Eggertson V. Alberta Teachers' Association Case Study

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Being like this with students and not with colleagues spoils the endeavor as well as indicating that the teacher is making only a face at being open-minded, tolerant and respectful. Such a teacher may not retain her job for long since shortfalls in her manner to colleagues may likely indicate more serious shortfalls in her manner (even if not overt) to her students. To be moral, which is what teaching entails, one has to be moral across the board and had to be intrinsically moral. Intrinsically moral, with each and every staff member epitomizing ethical dealings in relationships with one another, permeates a moral environment throughout the school since the teachers represents a moral agency and teaching becomes a moral activity. In short then, the effect can be both upwards and downwards. If teachers perceive their task as being one of moral connotations and significance and their duty as consisting of moral representatives, this is bound to effect their intra-class conduct and they would be less liable to spread baseless adverse reports about another or to indulge in gossip mongering about other staff members (particularly in an open school setting). This is the downward effect. Upward effect occurs when the teacher starts with the assumption that creating and disseminating adverse reports are unprofessional and immoral. This augments her ethos as teacher / moral agent, which, in turn, accords her instructions and distribution of that instruction greater credibility (since students perceive it as moral activity), and, ultimately effects the environment of the academic agency as a whole with respect for all (be it teacher or student) palpable throughout the school.

Reflecting on my own experience, the closest example I can muster of this kind is an instance heard from a colleague during her stint of teaching in Hungary. There was a teacher, a middle-aged woman, who often arrived to her classes tired, impatient, and frazzled. She sometimes left early, came later and was apt to fall asleep at her desk, if...

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One colleague took it upon herself to criticize the teacher telling parents and faculty about this negative behavior. The report, as far as the individual telling the story knew, was never mentioned to the principal. They were perhaps ware of it but nothing was done. Ultimately, the teacher was either fired or left of her own account, but shortly after it came to the school's attention, that the teacher -- a single mother -- was dying of progressed cancer, and that, not having family, she was desperately seeking a home for her newborn daughter. The person telling me the story visited her home only to find that the teacher lived with her elderly, sightless mother and a dog in a cottage, that whilst appearing aesthetic on postcards, showed evident signs of mold with rains seeping in and the roof tiled with grass. Lacking the essentials, the teacher was driven out of her sole means of employment, and possibly done so by well-meaning thoguh reckless gossiping and adverse reports. The situation could have been managed in a far wiser way with the relevant officials being approached and informed of the situation, they, in turn, speaking to the teacher, likely becoming aware of their situation and helping her before circumstances spiraled out of control. As it was, the teacher died shortly after and the child, as far as I know, moved to a foster home.
Not all stories are as tragic or dramatic as this, but the story evocatively tells us of the responsibilities of the teaching profession and of how moral or immoral conduct of teacher can have repercussions far beyond the actual action.

Sources Used in Documents:

References

Campbell, E. (2008). The Ethics of Teaching as a Moral Profession, Curriculum Inquiry 38:4, 357-379.

Eggertson v. Alberta Teachers' Association, 2003 ABCA 101

Professionalism and Ethics. Retrieved on 9/9/2011 from:

www.etfo.ca/AdviceForMembers/PRSMattersBulletins/Pages/Professionalism%20And%20Ethics.aspx


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