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Standard 9: Ethics
Demonstrates an awareness of and commitment to ethical and legal responsibilities of a teacher.
Confidentiality
Having worked as a social worker in the mental health field as a licensed social worker,
I am intimately familiar with the concept and practice of confidentiality. For me, confidentiality is a right of
all people to respect for their dignity, privacy and security. I understand the need for confidentiality
as a matter of law under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) that strictly limits the disclosure of private
student information without consent.
Acknowledging diverse cultures, traditions and attitudes of students
Appreciating the diverse cultural backgrounds of students is very important creating a comfortable
learning environment. It is important for all teachers to take stock of their own cultural biases that may impact upon their
teaching or of their assessment of students who may differ. Appreciating diversity also requires that teachers know
their students well enough to plan inclusive lessons.
Ethics do not stop with appreciating diversity or maintaining confidentiality. They also involve
applying a measure of professionalism in everyday dealings with students, other faculty, administrators and the community.
I believe it also means that teachers must accept that they are role models 24/7, not just when they are at school, and must
behave ethically all the time and acrosss all environments. Since we are human, teachers are not perfect, but accepting the title
of teacher requires accepting that we will be held to behavioral standards beyond that of the average worker
at a typical day job. It requires one to accept the enormous responsibility of being a postive role model to
the next generation.
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