integrity on a daily basis and talking about why we made those decisions help students have good morals. Character is based on forming habits and repeating the action several times until it become natural (Wiley, 2010). However, “because people can become habituated by repeated behavior under responsible and loving training and supervision, the habits of morality can be learned.” (Wiley, 2010).

Billy Graham Famous pastor who once bailed Martin Luther King Jr. out of jail, he taught people about the importance of doing what was right and just. Charles Stanley Like Graham, he has a TV broadcast that provides sermons on virtues. Warren Buffett- Famous business man, Buffett is seen as a philanthropist at heart. He is known for pledging to give away 99% of his money to charities. Martin Luther King- Famous civil rights activist and pastor. Despite being persecuted for being a different skin color, he encouraged peace among all people. Please see notes

This video is about the character Jamal Wallace who faced being put out of a prestigious school for suspicion of plagiarism. He faced this risk with integrity because of a promise made to a friend.Videoclip

PEER REVIEWED ARTICLE Covaleskie, J. (2011). Philosophy of education yearbook. Essay , 8p. ISSN: Retrieved February 6, SCHOLARY RESOURCES Anderson, A. (2012, November). Success will come and go, but integrity is forever. Forbes. Retrieved from success-will-come-and-go-but-integrity-is-forever/. Gravois Lee, R., & Burns, L. (n.d.). 50 ways to jumpstart academic integrity discussions in your class. Retrieved from _0811.pdf Integrity. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved February 04, 2014, from Dictionary.com website: Lickona, T. (1991) Educating for character: How our schools can teach respect and responsibility. New York: Bantam UC San Diego. (2014). Academic integrity office. Retrieved from Sankar, Y. (2003). Character Not Charisma is the Critical Measure of Leadership Excellence. The Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies: Vol 9, No.4, Wiley, J. (2010, December 31). Teaching integrity. Education Week. Retrieved from

CNS News. (2013, November 7). Billy Graham: Perhaps My Last Message to Our Nation. Retrieved from my-last-message-our-nation. CNS News. (2013, November 7). Billy Graham: Perhaps My Last Message to Our Nation. Retrieved from my-last-message-our-nation. Greene County Democrat. (2012, January). Martin Luther King Jr. Retrieved from Greene County Democrat. (2012, January). Martin Luther King Jr. Retrieved from Imdb. (2011, May 23). Finding Forrester photo gallery. Retrieved from Imdb. (2011, May 23). Finding Forrester photo gallery. Retrieved from Stream4 truth. (2011). Charles Stanley. Retrieved from Stream4 truth. (2011). Charles Stanley. Retrieved from The AOL102. (2000, December). Finding Forrester-Losing family speech of Jamal Wallace. Retrieved from The AOL102. (2000, December). Finding Forrester-Losing family speech of Jamal Wallace. Retrieved from