Educators act ethically and maintain the integrity, credibility and the reputation of the profession.
As an educator in BC, I understand that I am a role model for my students. I will follow the ethical standards outlined by the BC Teachers’ Council and my school district. An example is treating all students equally, without favoritism or discrimination, and handling classroom conflicts impartially. It also means that if I notice unfair treatment of students or unethical actions from colleagues, I will need to report the issue through appropriate channels, following district procedures.
Adhering to Standard 2, I think that teachers will need to do their job with honesty and integrity. I need to ensure that grading, student assessments, and feedback are objective, fair, and reflect actual student performance. When it comes to students’ records, personal information, and sensitive issues, I need to protect that information, making sure that it will not be shared with unauthorized individuals.
In addition, I have learned that educators act ethically by maintaining clear professional boundaries with students. Overly personal conversations with students or engaging in social media interactions with them outside of professional platforms or school-related discussions would be inappropriate for educators.
To me, being a teacher requires me to act ethically both at school and outside school. By modelling positive behaviors like respect, integrity, fairness, and respecting ethical guidelines in my profession, I could help students become good citizens, contributing to our society.