Module 3: Ethical Decision, Application Reflection Paper The 3-5-page paper should integrate a Scenario/Case Study Introduction, Ethical Decision-Making Application, Research Application, Best Practic
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Ethical Decision, Application Reflection Paper
Ethical Decision
Scenario/Case Study Introduction
School principals as well as other educators are held to high behavioral standards because the wellbeing of the students is entrusted to them. The expectations of the public as well as the other stakeholders are that the behaviors of the principal as well as other teachers should exemplify ethical and moral integrity. Principals should serve as the role model for the rest of the school and should understand that their behaviors both on and off the school has a profound impact on their profession (Hansen, 2019). Any judgmental lapse may cause injuries not only to the principal but also to the students. To the principal, a lapse in judgment may cause adverse effects on his or her reputation professionally and erode the public trust in the school he or she heads. Besides, the challenges educators are facing currently are increasing with the development of technology (Hansen, 2019). As such, school heads must remain aware and sensitive to the diverse dilemma and situations they are likely to encounter in their daily undertakings.
The Scenario
Mr. Yellow is a veteran teacher who has always indicated increased interest in students not only in academics but also personally. He knew his students beyond the classroom. The teacher is aware of not only the student but their families as well and has taken a keen interest in their sporting activities, hobbies, interests, and ambitions. Olivia is one of the students in Mr. Yellow’s math class. Mr. Yellow has learned that Olivia’s interest is in pursuing science-related courses in college but the required financial support from the family exceeds what they can afford. Mr. Yellow felt that through his support Olivia could still pursue her STEM-related dream course. Immediately, Mr. Yellow began contacting Olivia about the financial aid and the college application. Soon communications began to become more personal and focusing on family life, Olivia’s social life, and finances. Mr. Yellow offered to take care of Olivia’s application expenses as well as personal expenses Olivia would require for personal upkeep. Ultimately, Mr. Yellow additionally assisted Olivia in purchasing a car and shared with her the insurance policy. Mr. Yellow was unaware of his extensive involvement in helping Olivia however, the rest of the teachers noted the increased attention to Olivia and considered his actions as inappropriate.
Ethical Decision-Making and Research Application
All teachers, whether principal or not, are bound by professional conduct and ethical guidelines that must be adhered to. As indicated earlier, school principals have the responsibility of ensuring that they maintain professional conduct all the time (Hansen, 2019). Ethical principles guiding teachers also guide the conduct of the school leaders with the additional responsibility of being in the leadership position. School principals and all the teachers have the responsibility of guaranteeing all students the equal opportunity for quality education without any form of discrimination (Sağnak, 2017). This is the cardinal professional responsibility of all teachers. Professional responsibility is also applied by the school heads. Principals are expected to provide equal learning opportunities to all students irrespective of their backgrounds.
Besides, the principals in full recognition of their position and the obligation of the teaching profession should conduct themselves in a manner that reflects their profession and position as the school head. The implication is that school leaders must be aware of their obligations and duties as the head of the school and their actions must reflect the status and substance of their roles and profession (Hansen, 2019). Conversely, school leaders should avoid engaging in actions that are likely to impair their ability to discharge their responsibilities. Once these critical ethical and practice guidelines are understood, principals should constantly enforce them not only for themselves but also among the teaching staff.
The case example is one of the scenarios that normally present itself in high school settings. Many students do not have what is required to further their education and often teachers step in to fill the void financially, physically or emotionally. Some parents just do not have the means or the educational level to assist their children. School leaders and teachers alike often face these ethical dilemmas in their daily professional practice. However, every single teacher should be able to understand the boundaries of their professional actions. Even though many teachers often maintain caring professional relations with the students, the moral boundaries of such relationships must be kept (Hansen, 2019). The reason is that personal or intimate relationships have attracted a lot of media attention and as such, increased suspicion is likely to emerge in a teacher-student relationship. Therefore, maintaining ethical boundaries in the professional teacher-student relationship remains critical to protecting both parties from potential abuse of power, influence, or control (Sağnak, 2017). As the principal of the school, it is important to be concerned about the welfare of the students. However, it should not go personal. Such personal relationships not only attract unnecessary suspicion but also create an emotionally unsafe learning atmosphere for such students. The reason is that such students are being singled out for attention unnecessarily. Such attention may make them feel uncomfortable, which may further affect their learning outcomes.
