Blog #3 for week 7: What are the ethical responsibilities of teachers?
I think that first and foremost it is important for teachers, parents, and students to know what the teachers’ ethical responsibilities are in order to protect the students. Anybody can look up what the responsibilities are for teachers online. This is important because everybody needs to know the rules so they know their duties are. I feel that this is essential to keep teachers accountable and having easy access to their responsibilities will make sure that students are mentally, emotionally, and physical safe.
One of the important ethical responsibilities of the teacher is to make sure students are not being bullied and to stop harassment. According to the teachers’ administrative code, “Standards 3.2: the Educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly treat a student or minor in a manner that adversely affects or endangers the learning, physical health, mental health, or safety of the students or minor.” (http://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=7&ch=247&rl=2) This means teachers have to take action if they know, or have been told that they are being bullied and in danger. This has become a very taboo subject for teachers and I think that teachers do not think that they have the right to make those disciplinary actions and think that it is the parents’ decision to decide on the punishment for the children involved.
We are a community and have to work together. If there is a problem with a student at school or at home; parents, students, and teachers need to work together to come up with a proper solution to make sure that everybody is emotionally and physically safe so they have a proper learning environment and to make sure that the misbehavior stops.
Even if we misunderstand what the student says, I believe that it is better to be safe than sorry. As in the poem, “To this day,” (http://www.tothisdayproject.com/the_poem.html) where Shane was misunderstood and his teachers thought that he was physically abused by his grandmother, the teachers took the proper precautions and questioned him about the bruises they saw on his body. However, the teachers should have been more proactive when students started rumors and name calling Shane. This is part of the teachers’ responsibility to protect the student and stop any source of bullying and harassment toward other students whether it happens at school or home. This is important because teachers may be the only adults that they trust and students deserve our trust.
It is also our duty to teach students ethics and morals teaching them what is right and wrong. When there is an ethical or moral matter at school or in the community, I believe that it is imperative to discuss the issues in class and when there is a problem and what could have been done differently. It is also the teachers’ responsibility to make sure that parent and students know what bulling is so they know what not to do. Also, so students can keep an eye out if somebody else is being bullied and know what to do if somebody is being bullied so we can stop this horrible act of harassment.
Teachers are technically government employees and we need to be good role models for our students and community and exhibit good moral character. (http://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=7&ch=247&rl=1) Students will not display good moral character if they are not shown what it looks like. This will also assist with their learning as well because you cannot properly teach if they have poor behavior and bully problems in the classroom. Students will not do their best in their academic work if they do not feel safe.
It is also the teachers’ duty to make sure that the learning environment is not only set up for conducive learning, but that the students are mentally, emotionally, and physically safe to learn. Teachers need to make sure that everybody is getting along and respecting each other and their differences. We need to teach them how to embrace everybody’s differences and celebrate them, not to ignore them.
If teachers properly display good moral character, makes sure that the students are mentally and physically safe at home and at school, and to take care of any bullying and harassment in the classroom; students will have an extremely productive academic career.
References
Hannah Jones 
Hannah, I really enjoyed your post about teacher responsibilities. I believe this is something we all need to be conscious of at all times. I think that being a teacher we influence a lot of what the child becomes because so much of their time is spent with us. I really like what you said about coming together to make a decision on what is best for the kid because too often we tend to act in the moment and do what may not be done for the child’s best interest. We just have to remember how important that life is and no one knows what that child goes through outside of our classroom, whether it be good or bad. It is our job to make sure they are safe and comfortable.
LikeLike
Baylee,
I also agree that we act in the moment and teachers can get so upset with a student that our actions are not any better than theirs. I think teachers forget that sometimes the best thing is to make sure that students know that they are in trouble, but that you need a moment to think about what their consequences are going to be. That way teachers do not act emotionally, but logically about what to do about their actions. Also, to keep in mind about what students may go through at home as well and come together with parents and administrators to come up with a proper solution to stop improper behavior. Thanks again for your comment.
Hannah Jones
LikeLike
Hannah,
Wonderful points here. While we are working for the government, we must lead our students by example by showing good character and good morals. At the same time it is our job to keep the child safe, both physically and mentally; to keep other students from calling each other names or hitting each other, etc. And while the parents do know more about the students, we must learn their normal behaviors so that we can identify if anything is wrong and contact the parents and reach a positive solution for the students.
