Integrity in Practice
As a beginning teacher it is my responsibility to always work within the Code of Conduct by role modelling ethical behaviour and integrity in and outside of the workplace (Code of Conduct, 2010). If I need further clarification of the Code of Conduct in relation to my role as a teacher, I can refer to the Standard of Practice document (Department of Education and Training, 2016) which explicitly explains the principles and values of the Code (Code of Conduct, 2010) for education employees.
By acting ethically and in a professional manner in my role as a beginning teacher will allow me to work within the Professional Boundaries guidelines when interacting with students and parents (Queensland College of Teachers, 2017). The Professional Boundaries document provides me with further examples of acceptable and inacceptable behaviour (Queensland College of Teachers, 2017). This includes all communication on social media and electronically. As a beginning teacher it would not be appropriate to communicate via social media or electronically with any student or about my role as a teacher. It would not only breach the Professional Boundary guidelines but also abuse my position of authority and influence over a student (Queensland College of Teachers, 2017).
A Conflict of Interest arises from a clash of a personal interest with duties as my position as teacher (Queensland College of Teachers, 2017). An example of this would be offering private tutoring and seeking students from my employment as clients. As a beginning teacher I will have access to confidential information I will protect this information at all times by locking my computer, checking email addresses and not leaving private information in places for others to read. All confidential information will be disposed of appropriately (Department of Education, 2016).
Accepting gifts and benefits from parents to influence my teaching practices is not acting with integrity and I will refuse the gift. All gifts received as a thank you at the end of the school year with a value of more than $150 will be reported to my supervisor. In my role as a teacher, I will not abuse the use of public resources and only use them as needed to be an effective teacher. This is another example of acting with ethical behaviour (Department of Education and Training, 2016).
If I see an employee not following the Standard of Practice or suspect they are not following the Standard of Practice (Department of Education and Training, 2016) it is my responsibility to report their behaviour. It is better to report an action of wrong doing then disregard it, as it is my responsibility to keep students safe (Department of Education and Training, 2016).
In closing, as a beginning teacher I will be respectful, consider my actions to ensure professionalism, show kindness and understanding to others and most importantly be thoughtful in my approaches at all times.
References
Department of Education and Training. (2016). Standard of Practice. Queensland Government. file:///C:/Users/61424/Downloads/Standard%20of%20Practice.pdf
Queensland College of Teachers. (2017). Professional Boundaries: A guideline for Queensland teachers. file:///C:/Users/61424/Downloads/Professional%20Boundaries%20-%20A%20Guideline%20for%20Queensland%20Teachers.pdf
Queensland Government. (2010). Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service. The State of Queensland. file:///C:/Users/61424/Downloads/Code%20of%20Conduct%20for%20the%20Queensland%20Public%20Service.pdf
The benefits and uses of OneSchool
As a beginning teacher it will be part of my responsibilities to report student data into OneSchool which will guide and inform my instruction through analysis of data from each individual student, the class, and the whole school. Reporting interactions with a student, their parents, learning outcomes, support provided, and any concerns for the student, will assist teachers who are involved in the students education to have a better understanding of their strengths and needs and develop teaching strategies accordingly. Analysing the academic results of your class can provide feedback on your teaching strategies, it will highlight any gaps in students learning and through reflection and consideration reteaching content that has been not understood could be a warranted.
OneSchool can assist with grouping of students into mixed ability groups to facilitate peer support as the data can be sorted and filtered accordingly. Highlighting the support and strategies you have implemented over the year will guide instruction in the following year, assisting with student progression of learning through consistency and quality of practice. Information in OneSchool is intentionally constructed over a student’s school life to ensure successful educational outcomes and safety of the student.
Professional Engagement – CathEd Careers Queensland
The Queensland Catholic Education System have benefits and unique opportunities and I believe the most important are the values and beliefs that guide all teaching practices for a holistic approach to education. The Catholic values, when explicitly taught and role modelled in the classroom are excellent building blocks for establishing your classroom culture. I believe the Catholic values of excellence, integrity, justice and hope align with a student-centred pedagogical framework and add strength to the way of life students will become accustomed to in my classroom. Liturgical celebrations throughout the school year and daily prayers create a culture of thankfulness, being thankful for our life, the people in our life and how we contribute and connect to the wider community. The Queensland Catholic Education System upholds the importance of community. As it takes a community to educate the whole child. A community enables students to practice social interactions, be respectful to visitors, and staff can draw on parents and carers background knowledge for deep cultural knowledge and practices. A community provides a sense of belonging for staff, parents and students and should be encouraged emphatically.
Career Readiness – Strategies to Survive and Thrive in your first year of teaching.
The strategies I will apply during my first year of teaching are satisfying and mentoring. I place high expectations on myself and I am aware that this could possibly be an issue during my first year of teaching with my lack of experience. To deal with these expectations I will practice self-talk and remind myself to be patient, as excelling in a role requires years of experience and reflection to adapt and change accordingly before I can achieve satisfying outcomes. Although, I will begin with the most important step to fulfilling my expectations and that is practicing critical reflection on my approaches to teaching, reflecting on the strategies I am using and their effectiveness. Through this critical reflection and experience I will begin to feel comfortable, confident and capable.
Additionally, mentorship will help me to find possible strategies to resolve my challenges in the classroom. Seeking out a mentor in the form of a fellow experienced teacher to guide, advise and support me as a beginning teacher will be integral to my development and progression of learning. Using these two strategies in conjunction will give me the best opportunity for a successful beginning year.
