ChipolaCollege
Task 6.1.2: Analysis of Slippery Situations
EDG 4410 – Classroom Management and Communication
Standards Infused and Assessed
Florida Educator Accomplished Practice:6.2 -Professional Responsibility and Ethical Conduct. Identify statutory grounds and procedures for disciplinary action, the penalties that can be imposed by the Educational Practices Commission against a certificate holder, and the appeals process available to the individual.
Task Description
The teacher is presented with a set of fifteen scenarios representing potential ethical conflicts and is asked to describe what he/she would do in each situation by answering three general questions based on the Florida Teacher’s Code of Ethics and Principles of Conduct.
What to submit?
The completed worksheet (see attached).
Directions
As a teacher you will be presented with situations that require a quick decision. You will need to consider how you can avoid potential ethical violations while still supporting the needs of your students. In this task, you are asked to consider fifteen scenarios and describe what you would do in each situation using the Principles of Professional Conduct Scenarios Worksheet (attached). For each of the scenarios respond to the following in the space provided.
Principle(s) Violated. Is there a potential violation of the Principles of Professional Conduct, and if so, which Principle(s) are at risk in this scenario? List the number/letter of the violation in the middle column.
Teacher Reaction – Verbal response or Action required.
- In Part A of the worksheet, determine what would you actually say to the parties involved that shows that you are responsible, dependable, and concerned about your students? Assume that you are responding to someone who knows little about the ethical implications of the situation, and provide as detailed and helpful a response as you can. Record your ‘verbal response(s)’ in the third column. Note: Do not enter comments such as “I would say ….”. Simply enter what you would say.
- In Part B, what action would you take to protect yourself and your students? Do not simply respond yes or no, but write a description of what you would do in the situation.
© Copyright 2002, Florida Department of Education
Principles of Professional Conduct Scenarios Worksheet
Part A Scenarios: Verbal Response Required
Scenario # / Principle(s) Violated / What you would SAY – Do NOT start off with, I would say, just write a script.1) Advice: One of your students shows up alone at your home and wants to discuss a situation from school. He claims that a gang is bullying him and he can't tell at school or he'll be attacked. He has several bruises. That's why he came to your house. What do you do?
2) Rights: One of your students is openly gay and tells you that he/she is gay. This conflicts with your own religious beliefs and makes you uncomfortable. The student wants to talk to you, because she is having trouble "fitting in." She is crying. What do you do?
3) The Press: Your principal is running for superintendent and a local reporter asks your opinion about the principal. What do you say to the public?
4) Public Role: You are a member of a civic group, club, church, or organization, and you are asked to speak representing that group on a controversial matter. You are introduced as a teacher. What do you do?
5) Privileges: You are the music teacher at your school and teach private lessons at home on the weekend. One day, you go to buy music at a local store for your private students and the owner only charges you half price for being "a good customer." There is a brochure in the shopping bag for a band rental offer. What do you do?
6) Free Speech and Equity in the Classroom: Your eighth grade class is studying earth science. You assign the class a science fair project with grading criteria. They are supposed to set up a poster display on a project related to the course content. One student comes in on display day and sets up a religious scene of God creating the world in seven days. You explain to the student that the display isn't consistent with the criteria - it's not from a topic in the book. The student insists that his parents approved the topic after reading the science book and encouraged the project.
7) Confidentiality: You are in the teachers' lounge and cannot help but overhear several other teachers discussing student performance on exams, including student names and scores. The teachers' lounge is not very private; office personnel wander in to get coffee, and the door often stands open even though students pass by regularly and can overhear anything said. What should you say to the talkative teachers?
8) Faculty Interactions: You commit to car pool for the year with two other teachers. Everyone chips in for gas. One teacher is a gossip, who tells exaggerated stories about other teachers every day, but shows up on time. Would you continue to car pool? What would say to the car pool participants?
9) Academic Dishonesty: Your students are talking with each other about an FCAT administration given the previous day, and you hear them mention that your colleague who was proctoring the exam gave several students "clues" that assisted them in answering some questions. What do you do?
