Teaching is not an ordinary profession. The society places high hopes on a teacher. He is considered to be the custodian and architect of our future and is known as the builder of the nation. Thus, every teacher, as a professional, should have to follow some code of ethics.
Professional ethics are those moral principles which guide professionals in performing their duties. The concept of professional ethics is undoubtedly related to what a professional should or should not do in their work place or during professional life. Teaching is not an ordinary profession. The society places high hopes on a teacher. He is considered to be the custodian and architect of our future and is known as the builder of the nation. Thus, every teacher, as a professional, should have to follow some code of ethics. They are as under –
Attitude of the teacher:
Towards profession:It is the first and foremost duty of a teacher to be sincere and honest to their profession. That means teachers must have to be thoroughly prepared to go to the class. They must not do such works that may lower the prestige of the entire profession in the eyes of the society or of the students. Teacher should not consider their profession as the stepping stone to an other one. They should have an attitude to learn newer things for the sake of the professional growth as well.
Towards school:Teachers should never ever cultivate destructive attitude towards their schools. They should realize that only because of the school they are teachers. Thus, schools give them an identity and gives respect and prestige to them. And therefore teachers should express goodwill for the betterment of the school.
Towards society:The school is a miniature society. It springs from the society and works for the welfare of the society. A school has no meaning or even does not exist outside the society. So, teachers have to realize that as part of it, they cannot remain isolated from the society. They should have to cultivate a positive attitude towards the society. Furthermore, they should act as a bridge between the school and the society.
Towards students:An another important duty of the teacher is to own students as their friend. Teachers must try their best to understand learners’ needs, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses to the core. They need to be prepared to give valuable time for the students. This is because, teacher have to take prime responsibility for the all-round development of the students.
Towards Union: Like other unions, teachers’ unions also work for the welfare of the teacher. However, unlike other unions, teachers’ unions are not merely the forum for ventilating grievances of the teachers. Teachers’ unions also take initiative in projecting their genuine image in the society. So, every teacher should have a positive attitude towards teachers’ union.
Relationship of the teachers
With students:All the teachers should maintain a good and democratic relationship with their learners. Teachers must behave all the students equally irrespective of their sex, caste, creed, colour, religion, etc. However, they need to be concern about the students having learning disability. In case of students having learning disabilities teachers need to prepare individualized teaching plan. Furthermore, teachers should not maintain superior-subordinate relationship with their students. In each and every word teacher should express love and encouragement to the students. They should show empathy and compassion towards their students.
With colleague: Teachers work for achieving a collective goal. So, keeping aside all the differences teachers should unfold their hands towards teamwork. They should cooperate wholeheartedly in achieving their common goal. Teachers should keep in mind that they are the Idols for the students. Therefore, they have to maintain a friendly, cordial and cooperative relationship with their colleagues so that students can cultivate such an ideal relationship with their fellows.
With head/principal: Teachers often involve in quarrel with their headmasters or principals. It is not fair. If any issue of discontent arises, then both the teachers and the headmaster or the principal should discuss the issue objectively in search for the solution. In order to keep a favorable relation, teachers should cooperate and show obedience towards the headmaster. At the same time, the headmaster, too, should not think himself/herself as the boss. Instead, he is the first among equals.
With parents:Teachers should maintain intimate relation with the parents of the students. Parents are the most reliable agents through which teacher may understand their children better. In addition, it is also an important duty of the teacher to educate the parents. They should not blame the parents for a student's laps. Rather, they should take the parents into confidence if any student going wrong. Teachers should try to keep in touch regularly with the parents. This will help progress in the teaching-learning process.
Hence, these code of ethics shows that teaching profession is really a profession with full of responsibility and challenge.A teacher, in reality, deserves respect and honour, if he follows these codes keeping in mind his profession alive.
READ
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