TRB Standard 2
Educators are role models who act ethically and honestly.
Educators act with integrity, maintaining the dignity and credibility of the profession. They understand that their individual conduct contributes to the perception of the profession as a whole. Educators are accountable for their conduct while on duty, as well as off duty, where that conduct has an effect on the education system. Educators have an understanding of the education system in BC and the law as it relates to their duties.
REFLECTION
I have chosen to include a link to my Twitter page (@StephChatman). This Twitter account, which I started back in 2010, demonstrates my level of professionalism and integrity. As a musician, I used this public platform to promote shows and share content such as videos, press, reviews, and album releases. (Now that my identity and career path has led me into teaching, I will have more tweets with education-related content!) This Twitter page demonstrates this TRB standard as my posts are appropriate and thoughtful.
Through using Twitter and creating this TRB standard, I learned how to use an online platform strategically to reach an audience. Using Twitter effectively doesn’t mean simply outputting information constantly - it is important to interact with others’ tweets (“retweeting” or “favouriting” them). I have taking social media seminars for musicians that go into detail on how to successfully use such platforms, so I feel that I have insight into how to use Twitter to become part of the online teaching community. Being respectful and professional is key to not only how we act in the real world but how we communicate and portray ourselves online, as outlined by this TRB standard.
This evidence has given me insight into the importance in having a professional online footprint, as written words or images cannot be taken back once they are on the Internet. In a world where much of our communication is online, we must choose our words with care because they can be easily taken out of context. This TRB standard and evidence piece reminds me that I am never truly off the clock as a teacher, and the lines between my personal and professional life will forever be blurred.
A strength of my chosen evidence is that it is authentic. This isn’t a Twitter page that I created for this TRB standard, but a recount of my public identity through the past eight years. This genuine collection of anecdotes show my interactions with an online community that reflects my credibility and professionalism in my personal life.
This TRB standard is not only important to me as a teacher, as I value these characteristics in my identity as a human being. Regardless of being in the teaching profession, I want to conduct my life with integrity and a solid moral compass. When I think about who I want to be as a teacher, I think of the ultimate role model, which is outlined in this TRB standard. This identity - one of integrity and honesty - rings through as the person I want to be in all aspects of my life: as a friend, a mother, and a teacher.
I will hold this TRB true as I continue to unify my professional and personal identities, showing integrity, ethics and honesty in all facets of my life. This feeds my attitude that a better friend is a better teacher, a better teacher is a better mother, a better mother is a better friend. As I hold myself to a “better”, higher standard of integrity, all aspects of my life (and the people in it) will benefit.
REFLECTION
I have chosen to include a letter to my employer, written collectively by my coworkers and me in response to a negligence of multiple laws and codes of ethics. I work at a restaurant where workers - myself included - were being taken advantage of with no signs of anything changing. Many of my coworkers have no job security, low education, and few opportunities elsewhere. Many of them didn’t even know their workers’ rights in the first place. This letter of complaints was an appropriate first step in hoping to make positive changes, going to the owner first instead of filing a formal complaint.
I learned a lot through the process of writing this letter. I learned that trying to create change and standing up for what is right and against the authority (in this case, my rich and powerful employer) is really hard. Through this process, staff was intimidated by the higher-ups, and we kept having to remind ourselves that we are supported by the law, and as such, were only standing up for what is right. We also spoke multiple times with the BC labour board, who read and made suggestions for our letter and wanted us to know they applauded and supported us. We knew our strength was in our numbers, so it took a lot of banning together. We learned how important it is to support of each other. I was not prepared for how emotionally taxing and stressful it would be to hold ourselves to better standards.
This TRB standard relates to doing what is right and living a life that is in concordance with the law. The law is meant to protect us in our workplace, but when laws are being broken, we have an obligation to take appropriate steps to make it right. As a future teacher, I was standing up for not only my rights, but the rights of others who were afraid to do so. I also had a first hand insight into how powerful and positive having a union would be, as I learned the struggles one faces without the strength of a union.
A strength of my chosen evidence is that we fought for what was right and ultimately produced changes in a restaurant that employs a significant number of people. For example, employees will no longer be donating their time for free and will get minimal pay for showing up to work. The impact of this evidence will hopefully have widespread, long-lasting impacts on the people that work there.
This TRB standard is important because, as teachers, we are the ultimate role model, and we must act accordingly to what is right. Even if I don’t plan on working at this restaurant for much longer, fighting for the rights of other and future employees was my ethical and moral obligation.
This TRB standard is important to our practice because it not only applies to how we conduct ourselves as teachers, but how we encourage our students to act. We want to create a classroom culture that engrains a strong moral compass in our students to do the right thing and make educated decisions that reflect what they support.
I will hold this TRB standard true by continuing to live my life with a high moral and ethical standard and by standing up for those without a voice. I will also continue to educate others on their rights so they will not face exploitation, in the workplace or elsewhere.
Through the process of writing this letter and exploring this TRB standard, I have gained a deeper appreciation for workplace unions and look forward to becoming involved in the BCTF. I am grateful that teachers are protected and valued and are given platforms for communication and positive change.