The Teacher and The Community: Teacher'S Ethical and Profession Behavior (For The Exclusive Use of Prof Ed 9 Students Only)

THE TEACHER AND THE COMMUNITY: TEACHER’S ETHICAL
AND PROFESSION BEHAVIOR
(For the exclusive use of Prof Ed 9 Students only)
Code of Ethics for Professional
Teachers, Article III
The very title of this Unit indicates that teachers are expected to be part of the
community. To be part of the community definitely means to participate in the life of
that community. What is that community referred to here? The 8 Sections of Article
III of the Code of Ethics refers to the community within the school and the
community outside the school. How can teachers be a part of the community? The
various Sections of Article III give more details.
Teacher as Facilitator of Learning What happens sometimes, however, is

teachers complicate the simple and teach
Article III, Section 1 states that the only at the abstract level.
teacher is a facilitator of learning and the To facilitate learning, a conducive
development of the youth… therefore learning environment is necessary. It has
shall render the best service by providing been proven that learners learn best in a
an environment conducive for such pleasant environment. A pleasant
learning and growth. environment is where the learners can be
Facilitator comes from the word themselves because teachers are caring.
“facilitate” which means to make No need to put your best self forward
something easy or easier. You, as the because teachers and classmates truly
professional teacher, facilitate learning or care and take you for who you are. All
make it easier. Learning is a difficult task forms of bullying have no place in a
and is made easier when you make dry conducive learning environment. A
lessons interesting, exciting and conducive learning environment makes
enjoyable. As a professional teacher, you learners believe they can do the work and
make learning easier when you simplify they feel accepted. A favorable learning
the complex and concretize the abstract. climate is not competitive where
This is what is ethical for every everyone is tense.
professional teacher like you ought to do. The teacher who believes that “Every
This you can do after four long years of child deserves a champion, an adult who
academic preparation. will never give up on them, who
understands the power of connection and
insists they become the best they can
possibly be” like Teacher Rita Pierson in
TED Talk is a facilitator of learning.
Teacher Leadership and Initiative for Community Participation

Section 2 refers to the “leadership and initiative of the professional teacher to
participate in community movement for moral, social, economic and civic betterment
of the community.” As professional teachers you do not live in an ivory tower,
meaning you are not supposed to be removed nor aloof from community life. Schools
are at the heart of communities and you as professional teachers are expected to
be-in-the-world and to be-in-the-world-with-others and for others (borrowing the
words of Heidegger).
The words in Section 2 of article III are “provide leadership and initiative…” This
implies that as a professional teacher you have not to wait for the community to ask
for help. Section 6 further explicates how you can show your professional leadership,
to wit: “Every teacher is an intellectual leader in the community, especially in the
barangay, and shall welcome the opportunity to provide such leadership when
needed, to extend counseling services, as appropriate, and to be actively involved in
matters affecting the welfare of people.”
You do not just welcome the opportunity to lead. Section 2, states that you, the
professional teacher ought to take the initiative to offer you help for the
improvement of the community. Many a time, you can be guidance counselor, a
prayer leader, commenter or reader in religious celebrations, fiesta coordinator,
judge in or coach for a contest, financial adviser, a nurse, a doctor, commentator,
prayer rolled into one.
Providing leadership and initiative also means working with the community. This
means getting the parents and other members of the community to participate in
school activities.
Teacher, as they participate in community affairs, prove that they “are the most
responsible and most important members of the society because their professional
efforts affect the fate of the earth.”
Professional teacher with Honor and

Dignity Society expects so much of teachers
Section 3 states: “Every teacher shall that when they fail to live up to the
merit reasonable social recognition for challenge to behave or model good
which he shall behave with honor and behavior, they are “condemned without
dignity at all times and refrain from such trial!” it is no wonder why many are
activities as gambling, smoking, afraid to answer the call to teach. Society
drunkenness, and other excesses, much seems to expect much more from
less illicit relations.” Obviously, if as a professional teachers than form any
professional teacher, you are an other professional and so look at
inveterate gambler, chain smoker and teachers with scrutinizing eyes.
alcoholic or if it is common knowledge The quotation states “The influence of a
that you are engaged in an illicit good teacher can never be erased” but
relationship, how can you have moral the influence of a dishonorable teacher is
authority? Who will listen to you when as lasting.”
you advise your class not to smoke, not
to drink alcoholic drinks, not to gamble,
etc.? Your audience will say “Look, who is
talking!” it is a matter of “do what I say
not what I do.”
Teacher’s Attitude toward Local Customs and Traditions

