Ethics are moral principles that apply to all aspects of life. Integrating Technology and Media into the Classroom, defines ethics as "standards that determine whether an action is good or bad." Many people may associate ethics with the fields of medicine or business; however, ethics apply far beyond such work places. Teachers are highly responsible for holding a code of moral principles too. Ethics help maintain order, attitude, and progress in the classroom. Teachers have a responsibility to their students, co-workers, community, and themselves.
Firm, positive, optimistic, and fair ethics will set the tone of how my classroom functions. I have a responsibiliy as an educator to have a foundation of ethics that I bring to the school and classroom each and everyday. I need to be disciplined in my observations of how students function and how I function. Sensible and fair decisions should be equally distributed about the classroom. No student is greater than the other. Each student is on an equal playing field. Likewise, though I am the teacher, I have much to still learn in the classroom. I may have more education than my students; however, that does not make me better than them. As an educator, I am in a position to serve the needs of my students and to cooperatively act alongside my colleagues and community. Under my own personal code of ethics, I am responsible for upholding a safe and caring learning environment. In the art room I have even further duties to have ethics regarding supplies, safety, time, and creativity. Hopefully, the ethics I possess and exhibit serve as an example and transpose to those surrounding and interacting with me, particularly my students.
Pros/cons: Concern with ethics can do one of two things--build you up or bring you down. Establish your own set of moral principles, remind yourself of them, and exhibit them in the classroom. In this respect, ethics can serve as an extremely beneficial contribution to the classroom. Nevermore, if one dwells and continually alters his/her code of ethics, a classroom may be in distress and chaos with undefined standards and expections constantly being thrown around the room.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
As a teacher, your comments have a powerful effect on others... students, parents, and colleagues. Sometimes you will learn (often many years later) about these comments; sometimes, not. Having a strong sense of ethics is so very important as a foundation for what you say.
ReplyDelete