Ethics is hard to define, but it is made up with two things. First ethics refers to a branch of philosophy; it is moral philosophy or philosophical thinking about morality, moral problems, and moral judgments, or ethics is a systematic approach to understanding, analyzing, and distinguishing matters of right and wrong. (Rich, 2013) it is necessary to constantly examine ones standard to ensure that they are responsible and well founded. It is the continuous effort of studying our own moral conduct, and striving to ensure that the teachers and the institutions help to shape, live up to standards that are reasonable and solidly based.
Teachers are duly licensed professionals who possess dignity and reputation with high moral values as well as technical and professional competence.in their practice of their noble profession, they strictly adhere to, observe and practice this set of ethical and moral principles. Professionalism is he conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person. Because they have a daily influence on the lives of children, teachers are often held to high standards. In the midst of all of their responsibilities, they’re required to serve as strong role models and demonstrate ethical behaviors as they interact with students, colleagues, parents and others. Developing and following a professional code of ethics helps make sure teachers act in a professional and ethical manner at all times.
Teachers must maintain ethical behavior in professional practice by accurately representing and maintaining certifications, licenses and other qualifications. Applying for a teaching certificate with false information or lying about meeting the requirements to renew the certificate can lead to a loss of teaching privileges. In addition to qualifications, teachers must practice ethical behavior when it comes to reporting grades and handling assessments. Misrepresenting grades or altering student responses on assessments can lead to criminal charges and the loss of a job.
This paper will discuss the concepts of teacher ethics and professionalism. It will also examine their application in the schools and some of the ethical issues that teachers face in their daily routines. Teacher Ethics and their application in the schools Many incidents in schools present ethical dilemmas for educators. For example, a colleague of a fifth grade teacher overhears that teacher gossiping about an HIV positive student in her class. Should she report her colleague, confront her, or ignore what she overheard? Perhaps a teacher for a certain class is always late for lessons and just apologizes but never improves, should the children report the teacher or not. Or let’s say, the class clown does not listen to orders, and his teacher, frustrated, makes a plan to embarrass him in front of the class.
Such examples are not rare and may happen at any school. Reactions to such occurrences deserve attention. What should be the teacher’s professional duty toward her students and their parents? How do teachers come to be conscious of their professional responsibilities? Ethically charged situations such as these are rarely discussed openly in professional group settings such as teacher meetings. IMPORTANCE OF THEACHER ETHICS