LikeLike
Thank you for your comment. I also believe that it is a good point that we need to know what the child’s normal behavior is so we do not accidentally get on to their behavior that they cannot help or is part of who they are. Also, I think that it is important for children as well so they will not pick on or make fun of the kids actions in order to stop any type of harassment. Thanks again for your comment.
Hannah Jones
LikeLike
I absolutely love how you provided so many examples of which ethics were being violated when students are being bullied. It is a teacher’s moral and ethical responsibility to make sure the students are not harmed mentally or physically. All of the teacher’s we saw on the video ‘Bully’ I feel were not doing their job or follow the ethics that they were supposed to uphold. Thank you for such an informative and resourceful blog.
LikeLike
Thank you for you comment. I am so glad that we watched the movie, “Bully: in class. It really made the subject stand out and show how important it is to identify what bullying is and to stop it. Also, I think that it is critical to make sure that students tell an adult that someone is being bullied and to not be a bystander. There are so many people recording bullying and posting it on youtube, but is that enough? Also, it is important to make sure that if teachers are not doing there jobs by protecting the students, they should be punished along with the bullies. This is our job, it is in our job description and our ethical duty as a human. We need to protect kids who cannot protect themselves. We our a community and that means that we need to work together to make sure that it stays like a well oiled machine. A machine is part of system and that system is made up of parts and if one of parts does not work, then the whole system is broken. We need to fix this. Parents and teachers are a huge part of that machine and we need to come together and make sure that we are on the same page and communicate about their children and make sure that the child is happy and healthy. Thanks again for your comment.
Hannah Jones
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes!! And children are just that, children. It’s the adults responsibility to put them first and take care of them. They don’t know, they are new at life.
LikeLike
Hannah, I really like how you began the blog by stating that teachers should know the ethical responsiblities in order to protect their students. This is a very good point because teachers focus on teaching their students instead of protecting them more.It is very important that teachers view their students as there own children and protect them like a mama bear. Protecting your children should be a part of learning more about them.I loved reading your blog!
LikeLike
Mariam,
Thank you for your comment. I believe that learning cannot happen if students do not feel happy, safe, and welcomed in the class. If we establish a warm environment, the learning will come easily and teachers do not have to spend all their time dealing with behavior. Thank you again for your comment.
Hannah Jones
LikeLike
Hannah, I liked your use of words and information throughout this post! Ethical responsibilities should not just be on the teacher, but the parents as well. The teacher does contribute with the growing of this child by teaching them what they could benefit out of, but parents also need to teach children the right morals and ethics. Sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry like you mention, but students should begin by understanding exactly what to do and how to react in certain situations. Based on the codes of ethics, teachers should teach students to apply what they have acquired through their learning experience. Parents often don’t realize that there are a code of ethics within the school, that is why teachers should educate parents and help them understand exactly what is expected of their students.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mariam,
Thank you for your comment. I too believe students should understand exactly what to do and how to react in certain situations. I think that parents and students need to be careful of what is said inside the house and to make sure that things will not get misunderstood by other people, then that way the situation will not get out of hand. This will not only help them at school, but in the future, especially in the work force, people need to know what is and is not appropriate to say at work. Also, when I was at school, I did not know that there was teacher code of ethics, which makes me believe that not a lot of parents know that there is one too; therefore, I believe that everybody should know the teachers and administrators codes of ethics to hold teachers accountable and to make sure the students are safe. This should not only be for teachers, but students should have rules and guidelines and know their expectations in the school. Thank you again for your comment.
Hannah Jones
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hannah,
I really enjoyed reading your blog post about teacher ethics. The part that I connected with the most was when you talked about teachers working together as a group to deal with situations involving codes of ethics. I think it is so important to involve all educators as a team, in order to get different view points on certain situations. It was so helpful to see your view points on this issue and see how things could be if people like you started taking a stand and really getting into the nitty gritty of the code of ethics, and exactly what it means. It can be a little overwhelming at first, but if we just slow down, read what it says and take it to heart, we can make some real changes in the teacher profession!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brittany,
Thank you for your comment. I strongly believe that teachers need to work together as much as humanly possible. I believe that it takes a village, a village of professional teachers to help guide and teach the youth in order to help them have a better future. Being a teacher is hard and cannot be done alone, we need to collaborate and help each other when ever needed. I have met a few teachers who think that they are the only person who can do the job and do it well. I do not believe in this philosophy, yet it is hard to get those teachers to understand that their way is not always the best way. I believe that the more people work together on a problem, the better and faster the problem will be solved. Thanks again for your comment.
Hannah Jones
LikeLiked by 1 person
When viewing the teachers’ administrative code standard 3.2 it leads us to believe that teachers have an ethical responsibility of doing no harm to their students. Fundamentally educators should be better informed on the types of bullying going on in their classroom or school because these negative mental effects lead to feelings of danger within a space that should feel safe. Philip C. Rodkin in his article Bullying and the power of peers exposed bullying as a real issue we are dealing with in society today; there are two worlds of bullying in one part there are marginalized bullies and on the other part there are socially connected bullies. Many educators do not see the socially connected bullies but only the mental effects they have on students. I agree on your points in building a positive and open classroom community. The only way to commit to this is if we as educators set the example. As adults in many ways we are a bully by the things we say or how we refer to one another. Demonstrating respect in our community is the best way to deal with ethical dilemma.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Karina,
Thank you for your comment. I completely agree that educators need to be more aware of the type of bullying that goes in and outside of the classroom. I believe bullying is bullying no matter where is happens. I remember a news report about a coach suspending the whole football team because they were cyber bullying a classmate. That is a very difficult decision for a teacher to make and to stand their ground like that is very hard, yet it is apart of our job because the victim was not mentally healthy. Educators should not only worry about the victim, but the bully themselves; the only way to stop bullying is to get to the source of the problem and figure out why the bully is bullying others. I strongly believe that the only way students will learn proper behavior and what is expected in the classroom is for the educators to model and teach the students proper behavior and the expectations in the classroom, that is why the first few weeks of school is so important for the students to learn what the educator wants and how they want their classroom to run. One of the most important thing for educators to establish is respect in and out of the classroom. Thanks again for your comment.
Hannah Jones.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hannah, This post hits the spot. The ethical responsibilities of teachers are often over look or taken advantage of. While we are working in our own classroom, we are affecting many of the lives around us by the way we present ourselves. We have these little people whom we teach the curriculum but that it not all they learn from us. They see the way we talk to others and treat others. We also have to make them feel safe and comfortable while they are in our care. We have to think about what the ethical thing to do is in every situation before we act because of all the lives that are affected by our decisions. We have responsibilities and the most important of those are to protect our students. We find the most ethical ways to deal with all situations we are faced with and i believe that is a big part of why we are considered professionals in our career.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Baylee,
Thank you for your comment. I know for a fact that the ethical responsibilities are overlooked and taken advantage of. Educators take advantage of this everyday and we need to be more cautious about what we say and how we treat others. I believe that modeling is the best form of teaching and being a good example for students will show them how they should treat others. Once students start to treat others nicely and fairly then that is when a community will build and friendships will form because students will have a safe learning environment. When students are not safe, then it is our responsibility to address the situation and make sure that the problem is fixed. Thanks again for your comment.
Hannah Jones
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Hannah,
I really enjoyed your post. I think you made some good points. I agree with you about teachers being someone the student models and has an impact on what the students think. As teachers we need to ensure we show good ethics. This includes making sure we treat everyone equally, kindly, and respectfully no matter what. I really liked how you provided examples of what ethics were broken when bullying happens. Bullying is something we need to try to prevent from happening and by modeling good ethics and character for the students is a starting preventing bullying.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hannah,
Thank you for your comment. I believe that modeling is the best way to show how to treat others. We are role models for our students and we need to make sure that we are good ones. I believe that one way to stop bullying is for parents to know what the teachers responsibilities are to make sure that we are providing a safe learning environment for their kids. I believe that their are two ways to stop bullying. One, is to consider both the victim and the bully, I think that we forget to talk to the bully and to figure out why they are bullying others; once we get to source of the problem, then we can get it to stop. Another important thing is to make sure that the students are safe in and outside of the classroom. I think that educators believe that once the students are back at home, then it is the parents responsibility to make sure that the child is safe. This is far from the truth, if a teacher knows or even suspects that a student or minor is in danger, then it is our responsibility to make sure to take the proper actions to make sure that the students are completely safe. Thanks again for your comment.
Hannah Jones
LikeLiked by 1 person