Part B Scenarios: Action Required
Scenario / Principles Violated / What you would do.10) Alcohol: During an over-night field trip with students, one of the chaperones brings a cooler of beer and wine to share after the students go to bed. You check the field manual, which doesn't mention alcohol, but you are not sure if you are responsible for the kids after they go to sleep. You would sure like one glass of wine or bottle of beer. What should you do?
11) Family Values: Your spouse is a well-respected business person in the community - liked by everyone - and has a master's degree in economics. You have a perfect marriage with three wonderful children. Your spouse smokes marijuana occasionally to relax and uses no other non-prescription drugs. You smoked when you were in college 20 years ago. Everyone did. You don't smoke anymore. Neither of you has ever been caught. What do you do?
12) Community Relations: You are married to a real estate broker and teach in a rapidly growing community. You send home a student profile sheet the first week of school. Your spouse asks you to share the names, addresses, and information so he can approach them for new customers. What should you do?
13) Equal Opportunity: There is a state drama contest and you are the advisor for the drama team. You have a population of mostly Hispanic and African American students in your school and club. This year's selection for the contest is a scene from Shakespeare. You need six parts and have eight majority white students in the club. You are sure that pronunciation is one of the major criteria for judging. How do you pick the parts?
14) History: Before you started teaching, you served in the Peace Corps. While overseas, you were arrested and jailed for “subversive activities” not appreciated by the foreign government. It was years ago and you don’t want a school district to think you were a criminal, so you didn’t report the arrest on your application. You know it won’t show up on a criminal record in the US. What should you do?
15) Community values: Your best friend teaches middle school science, and is an active conservationist, supporting the Green Party. During the summer he has gone through all the materials, removing lessons that teach processes that he disagrees with (nuclear reactions) and substitute lessons from the political material he receive (global warming). He tells you this is within his academic freedom. What should you do?
Task 6.1.2: Analysis of Slippery Situations
Name: ______Submission #: ____
Florida Educator Accomplished Practice Indicators:
6 -Professional Responsibility and Ethical Conduct. Understanding that educators are held to a high moral standard in a community, the effective educator adheres to the Code of Ethics and the Principles of Professional Conduct of the Education Profession of Florida, pursuant to Rules 6B-1.001 and 6B-1.006, F.A.C., and fulfills the expected obligations to students, the public and the education profession.
Decision for FEAPs on this Task:
___ Demonstrated12 to 15 scenarios are coded correctly in both Principle(s) violated and teacher reaction.
___ Partially Demonstrated10 to 12 scenarios are coded correctly in both Principle(s) violated and teacher reaction
___ Not DemonstratedLess than 10 scenarios are coded correctly in both Principle(s) violated and teacher reaction.
·Must resubmit on or before the following date: ______
·Although the original grade is final and no points are added for resubmissions, failure to resubmit by the deadline will result in a ten point PER DAY grade reduction.
·For all resubmissions – the original assignment and grade rubric must be included with the resubmission.
Rating Scale Key: A = acceptable; M = marginal; U = unacceptable
FEAP / Criteria for "acceptable" rating / RatingA = 2 pts.
M =1 pts.
U = 0 pts. / Points
6 / The student demonstrates his/her ability to apply ethical principles defined by the Florida Code of Ethics and the Professional Code of Conduct to a wide variety of proposed situations. The student identifies potential violations and offers suggestions for avoiding/correcting each situation.
For each of the situations, the teacher has made the correct linkage to the Florida Code of Ethics (as appropriate), indicating an adequate understanding of the principles of the Code. / __ A __ M __ U
For each of the situations, the teacher has provided a verbal response or a choice of action to be taken that would avoid a "slippery situation" while still expressing concern for the students and/or colleagues and their well-being. / __ A __ M __ U
It is clear that the teacher understands actions that should and should not be taken by a teacher that will avoid violating the Code of Ethics.
It is clear that the teacher knows how to act responsibly and dependably.
The strategies proposed are consistent with the Code, ethical, and realistic. / __ A __ M __ U
Reflection is included and addresses all FEAPs for this task.
(-10 points for missing or unacceptable reflection; -5 for marginal reflection ;)
Total Points: 6/6
Improvements Needed/Comments: