Teaching and Ethics: When It Is the Teacher Who Is Taking the Test Research Paper

It goes without saying that the work of a teacher is by far one of the most demanding and responsible ones of all. That is why, the ethical principles are supposed to be followed especially well in the field of teaching, given the fact that a teacher is responsible not only for the knowledge that the students are going to obtain, but also for establishing certain moral rules for children, teenagers and young adults.

Thus, it is most logical to suggest that the ethical problems are the rarest occasions in the realm of teaching; however, if taking a closer look at the profession, one will see that teaching presupposes fighting great ethical dilemmas.

The first ethical issue to consider is students cheating on tests. It happens everywhere, but the question is whether a teacher should fail an A+ student with a pony in his/her hand, or let it fly. In the given case, student-teacher relationships and the teacher’s morals matter much.

Since studying and teaching is not only about the process of learning, but also about the ability of building relationships among students and teachers, the second ethical dilemma that a teacher can possibly face is dealing with out-of-favor students. No matter how well the teaching process can go, there will always be the students a teacher likes best and those whom (s)he does not like at best. As a result, during the exam, all hell breaks loose when an out-of-favor student starts to answer.

Considering the situation, one must admit that, on the one hand, the teacher is supposed to ask questions, demand the best performance and grade students “F” if they do to deliver it. On the other hand, when only the “out-of-favor” students get a cold shoulder, the teacher is simply wrong.

Finally, it is worth touching upon another aspect of teachers’ abusing their power. Obviously, a teacher is no robot and has the right to be emotional; however, exposing the students to the teacher’s negativity is a no-no situation. For the problem to be clear, it is worth checking a specific case. Supposedly, Mr. Jackson had a very bad day and his spirits are lower than ever.

Entering the class, he starts talking to the students in a very rude manner and scolding them down. Whenever any of the students makes the slightest slip, the teacher answers sharply. In the given situation, it is easy to understand both parties; however, it is still the teacher’s fault hat (s)he lets emotions rule. However, an emotionless teacher is an equally unpleasant option. Thus, whether a teacher should be a human being with his/her bad days, or an emotionless robot is another dilemma.

Therefore, it is obvious that teaching is not the kind of sphere where there is only one right way to act (Swennen & van der Kirk). Despite the firmly established standards for teachers to act in certain situations, one must admit that all rules fall flat when it comes to solving a really ambiguous situation.

Sometimes, as it has been shown above, the guilty party seems much more worthy of sympathy than the one that has the point; hence the ambiguity of a teacher’s profession (Campbell) and the necessity to have incredible diplomatic skills to handle every single situation the right way. What is definitely clear is that a teacher must follow the principle of justice whenever (s)he stumbles upon a complicated problem.

Works Cited

Campbell, Elisabeth. The Ethical Teacher, New York City, NY: McGraw-Hill International, 2003. Print.

Swennen, Anja and M. van der Kirk. Becoming a Teacher Educator: Theory and Practice for Teacher Educators, New York City, NY: Springer, 2009. Print.