Best Practice and Personal Philosophy
The best practice is to abide by the given guidelines and ethical standards. While the practice settings might be different from what is expected in the ethical code of conduct, it is critical to follow the guidelines to ensure that the conducts are within the precincts of moral behaviors. It should be noted that all teachers, whether principle or not, are bound by professional conduct and ethical guidelines that must be followed (Sağnak, 2017). As such, the ethical codes whether institutional and professional should be the guide for all the practices. As mentioned before, school principals have the responsibility of ensuring that they maintain professional conduct all the time. Research shows that adhering to the provided ethical code of conduct avoids situations where the principals have gone overboard or behaved in a manner that undermines their profession and position (Sağnak, 2017). Ethical codes of conduct that guide teachers also guide the conduct of the school heads. The only difference is that principals have additional responsibility of being in the leadership position. For instance, school principals and all the teachers have the responsibility of guaranteeing all students the equal opportunity for quality education without any form of discrimination. This is the cardinal professional responsibility of all teachers irrespective of their position in school (Liu, 2017). School leaders have a greater responsibility of guaranteeing every student an equal opportunity to learn irrespective of their social status, cultural background, race, and other demographic characteristics. Such actions are not only a professional responsibility but also leadership role for school leaders. In essence, principals are expected to provide equal learning opportunities to all students irrespective of their backgrounds.
As shown above, the professional responsibility goes along with leadership responsibility. As indicated in most of the practice settings, the principals in full recognition of their position and the obligation of the teaching profession should conduct themselves in a manner that reflects their profession and position as the school head. In other words, school heads must be aware of their obligations and duties as the head of the school and their actions must reflect the status and substance of their roles and profession (Hansen, 2019). This informs my personal philosophy, which is to avoid engaging in actions likely to jeopardize my professional and leadership positions. It also goes along with what is widely being practiced by the majority of school principals. Principals often avoid engaging in actions that are likely to impair their ability to discharge their responsibilities. In most instances, school heads are trained among other things how to conduct themselves ethically (Liu, 2017). They are often taken through rigorous ethical and practice guidelines, which they are required to understand. Principals are required to constantly enforce them not only for themselves but also among the teaching staff.
Reflection Summary
As indicated earlier, it is important for school principals to practice and maintain high levels of ethical conducts not only with teachers but with students as well. Principals must set the tone for teachers on how to appropriately engage and interact with students. Helping students achieve goals is appropriate but teachers must identify and maintain boundaries in assisting. Fundraising or seeking donations is considered more appropriate than paying out of pocket and adding student to your insurance. The public expectations are that the behaviors of the principals as well as other teachers should exemplify ethical and moral integrity, which are then imparted to the students. As a teacher, we should serve as the role models for the student, stakeholders, and communities in which our institutions are situated. We should understand that our behaviors both on and off the school has a profound impact on our profession. Any judgmental lapses are likely to cause more damages not only to the students but also to the community at large. As the principal or teacher, a lack in judgment is likely to have a negative affect on the professional reputation and ultimately damage the students, school, and community trust in schools that we lead. School leaders must constantly remain aware sensitive to the many dilemmas and situations likely to encounter daily.
References
Hansen, D. T. (Ed.). (2019). Ethical visions of education: Philosophies in practice. Teachers College Press.
Liu, H. (2017). Reimagining ethical leadership as a relational, contextual and political practice. Leadership, 13(3), 343-367.
Sağnak, M. (2017). Ethical leadership and teachers’ voice behavior: The mediating roles of ethical culture and psychological safety. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 17(4).
