Student I.

D number: G00331704

Article/ Reading: Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers

Concise Summary of Reading

The professional code of conduct is the go-to document in relation to the standards required by
teachers to uphold while in the profession, according to the teaching council of Ireland (2016) “The role
of the Teaching Council is to promote and regulate the teaching profession. This includes establishing
and promoting professional standards and supporting teachers’ learning”.

There are 3 key principles to the guidance document,

1. It serves as a guide to how teachers conduct themselves in a professional manner.

2. It highlights to teachers, and the general public, the standards that must be upheld by a teacher
in the profession.
3. It acts as a reference point in legal standings with regard to disputes about said teachers
conduct in the workplace.

In relation to the points listed above, the code of conduct sets out an ethical foundation for teachers
through a list of values which consists of respect, care, integrity and trust. Respect for the staff, students
and standards required to meet, Care for the staff and students of the school, integrity with delicate
information concerning fellow staff and students, and trust between staff and on a teacher to student
level. This is all in the hope of achieving “uphold human dignity and promote equality and emotional and
cognitive development.” (The Teaching council, 2016. P 6).

The teaching council has set out a list of standards that apply to all teachers who are registered with the
council. These are Professional Values and Relationships, which entails fairness to all students within
our care, respecting students uniqueness and any specific needs they may have, despite school uniforms
and makeup/ jewelry policies limiting students self-expression, promoting equality and inclusion, as well
as developing positive relationships with them, parents and staff.

Professional Integrity which means respecting others privacy, particularly where someone has confided
in another, unless there is legitimate concern for the well being of said person,
Professional Conduct whereby teachers are to uphold the professions reputation, comply with school’s
policies, report incidents in relation to the welfare of students, and to not be in possession of any
sensitive material which is deemed inappropriate within the school policies.

Professional Practise in which teachers should establish and “maintain high standards of practice in
relation to pupil/student learning, planning, monitoring, assessing, reporting and providing feedback”
(Teaching Council, 2016), as well as developing teaching and learning strategies, including assessment
methods.

Professional Development which is achieved by keeping up to date with the syllabus, and reflecting on
their own practise for por purposes of critically analyzing it. They are also encouraged to engage in
continuous professional development.

Professional Collegiality and Collaboration whereby teachers should work in collaboration with
colleagues and student teachers, to develop and support good practice and achieve the highest possible
quality of education for pupils. This will also stand to benefit the teachers by picking up new methods of
teaching and assessing from student teachers, as well as passing on valuable knowledge gained from
experience, to student teachers in the hope of preparing them somewhat for their careers. They should
also co-operate with the department of education and skills.

Critical Reflection

From reading this document it is evident that the Code of Professional Conduct is very well refined and
clear in what is expected from any teacher in the current society. Outlining not only the standards to be
met, but also stating the consequences of not adhering to the standards.

One of the most stand out parts of this text for me was the four core values of respect, care, integrity
and trust. I found this section very important for teachers to reiterate in the workplace. Respect for both
staff and students is critical to the regular running of a school. For teachers, it gains the respect from
students where it otherwise may not exist, “The absence of such respect is corrosive” (Tomlinson,
2011).

Care for the students is a huge role for a teacher, parents place their children in the care of the teacher
every day with a blind eye. This correlates directly to trust, the trust parents instill in us, as
professionals, to take care of their children, and so we must ensure students get the necessary care.
There is a variety of ways in which we portray are for the students, such as actively listening to them,
requesting feedback on topics from class, and as stated by ZAKRZEWSKI (2012) “Get to know your
students and the lives they live. This is especially important if your students are from a different cultural
or socio-economic background than you”. This can provide important information on the background
they come from or the challenges they may face, meaning that they can be better helped where
required.
Integrity in schools is a hot topic at the moment, with new instructional practises from the GDPR
regarding data protection, we must be vigilant in ensuring nothing confidential is shared with people
who shouldn’t have it. “Teachers exercise integrity through their professional commitments,
responsibilities and actions” (Teaching Council, 2016).

I found that the Professional Values and Relationships was quite controversial in respect to student’s
uniqueness. It states that we should “acknowledge and respect the uniqueness, individuality and specific
needs of pupils/ students” (Teaching Council, 2016), however, this is not completely possible in schools
where students are governed by uniforms and rules against certain jewelry, makeup, hairstyles and so
on. Although uniforms reduce the issue of fashion competitions by making all students, regardless of
socio-economic background or anything else, the issues surrounding makeup and jewelry is arguable, to
some extent these rules may be applicable in some cases, such as in the practical rooms with machines
rotating at high speeds, although in the normal classroom environment the safety concerns are nil.

It is also stated in this paragraph of the document that teachers should plan with diversity in mind,
everything from gender to family status to age and ethnicity. Any well structured scheme of work and
lesson plans will incorporate all these scenario’s in them regardless, from determining projects, to
seating plans, however it could even be worth inspecting various objects in classrooms to ensure they
are not offensive, items such as posters or display projects for example, that may be from an older time
when multiculturalism and sexual orientation to pick a few, were not as relevant to schools equality and
inclusion policies, as said by Kaldor (2018) “Whether you teach a class in biology, engineering, writing or
sociology, there are changes you can make to your classroom and your approach to teaching that create
a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all your students”, This could also be a gateway to
developing positive relationships with the students and their parents, as well as with other staff who
may seek some tips to achieve this in their own classrooms.

As teachers we should also be “caring, fair and committed to the best interests of the pupils/students
entrusted to their care, and seek to motivate, inspire and celebrate effort and success” (Teaching
Council, 2016). Motivating students can be a tough job itself, as some students do not want to be in
school and so, will not want to work. Having experienced this during my third-year placement I am no
stranger to this but have found that engaging more with the student on a one to one, and extrinsic
rewards can play a part in motivating them to engage more, “Students choose behaviors not because
they enjoy them or find them satisfying, but in order to get something in return or avoid an adverse
outcome” (Mulvahill, 2018).
References
Council, T. T. (2016).

Kaldor, E. (2018). Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom – Introduction. Retrieved from The University
of Rhode Island: https://web.uri.edu/teach/multicultural/

Mulvahill, E. (2018, July 3). Understanding Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation in the Classroom. Retrieved
from We Are Teachers: https://www.weareteachers.com/understanding-intrinsic-vs-extrinsic-
motivation-in-the-classroom/

Tomlinson, C. A. (2011, September). Promoting Respectful Schools. Retrieved from Educational

Leadership: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
leadership/sept11/vol69/num01/Respecting-Students.aspx

ZAKRZEWSKI, V. (2012, September 18). Four Ways Teachers Can Show They Care. Retrieved from
Greater Good Magazine:
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/caring_teacher_student_relationship

The Teaching Council. (2016, July). The Teaching Counicl. Retrieved from
www.teachingcouncil.ie:https://learnonline.gmit.ie/pluginfile.php/88818/mod_resource/content/1/Cod
e-of-Professional-Conduct-for-Teachers%202016.pdf