Teacher+Code+of+Ethics+and+Code+of+Conduct

**__WEEK 6 - TEACHER CODE OF ETHICS AND CODE OF CONDUCT__**

 This week our focus was on the code of ethics for teachers. There were three sections to this week’s focus: Professional Conduct, Personal Conduct and Professional Conduct. We are looking mostly at the ethics and moral issues concerned with teaching and dealing with children. Especially with how things are going in this day and age it is REALLY important that we take note of the documentation associated with the code of ethics/ conduct and make sure we cover all our bases to avoid getting ourselves into a bad situations. __What ought one do? __ Be aware of your morality – the right conduct As sometimes your enthusiasm can blur the lines.

__What is the code of ethics? __ It is based on three values: Integrity, Respect and Responsibility. We MUST remember that we hold a “position of trust” in the community and therefore we must act on an appropriate manner to uphold this trust. This applies whenever we are dealing with students, parent, colleges, care givers etc.

__What is the purpose of the code? __ You are publically accountable It promotes public confidence in the profession THE DILEMMA - we all have different values.

In the tutorial we looked at different types of documentation associated with the the code of ethics.: ** 1. ** __Prof____essional Conduct__ This focuses on your professional relationships with students, fellow staff, parents and other stakeholders within the school community YOU ARE NOT:  - A friend - A counsellor - A psychologist YOU ARE:  - A professional teacher  ** 2. **__ Personal Conduct __ - You are always the professional in the situation - You need to be a role model. For example, you must follow the rules you preach and watch what you do in your personal life that might impact your credibility within the profession - Act with discretion about workplace issues.  <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);">** 3. **__ Professional Competence __ - Making sure you are knowledgeable in your areas of expertise - Awareness of your legal requirements. <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Calibri;"> This was a really interesting session I believe, as it opened my eyes to legal constraints you are automatically under when you become a teacher. Even though you may have your own moral ethics and codes that you now you live by, it’s important that you know and understand those of the department as well. As it is your responsibility to act accordingly to those set by your own school and of the department to be sure that you are acting in a professional manner.

There are some parts to this code of conduct that I would think are a tad extreme and know aren’t totally followed by teachers in schools but it is our responsibility when we go into schools to make sure that we follow the rules no matter what! They are there for a reason and you’ll regret it if by chance you do something that seems harmless and you end up in trouble for it. It is a very delicate profession because we are dealing with children and these ethics are put into place to protect the children and we must do everything in our power to give the children the best learning experience that we can... and by following the code of conduct we can hopefully ensure we are one step closer to providing it for them! Kellie Fenton

<span style="font-size: 170%; color: rgb(80,0,255);"> __ Response: Penelope Harris __ Todays lecture made me realise the important position teachers are put in. We are there to educate children, but we also play a part in modeling their lives through social responsibility, manners and morals. But where do we draw the line. When confronted with a problem most people use their own personal values to solve ethical dillemas. But will another teacher or parent agree with my perception of what is right and wrong and the necessary punishment, if any, handed to a student.

As a teacher we must strive to model ourselves on the Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Ethics. As a legislative requirement it is there to safe guard teachers. But in reality it's not so black and white. What do we do for the prep child who is upset? Do we comfort them? In my experience as a mother, yes teachers do comfort young children. Is it wrong? That is the judgement call that teacher, at that moment has to make.

It is important to remember that as a teacher we are the role models. We must always act in a professional manner, when teaching to our students, with the relationships with our students, parents and other staff members and in being aware of legal requirements we responsible for.

As Kellie has stated it too has opened my eyes to the legal restraints we, as teachers, will be under. These restraints are there to protect us and fellow teachers but personal values will always play a part in what each of us perceives as the right thing to do. All we can hope for is that our schools outline clearly to us their Codes of Conduct, and provided we teach in accordance to it, the school supports their teachers.

It probably will be difficult to model our morals, ethics and code of conduct on set rules, but at the end of the day these rules are in place to protect teachers. We must follow them or risk legal action being taken against us. Penelope Harris

__Response: Genevieve Hoban__

I found this lecture to be a bit of an eye opener. I think it was a valuable lecture to have in order to reinforce how as teachers we will be viewed in the community as and expected to be competant professionals. I think it is a really interesting area to explore how much of a teachers personal life experiences, values and expectations influence them as teachers, whilst still conforming to Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Ethics.

Whilst i understand the importance of the Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Ethics i believe there is always going to situations where common sense and individual teachers own morals and sense of resposibility will influence the action they take, more so then what is set out in the code of ethics. I understand that in order for teaching to remain a respectable and admired profession Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Ethics must exist to provide public documentation of the standards expected of teachers. The importance os setting an example when teaching can not be understated. As a teacher we will be looked upon as a role model to not only the children but their families as well. I think it i important that as teachers we are aware of what is acceptable practise and what is not. I believe that to most people these boundaries are obvious.

In the tutorial we had a discussion about the importance of the code of ethics and also the regulation and standards that we must adhere to as graduate teachers. I found it useful to be given the standards for graduate teachers and discussed these with a group. The main features of these standards centred around teachers knowing their students and how to best deliver content tostimulate and encourage optimum learning outcomes for children. I think whilst the thought of having the responsibility of teaching placed upon us the reality won't be as scary as what the black and white legal documentation suggests! I think that it is sensible to be aware of the code and standards that we must adhere to and ultimately to not let our own personal values, morals etc stand in the way of acting as a professional teacher. __Response: Orla Mackintosh__ This weeks lecture was quite important and I believe that the ethics and code of conduct is something that we should refer to on an ongoing basis as it can be quite easy to blur the boundaries of what we do and what we ought to do. Regarding personal conduct, some might argue that their private life outside the classroom is theirs to live as they please and therefore behave and make decisions as they please. I agree to this to a certain extent within reason. I believe that when entering a profession like primary teaching we take on a mature and responsible role and should be seen as a role model in the community, inside and outside of working hours. Therefore I believe we can still have our private lives but must be very aware of our conduct and decisions. Although we must strive as much as possible to model ourselves on the Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Ethics, I believe that we will all be in a situation at some stage in our careers where we will have to make our own moral decisions, and thats when our own morals and perceptions of whats right and wrong come into place - do we turn a blind eye to something we have seen in the yard? or ignore something we have overheard in the staffroom? do you confront a parent over a sensitive issue?Part of being a good teacher in my opinion definately means having to be brave at times!