An Analysis and Reflection on the Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE)

Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) Summary of presentation of this Principle.  Principle I: Responsibility to the  Profession           Principle II: Responsibility for  1. Overall, how do you interpret this Ethical Principle? 2. How will you implement this ethical principle? or 3. What questions or confusion are you still experiencing? Professional communication and familiarity with the code of ethics. Keeping up with your professional responsibilities and being educated. Defining professional conduct Keep your beliefs separate from the classroom Stay up to date on policies, procedures, laws, etc. You are responsible for what you do and how you conduct yourself professionally and personally Be accountable Make sure you are mentally and physically healthy enough to be in the classroom Don’t plagiarize work Resolve conflict in an appropriate manner Maintain your honor Advocate for your students 1. This principle defines professional conduct and personal ethical responsibilities of the profession. 2. I will hold myself to high professional standards according to the stated ethics. I will maintain my professionalism both in the classroom and my outside life. 3. How healthy is “healthy enough” to be in class? Where is that line? That portion of the principle seemed very ambiguous. Demonstrating commitment and keeping 1. Educators need to maintain their certifications and Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) Professional Competence            Principle III: Responsibility to Students       high standards Teach the standards, not the textbook Use the code of ethics Advocate for your students Accept responsibilities for your training and certification because it’s your responsibility to keep up on your certification and education You are a lifelong learner You need to reflect on your skills and weaknesses to be improving yourself Demonstrate passion and commitment in your classroom Know your content Take threats seriously Keep your students’ best interests in mind licensing, and they need to understand that they are lifelong learners and need to maintain their own education. 2. To maintain my professional competence, I will join organizations that will improve my knowledge in the field. I will also do my best to stay current on research and trends in education to give my students the best quality of education I can give them. I will also maintain relationships with my colleagues to share information and expertise. 3. If your school’s curriculum standards and the required standards don’t align, what do you teach? Set procedures and boundaries Maintaining proper physical appearance Avoid favoritism (i.e. give everyone the same gift and the same amount) Keep physical contact appropriate Be the “teacher” not the “friend” (i.e. don’t be “friends” on personal social media accounts) Maintain confidentiality (i.e. don’t discuss your students in public) Avoiding adult relationships with students, even if they are not your students 1. Principle III explains how to appropriately interact with students. This involves being appropriately dressed, not having favorite students or showing favoritism, maintaining the role of “teacher” with students, and respecting students’ privacy and confidentiality. A major point of this principle is avoiding inappropriate or adult relationships with students as well as creating a safe environment for your students. 2. I will keep my relationship with students professional. Although I will try to support my students to the best of my abilities, I will do so in an Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE)        Principle IV: Responsibility to the School Community        anymore Understanding the students’ backgrounds and help them be comfortable in your classroom Creating a safe environment in your classroom beyond academics Keep parents/guardians informed about their child You are a mandated reporter! Keep records and data Know the laws and policies and follow them appropriate manner. I will also recognize that even though a student might no longer be in my classroom, I need to maintain professionalism and understand that an adult relationship with that student is inappropriate, especially if that student is a minor. 3. If you are mentoring a specific student, how do you avoid favoritism? Is it ethically acceptable to push that student beyond the standard expectations if you know they are capable of achieving more? Make sure you respond to emails in a timely manner Timely means within 24 hours of receiving the email (48 at the most) if the email was received by the end of the school-day on Friday. If the email is received after that, an email will be sent back by mid-day Monday Make sure all students are treated equally, given equal opportunity, respected, included, and safe Be careful about giving or receiving gifts Understand the implications of gifts (are there strings attached?) Set and communicate boundaries and respect others’ boundaries Have discussions with coworkers Never argue in front of students 1. The fourth principle discusses professional interactions with parents, guardians, co-workers, and the administration. Teachers need to respectfully reply to emails in short timeframe to prevent colleagues or parents from feeling ignored or disrespected. Educators also need to ensure that all students are treated equally, so they must understand that gifts might be intended as bribes. Teachers should also never argue in front of students, and if any issues occur between teachers, they need to be addressed professionally and follow the correct chain of command. 