Integrity in Education
What does the word “integrity” mean to you? Integrity is a vital part of your character. It’s also an incredibly important part of your education and development. From school to college, and into your working life, integrity is an essential part of personal success. At the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy, integrity is one of our highest values and one we strive to pass on to each of our students. In today’s blog, join our golf academy team in exploring the importance of integrity in education.
What Do We Mean By “Integrity”?
Integrity means having honesty and a strong set of principles or morals. Having a good sense of your own integrity — what you believe and what goals you strive for — gives you a great foundation for your daily life. Defining personal integrity can vary since it’s often based on your own beliefs, experiences, and environment. But there are some common factors most think of when it comes to integrity:
- Trustworthiness
- Accountability
- Reliability
- Being humble
- Honest but tactful
- Having empathy
- Genuine authenticity
- Kindness
These are just some of the typical traits that show someone has integrity.
Integrity in Education
With this idea of personal integrity in mind, we can take a broader look at the way integrity (or a lack of it) impacts almost all of us: education. You might have seen some stories in the news recently about shady college admissions happening in exchange for money. This is certainly an example of a lack of integrity in education. It also has severe repercussions for students, parents, and the education establishment itself:
- Losing the trust of students
- Losing the trust of parents and families
- Reducing the value of qualifications
- Lowering teaching and educational standards
- Putting more value on money than development
These broad factors have long-reaching and long-lasting effects on education, devaluing what it really offers.
How Integrity Actively Improves Teaching
That’s enough about the negative side of things. What can having integrity in education do for both students and teachers?
Offering Real Experience
Teaching passes on knowledge. Having first-hand experience adds a whole new dimension to what you teach. Teaching from real experience often offers detail and passion in a subject. Gary Gilchrist is a great example of teaching with a passion based on experience, and why integrity is so important to us.
Understanding From Both Sides
Having empathy and understanding for students is another demonstration of integrity. This understanding is how a teacher can identify a student’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s also how a teacher can help a student to grow stronger and overcome weakness. When integrity and understanding are central values, growth, skill, and strength follow.
Knowing How to Guide Development
The key element of integrity that is one of the chief driving forces in the individual, holistic approach that we take at GGGA is knowing how to guide development. Guiding student development is much more than just teaching techniques from a textbook. It’s also helping that student to grow as a person, and helping to foster that same sense of integrity in them.
Integrity in Sports and Competition
Of course, we also want to mention the importance of integrity in professional athletics. Whether it’s golf or any other kind of competition, having integrity adds a whole new dimension to your game.
Contact the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy
If you’re looking for a unique way for your child to experience something new and start their path to higher education, take a look at what we can offer through our junior golf program. If you have questions about what we can offer, contact the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy today.
