Ethical Issues Pertaining to Role of Teacher

Discuss Ethical Issues Pertaining to the Role of a Teacher?

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Teachers and students share a very unique relationship. They spend the majority of their time interacting with each other, yet there always seem to be a feeling of conflict between each other. In a sense, there always seems to be battle occurring between the two groups with the school itself acting as the battlefield. It often appears that the major goal of the school system is to outwit and scheme against the students. This rifted relationship does not occur at all times nor with all people, there are some instances of qualitative emotional sharing between the teachers and the students. It takes a lot of courage to be either a teacher or a student in the school system today. Courage, because that everyday bears witness to another battle. One of the major components of these everyday battles is the notion of discipline or misbehavior. Teachers use discipline as means of creating an optimum learning environment for their students. There has been a vast amount of research dealing with the use of disciplinary procedures in the school system. The evidence suggests that rather than focusing on disciplining the child, teachers should focus on affecting the childs life in a positive manner.

Written Authorization: Teachers are guaranteed protection legally for performing activities and duties that are within their written scope of employment. The term scope of employment is a term that basically means we have job-related legal protection for activities we have been contracted or directed to do and that have been approved by some authority. Teachers who do things that are outside of officially sanctioned activities may be placing themselves in a position of great vulnerability. Examples include: teachers who take students on field trips without approval from or sanction by school authorities which includes parental permission as well; or teachers who discipline students outside of approved school procedures.

Liability Insurance: Teachers who transport students for school related activities may be putting themselves at great risk legally. Carefully following the school district's policies for student transport is imperative. When permission is granted from school authorities to transport students and district policies are followed, teachers who transport students even in the teacher's own vehicle are commonly covered by the school district's liability policies in excess of the teacher's own liability covered within the teacher's auto insurance policy. However, the risk occurs when a claim must be paid by the teacher's insurance company, the teacher runs substantial risk of having the company cancel their auto insurance policy. Protection for teachers comes from ensuring that all activities are approved within the contract, or at least through written authorization of a school administrator as well as making sure that all other variables (e.g. insurance coverage) are well considered.

Educational Malpractice: Malpractice involved the lack of skill in performing professional duties, no matter what the profession. Because teachers are certified, the presumption is that they have at least a minimal level of competency. Those who fail, and, some cases, organizations that hire them, can face serious consequences.

Lack of Skill: Certified teachers are presumed to have acquired sufficient skills to maintain an environment conducive to learning and to convey knowledge and/or skills to their students. This is often summarized by the phrase "duty to supervise and instruct." When this cannot be accomplished, the accusation of "lack of skill" can be made.

Repeating Ineffective Procedures: When students are repeatedly subjected to ineffective procedures or strategies, a case may be made for educational malpractice. There are a number of activities, used in education from time immemorial, that, given the tenor of today's society, could be cause for concern. Some examples are abusing detentions, homework as punishment, sarcasm or ridicule or any other verbally abusive tactic. As parents become more legally savvy and focus on calling schools to task, teachers may want to give considerable thought before continuing some practices simply because they worked in the past.

Learning as Punishment: Using learning, extra work or homework as punishment is a practice that only serves to antagonize students and their parents, and has little, if any, remedial justification.

Using Grades to Control Behavior: Teachers would be well advised to reconsider using grades for anything except reflecting actual skill or content mastery, rather than effort, improvement, or other behavior. To be judicious, all grades should be equally accessible to every student.

Grading on a Curve: This is another practice to avoid. This practice does not allow for equal accessibility to every student (criterion-referenced), and only indicates mastery relative to others in the grading pool (norm-referenced). It does not give an accurate indication of what skills and/or content the student does or does not have.

Ignoring Students' Individual Capacities: With the advent of special education and "504 Legislation" (referring to the section of the civil rights legislation that went into effect in 1973, which basically states that individuals cannot be discriminated against because of being handicapped), the courts are now increasingly involved in determining a definition for "appropriate instruction." This individualization may include modifying materials, giving additional time to complete tasks, and developing teaching strategies to address different ways of learning.

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