Section 4 expects every teacher to live for and with the community and shall,
therefore, study and understand local customs and traditions in order to have a
sympathetic attitude, therefore, refrain from disparaging the community.” The
professional teacher is neither ethnocentric nor exocentric. He/she is not ethnocentric
and so does not look down on a community's culture because of the thought that
his/her culture is superior to the culture of the community. Neither is he/she
exocentric and so look at his/her culture as inferior in to other community’s culture.
Fortunate and happy is the community that has teachers who live with them, exert
effort to understand their local customs and traditions and consequently appreciate
the same. These authors see no culture as perfect. Every culture including hers has its
positive and negative aspects. What we need to pass on are the positive aspects of
culture. We need to purify, however, the negative aspects with the teacher pointing
them out tactfully and sincerely.
The Professional Teacher and Information Update

Section 5 states that the teacher “shall help the school inform the community
about the school’s work, accomplishments, needs and problems. Community here
refers to internal as well as external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders include the
students, the parents of the students and the teachers. The external stakeholders are
the other parents in the community without children enrolled in school, barangay
officials and other government officials, non-government organizations, government
organizations, alumni/alumnae and retirees.
Why do these stakeholders have to be informed? The school is there for the
community and so the community has the right to be informed about its activities,
accomplishments, needs and problems. Informing them about the school’s projects,
needs and problems give them a sense of ownership. Having a sense of ownership,
these stakeholders will participate more actively in the resolution of the school's
problems and needs.
The Parents-Teachers Association
We have Parents’ and Teachers’ Associations (PTA) in place in every school. Some
private schools call it the Home School Association or Family Advisory Council. This is
for internal stakeholders only. A PTA is an association of teachers and parents with
children who are enrolled in a school. It is a forum for discussions on school problems
and how they can be solved.
The School Governing Council In addition to PTAs are the School

Other than PTA is the School Governing Council in every public school.
Governing Council. The SGC has different School Governing Council shares in the
membership and function. A School management of the school with school
Governing Council as a policy-making Head as Chair. This School council is
body has the school head as Chief another opportunity of communities to
Executive Officer, Manager and Chief participate in school activities.
Operation Officer. The formation of SGC
in every school is a proof of school head
sharing his/her leadership with members
of the community.
It determines general policies on
student welfare, discipline, well-being; it
is concerned with the development and
implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of the School Improvement
Plan (SIP), and reporting of the progress
of the SIP implementation to the Schools
Division Superintendent and the
community.
The Professional Teacher and Government and Other Professionals

Section 7 states: “Every teacher shall maintain harmonious an pleasant personal and
official relations with other professionals, with government officials and with the
people individually or collectively.” As a professional teacher, you cannot afford not
to be in pleasant relations with others especially those who whom you work with like
other professional teachers. It is always best to be in good terms with everyone else
in the community.
Desiderata gives this advice: “As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms
with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the
dull and the ignorant they too have their story.”
The Professional Teacher does not Use Position to Proselyte

Finally, section 8, says: “A teacher possesses freedom to attend church and worship
as appropriate, but shall not use his position and influence to proselyte others.” To be
in a position means to have power or influence for a purpose, i.e. for you to use that
position to perform your job as a professional teacher. It is highly unprofessional for a
teacher like you to use your position of influence to proselyte. Besides freedom of
religion is guaranteed by the 1987 Philippine Constitution. “No law shall be made
respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The
free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without
discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed.” (Article II, Section 6).

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THE TEACHER AND THE COMMUNITY: TEACHER’S ETHICAL

AND PROFESSION BEHAVIOR

(For the exclusive use of Prof Ed 9 Students only)

Code of Ethics for Professional

Teachers, Article III

Teacher as Facilitator of Learning What happens sometimes, however, is

Teacher Leadership and Initiative for Community Participation

Professional teacher with Honor and

Teacher’s Attitude toward Local Customs and Traditions

The Professional Teacher and Information Update

The School Governing Council In addition to PTAs are the School

The Professional Teacher and Government and Other Professionals

The Professional Teacher does not Use Position to Proselyte

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