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Legal and Ethical Requirements and
the Structure of Education in Texas
The Texas Administrative Code, Title
19, Part 7, §247.2 is the official resource teachers should consult when examining
appropriate behavior in education-related situations. According to the TEA website, “The Educators'
Code of Ethics is set forth in Texas Administrative Code to provide rules for
standard practices and ethical conduct toward students, professional
colleagues, school officials, parents, and members of the community.” http://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Investigations/Educators__Code_of_Ethics/
As a teacher, I also need to read and
thoroughly know my district’s Student Code of Conduct and Student Handbook so
that I am clear on what the expectations are for students on my campus. When I am unsure of a situation, it would be
wise to seek clarification and help from my campus administrators. As my campus principal says, “If you aren’t
sure about an interaction you had with a child or parent, please come see me
before I hear from that family. If I
hear from a student or their family before I hear it from you, it’s really hard
for me to support your position on what happened. Always err on the side of caution.” These are wise words!
My student teaching this semester
has given me insight into the importance of being an advocate for my students
as well as the teaching profession. It
is a hard job with lots of hours, high unpredictability, and relatively low pay. It is often a thankless job. Yet, the rewards are boundless. Seeing a student’s face when he finally
grasps a concept with which he’s been struggling, being chosen by a student to
share a victory with, or just having a student tell you about a simple, seemingly
insignificant moment but one that to that child was so important is the plus
side of teaching. That’s why I do
it. It’s making the difference in a
child’s life, academically, emotionally, and socially. I’ve been on the parent side for quite a while
now and I hope to shed light to other parents who may be struggling with an
education-related situation. I want them
to know that their child’s teacher is working hard for their student’s success;
their teacher is pouring so much into their child and that, as a parent, it is
best to enter the relationship by viewing themselves as a teammate with their
child’s teacher, not an adversary.
Working together is what will benefit their child, and that’s really
where the emphasis should always be.
Part of the ethical requirements of
a teacher is to consistently maintain accurate records. Prior to student teaching, I didn’t truly see
the importance in this facet of teaching.
I do now. To accurately portray
the struggles and successes students have throughout the year is critical, and
it’s not about recording grades. It’s
about recording how well a student is grasping a math concept. Do they have many points of confusion? Is
there a particular step on which they are always getting stuck? Are they eventually able to overcome their
confusion with appropriate, additional teaching support? What are their feelings about math? Do they have a desire to learn it? Is there a possible behavioral issue interfering
with their learning? Is it a possible
SPED issue? Does the student have a new
change in medication? Is there an issue
at home which is affecting the student’s school life? As Dr. Tyson Bennett, Assistant
Superintendent for Academic & Student Services at Sherman ISD, emphatically
stated at a workshop I attended through Texas A&M University Commerce, “If
the student’s behavior isn’t documented, it didn’t happen!”
Often in math, there consists a wide
gap between those who understand math easily and those who struggle with
it. Those who struggle with any subject are
offered tutoring and, if they qualify, are offered services which a school is
legally bound to provide. It’s extremely
important for a teacher to be aware of any accommodations a student receives as
well as to make sure to offer these accommodations within the classroom, if
applicable. Being detailed about
activities conducted with struggling math students, such as, tutoring dates and
times, redos on assignments, out of the ordinary behavioral issues, helps not
only students but also the teacher so they have the paper trail on a particular
student’s successes and struggles.
Another policy to remember is that
all student documentation and any conversations occurring regarding a student
are confidential. They are to be shared
only with other professional team members, campus staff, and/or administration,
as needed. This is vital and, without
this protective confidentiality occurring, there are so many detrimental
consequences for the student, family, and teacher involved.
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