Integrity in practice
Integrity is a key value in the Code of Ethics for Teachers in Queensland framework along with dignity, responsibility, respect, justice and care (QCOT, 2008). Integrity can be referred to as an alignment between one’s actions and ethical principles. I demonstrate integrity by being honest and maintaining appropriate professional relationships. I demonstrate dignity by appreciating each student’s individuality and recognising their effort and potential. I demonstrate responsibility through a commitment to ongoing professional development. I show respect by being kind and courteous to everyone and acknowledge that relationships should be based on mutual trust and respect. I demonstrate justice by being fair and reasonable and ensure care through empathy in my teaching practice. I understand I am obligated to adhere to the Standard of Practice (Department of Education, 2016) and ensure alliance with the ethical principles, values and standards daily.
The Professional Boundaries Guideline (QCOT, 2019) outlines for teachers to always maintain professional relationships with students. When communicating I understand the importance of doing so in a professional, ethical, sensitive and confidential manner. This includes with students, their families and work colleagues. Any conflict of interest should be reported as per the Conflict-of-Interest Policy (Department of Education, 2021).
I understand that all teachers are responsible for declaring any conflict, or reasonably perceived conflict of interests, that may arise in their work. I understand gifts and benefits over the value of $150 require a declaration form to be completed. I can refer the Gifts and Benefits Guideline (Queensland Government, 2010) if unsure. The Child Protection Act 1999 lists teachers as mandatory reporters. This safeguards the well-being of students by making it compulsory for teachers to report any concerns about a child’s safety and wellbeing. I understand my first line of contact is my school Principal and will continue to discuss any concerns as they arise. I will refer to the Department of Education Queensland’s website, policies, and documents to ensure I am implementing best practice.
OneSchool
One School assists teachers in meeting the administrative and organisational responsibilities by efficiently tracking and monitoring student data such as attendance, grades, reports and observations notes. The centralised location for monitoring student performance allows for timely intervention for students who require additional support. This assists with data-driven decision-making about instructional strategies in addition to helping identify areas that might need to be re-taught. Additionally, it holds unit outlines and lesson plans in one convenient location allowing for efficient organisation of resources and promoting better time management for teachers. I understand any information needs to be handled in accordance with Information Privacy Act 2009 and also aligns to APST Standard 7.2 (AITSL, 2017).
Professional Engagement: strategies for success for beginning teachers
The strategies that I plan to implement are having a predetermined saying for handling conflict. Whilst I have had minimal experience with this, I think it is important to be prepared so I can handle the situation as effectively as possible when it does arise. Acknowledging the person’s feelings by stating ‘I can see you are upset, and I would like to discuss this with you further. Can I give you a call (insert time) as I am supposed to be in a meeting right now.” This allows for some space to diffuse the situation (as I can become quite flustered when put on the spot) and allows time to discuss the situation further with a more prepared response. The 4 F’s – fair, firm, friendly and fun is something that resonated with me as my Principal always refers to her staff being strict with a smile. I think the 4 F’s is more suited to my style of teaching.
It was also great to see some strategies that I already use discussed as this was confirmation for me that I am on the right track. For example, I teach expectations and make them visible by displaying a reminder on the whiteboard. I always refer to it at the start of a lesson and can pause the lesson and refer to it again if required. I believe high expectations are a non-negotiable for classroom management. I also regularly engage with parents and caregivers via a fortnightly newsletter which is emailed home providing updates on what is happening in the classroom and reminders about important upcoming dates. The importance of communicating with families is outlined in the Parent and Community Engagement framework (Queensland Government, N.D.) in addition to Standards 3.7 and 7.3 (AITSL, 2017).
Career Readiness: working effectively and making the most of Teacher Aide time
I chose this module because I regularly work with teacher aides who help support my students with high learning needs. I believe teacher aides are a valuable part of the team and should be treated as such however do agree there is often limited time to discuss the lesson plan prior to the lesson starting (most TA’s are on break as I start the lesson and will generally join as we are begin our guided practice). After watching the video, the strategy that I plan to implement is the use of a communication book. I believe the communication book will be beneficial as teacher aides can quickly read this upon entry to my classroom and know what the lesson intention is. While this will take extra preparation on my part; I believe it to be useful time spent which will be of benefit for everyone involved (students, myself, teacher aides). It will also help to clarify what is expected as the video listed unclear roles and limited communication opportunities as a common problem for many teacher aides.
References
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