The Ethical Teacher

The teacher can only dream that maybe he or she will be able to help a child to find his or her place in the world and make a change to the betterment of our society. In composing my philosophy I will share why I am compelled to teach and my philosophy in regard to the education process. I will also reflect on the professional aspects of my future career; as well as, the steps I will take to assure that my knowledge and ability to be an educator will suit our ever-changing society.

By the same token, the Policies of Professional Conduct and the Codes of Ethics have an emotional impact on the day-to-day activities of all teachers. My goal with this study is to review and condense

Just as significant as being caring and being a model of morality, Mrs. Flowers also had a passion for ethics. A poster on the wall of her classroom read, “Do the Right Thing, Even if Nobody is Watching.” This phrase was powerful, and Mrs. Flowers referred to it often, encouraging her students to follow this advice when they were tempted by academic dishonesty, and also to follow it in their peer relationships. Character education, with an emphasis on ethics, was integrated seamlessly into Mrs. Flowers instruction, and more often than not, her students learned to make smart decisions and use good

On the contrary, engagement is being an active listener and participant of the class; there are no wrong answers when it comes to sharing one’s opinion. By expressing one’s view with their peers, it provides a new perspective for them to view the problem at hand. At the same time, being responsible is taking education into your own hands; with every action and decision, there will be responsibility that comes with it. An AP level setting was never meant to be easy, but practice makes perfect. Together, these principles constitute an AP English ethical classroom suitable for

Passion, knowledge of our duties, responsibility, and preparation are the key factors on which teachers should focus their teaching; these are the essential components that will permit teachers be ready for any situation and run a successful classroom. It is key to engage systematic reflection on our own teaching. Research has shown how deliberate and critical reflection on teaching practices contributes to excellence in our role as teachers, and improved educational outcomes for all children. Teachers are encouraged to regularly evaluate

Rather than accentuating rules or their consequences, virtue ethics focuses upon one’s individual character and morality (Hooft, 2014). If Mark is to display integrity, he should exhibit neutrality towards Laurel by setting professional boundaries. However, in order to display courage, Mark should ask Omar for advice. He too, should contact Laurel’s mother in order to discuss the topics she has brought up. By displaying integrity and courage, Mark would be upholding the qualities of a ‘good teacher’ by working in reference to the Teachers’ Code of Professional Practice (Department of Education and Training,

In their paper “Spielraum and Teaching,” Roth, Lawless, and Masciotra claim that the concept of reflection-in-action, as articulated by Donald Schon (1983, 1987), is only minimally applicable to teaching. Teachers must be “present” to their students, and the unfolding teaching situation in a way that leaves little room for one-the-spot reflection. In this review of their paper, we acknowledge that the authors make important points about the need or flexibility and responsiveness in teaching. However, we argue that Schon’s concept of reflection-in-action is indeed relevant to the practice of teaching. Not only are teachers capable of extensive reflection while they teach, such reflection is essential if they are to make the adjustments required by attentive teaching.

This activity is an example of how the classroom environment can facilitate the development of a moral conscience. Though moral development is hard to define, it is commonly thought of as the process by which students are influenced

Throughout this last semester, I have been student teaching at Shawswick Middle School where I was able to take a critical look at myself as an educator. Though the teacher and I did not see eye to eye, this disagreement helped me to better form my own pedagogical beliefs and establish confidence in myself as an educator.

The first component I selected, honesty is directly related to a person’s integrity and quality of character. I believe this is the most important standard because if a teacher is not reliable then they cannot be a superior role model for the next generation. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Honesty is the best policy.” He was an influential person of his time and is still looked at as being a great example for all. A teacher must always be honest to provide a safe, enriching and fun learning experience for the students that rely on them, without honesty trouble is abound.

There are several different concepts surrounding the topic of education but most problematic is in regards to the aims of education within society. With several aims proposed by educational philosophers there is confusion surrounding what education is for and which type of education best suits the individual. Lewis (2015) posed that education promotes student learning and potential as well as fostering of community and self esteem within a school environment. Overall education is the defining product of good citizens in contemporary society, with diverse cultures, social norms and political standpoints. Liberal, vocational and wellbeing education will be discussed throughout arguing that a combined approach to education is most relevant within modern society. The ethical obligations for teachers within education will also be discussed.

It is the duty of the educator to prepare students to live lives of quality and purpose. Intellectually, a life of quality involves being reasonable, adept, and thoughtful, and enables people to be good citizens of their community. Skills that will prepare students to live such a life include the ability to reason carefully, to think agilely, and to reflect deeply. These skills are attained best when students evaluate how others express their thinking and precisely what thinking is expressed. The students themselves attempt to express substantive ideas in clear and convincing ways. The teacher is foremost a model of that which is taught, which obligates the teacher to live that life of quality and purpose. As a model, the teacher is therefore able to act as a guide for others, serving occasionally as a source of knowledge but mostly as one who points the way for fellow explorers.

“Be a reflective teacher. Honestly look at what you do from time to time. Evaluate the purpose of your role as a teacher.” (Robert John Meenham, 2011)

There has been a rapid increase in the ides of critical reflective practice over the last few decades, (Gould, 2004). Before we look at the value and purpose of reflective practice, it is important to take in account ‘reflective practice’ carries multiple meanings from the idea of professionals engaging in self-analysis to that of engaging in critical dialogue with others. For example, with reference to teacher education, Larrivee, (2000) argues that reflective practice is fusing together personal beliefs and values into a professional identity whereby critical reflection can take place without staying trapped in unexamined assumptions and expectations of our professional practice. Therefore, from this, it can be concluded that as a teaching professional, it is important to develop reflections on ones’ professional and pedagogic knowledge to set aspirational goals for a continuing personal and professional development, in other words, it is a way of life.

When I think about teachers that I have had in the past, several different ones come to my mind. Each of these educators stands out in my mind for a variety of diverse reasons. Whether it is their sense of humor, their tactfulness, their love of the subject matter, their fanatical and sporadic behavior, or their yearning to be childish themselves, I can still remember at least one quality of every teacher I have ever encountered. Every one of these teachers conveyed subject material to their students just as they were educated and employed to do. However, I trust that every professional in the world has an abundance of opportunity for improvement; teachers could discover and improve themselves merely by having