Handout: Principles We Live By

Principles shape our thoughts, words, and actions. They influence our decisions. They guide us in problem solving. They serve as touchstones that we continually return to when we face conflict, dilemmas, or challenges. They set a common foundation shared by members of a community. Members of the community are also challenged to uphold and protect the principles because they shape what the community stands for.

Each person lives by a set of principles. Some of our principles are unquestioned and fundamental to the ways in which we define who we are. Some are new to us and through our experiences and dialogue we continue to clarify and deepen our understanding of them. Our principles guide our work, thoughts, goals, actions, and decisions.

Principles are underlying assumptions required in a system of thought and are often spoken of as laws for moral or ethical decision making. We frequently hear, “It’s the principle of it.”

“Principles endure over time. They supersede time, programs, strategies, and current practices. They serve as the driver behind programs, strategies, and practice. Principles shape and drive what we say, think, and do. What we say, think, and do conversely serve as the symbolic indicators to others of our principles. Our words and actions convey how deeply we hold our principles. Our principles also can create dissonance within ourselves if we act and speak in a way that is incongruent with them. They can be the source of deep conflict between people or the source of strong alliances among people. “

Source: The Learning Educator: A New Vision for Professional Learning by S. Hirsh & J. Killion, pp. 11–12. Copyright 2007 Learning Forward. Reprinted with permission.