2. I will make sure I set clear boundaries for my classroom and communicate them with my colleagues. I will also post my classroom rules where both my students and colleagues can see them. If an issue arises with one of my coworkers, I Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE)                  Follow the chain-ofcommand when confronting a colleague Follow protocol if you have an issue with another teacher Bring in a third-party to mediate confrontation Never consider any incident with students to be too small You are a mandated reporter Keep your students’ best interest at heart during collaborations Go to meetings Be open to new strategies, research, information, and insights Support other teachers Mentors should be experienced and fully participate Teach what you are qualified in Have the proper certification and keep it up to date Advocate and speak out against sexual, physical, and emotional harassment and bullying Don’t laugh at students’ inappropriate jokes Maintain your image in public Act as if someone is always watching because someone is Take opportunities to involve college recruiters and job opportunities in the classroom to better your students and help them succeed will never discuss it with or in front of my students. I will privately go to the person with a third party and have a discussion about the issue. I will do my best to support my co-teachers and learn from them. I understand that harassment, bullying, and inappropriate jokes need to be addressed, and I cannot support or condone such behavior in my students. In all aspects of education, the students come first. I will try to keep this the priority when it comes to issues or concerns with co-teachers, student teachers, paraprofessionals, and aides regardless of my personal relationship with that person. 3. What do I do if a colleague comes into my classroom and causes a scene? Ethically, do I step out of class and talk to them, or do I try to find another time to address it? What if I have an issue with a tenured teacher or their methods? Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE)          Principle V: Responsible and Ethical Use of Technology          Maintain student confidentiality and privacy Don’t gossip about your students Respect the tools provided by the school Do not accept bribes Understand the effects and consequences of multiple relationships Keep your personal and professional lives separate Don’t let your personal relationships influence your professional actions Put your students’ needs above your personal concerns, especially with colleagues, aides, student teachers, and paraprofessionals Don’t follow your students on social media Don’t give out your social media Don’t talk with students through social media Don’t leave your devices open and out Be aware of your surroundings Be cautious about using personal technology at school Keep social media accounts private Be aware of who can see your social media and what you put on your social media Monitor how your students are using technology in class Keep a list of who is 1. Teachers need to keep their personal lives separate from their professional ones, especially with their students. Teachers should never give out personal social media accounts, privately message students on social media, send inappropriate messages or images to students on social media, or post inappropriate content on social media. Teachers have public image to uphold, and that includes their image on social media platforms. They also need to monitor and be aware of how their students are using technology in the classroom and discreetly address the misuse of technology. They should also educate their students on the dangers and Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE)                 using what technology during your class Be aware of current trends and what to look out for with technology use Use technology at specific times and/or for specific purposes Roam your classroom and be aware of how your students are using their technology Documenting outside materials and knowing how to use them When you leave the school, leave their technology there too Know the technology policies of the school Think about what you send to people Be aware of how what you say in emails Know how to word your grievances appropriately Educate your students on the consequences of social media and inappropriate technology use Privately address students who are misusing technology Take cyberbullying seriously Make sure you and your students are aware of the Freedom of Information Act Maintain confidentiality when you use technology Federal Education Rights to Privacy Act Don’t send records, consequences of using technology inappropriately. 2. I will have specific technology policies approved by the administration that I will inform my students and their parents of at the beginning of the semester. During this time I will also take the opportunity to discuss the Freedom of Information Act and current trends in the dangers of social media with my students. During class time, I will roam the classroom to see if students are using their technological devices appropriately and keep a detailed record of the technology being used in my classroom, who uses it, and when they use it. However, I will not violate FERPA policies in doing so. I will also keep my social media accounts private and post being conscientious of whether my posts are appropriate or not. 3. How do you address cyberbullying if it is not taking place during your class time? Is it ethically acceptable to have a consequence for behavior you know is happening outside of your classroom? Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE)  private information, or grades by email Respect the privacy of your students, especially when it comes to technology Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) Reflection (250-500) As a teacher, you are trusted with someone’s child every single day, so it is understandable that they are held to especially high ethical standards both in the classroom and in public. These ethics are in place to protect the students, so they need to be taken seriously and acted upon. Educators need to adhere to the standards they are given. Obviously, they are still humans, so they make mistakes like everyone else. However, the code of ethics helps hold them accountable and be aware of what is morally expected of them. I believe it is extremely important for educators to be held to high ethical standards. When a parent trusts you with their child, they should be able to trust that you will be professional and look out for the best interests of the child. Therefore, having a stated Model Code of Ethics for Educators sets clear standards and expectations to follow. An educator should never be uniformed of what is expected of them, and the code of ethics helps keep such issues from occurring. The ethics also give peace of mind to parents and guardians because they know what the educator is ethically obligated to do and provide in the classroom. With so many cases of teachers behaving in ethically inappropriate manners with students and colleagues, the code of ethics keeps the proper party responsible for unethical behavior. Without those set moral guidelines, teachers would have no way of knowing the right way to address ethical dilemmas in the classroom. As a future educator, the Model Code of Ethics for Educators is a valuable asset to have as I prepare to enter the field.