Standard 2

Educators act ethically and maintain the integrity, credibility and reputation of the profession.

As I head into the teaching profession, it is important to remember that I am representing myself in a way that can be looked up to with our future generations. Ensuring that I conduct myself in a professional and respectful manner both inside and outside of the classroom is of utmost importance, as teachers not only represent the school they work in, but the surrounding community as well.  I hold a lot of pride in knowing that educators conduct their job in an ethical and respectful manner since we are acting as role models for our students on a daily basis. It is up to us to ensure that our students are given a safe and inclusive environment in which they can learn, create and build relationships. I believe that our profession SHOULD be held to a higher standard when it comes to the way we act and choose our words, since we are handling sensitive and most often confidential information about students.  We are given a lot of responsibility and it is up to us to ensure that we adhere to our professional standards and continue to maintain this, even during difficult times.

When you think about the vast amount of time students spend attending elementary and secondary school, it’s quite amazing to think that we are given the opportunity to not only share knowledge and skills, but create impressions on shaping young minds to view themselves as confident, worthy and respectable human beings. When you really think about this, we are given such a great gift of connecting with our youth in a way that can have significant impacts on their lives, our lives and the community down the road. This type of power requires all of us to ensure we are continuously acting in our students best interest, understanding how our responsibilities relate to the law and recognizing our duties as teachers inside and outside of the classroom.  

Throughout my three-week practicum at Peden Hill Elementary, I had the opportunity to practice this standard with my given grade 2/3 classroom. Not only did I get to witness how educators are to act professionally inside a school setting, but I got to witness the whole school come together for events like anti-bullying day (Pink Shirt Kindness Day), Orange Shirt Day (every Monday) as well as a staff meeting held at the beginning of the month. Being privy to school information that was confidential allowed me to practice this exact standard as a teacher candidate. Seeing the whole school come together on Pink Shirt Day to value diversity was very powerful and created a very warm and inviting atmosphere throughout the school. With the vast array of backgrounds and cultures celebrated at Peden Hill, it is no wonder the school puts great emphasis on inclusivity and kindness by ensuring that all of the students feel safe and heard among their peers. In my particular classroom, I had over 12 ELL students and a handful of IEP’s. In order for me to thoroughly understand my students, my coaching teacher had to fill me in on some of their personal information such as behaviours, relationships with other students, medical conditions etc. Since this information was sensitive and confidential, I made sure to act accordingly to standard 2 by fully understanding what my role was as a student teacher and staff member of Peden Hill. Overall, I am very grateful and honoured to uphold this standard throughout my career, knowing that my students and the community I teach in deserves a role model they can be proud of.