Standard 2: Educators act ethically and maintain the integrity, credibility, and reputation of the profession.
Its important to remember that educators are held to a higher standard than others; they are meant to be pillars of their community and need to act accordingly. They way a teacher acts both in the school and out of the school will be contributed to the school they teach in as well as the perception of the teaching profession as a whole. Some ways that teachers maintain the integrity of the profession outside of the classroom are after school clubs and activities, volunteering, and helping others in their community. While teachers are held tightly to the standard, it’s important to remember that we are all fallible and can make mistakes. It’s how we take responsibility for our actions and work toward the betterment of ourselves that show who we are as people.
The idea of having to carry the entire reputation of the teaching profession on your shoulders feels extremely daunting, one slip and the whole thing comes tumbling down. This idea quite honestly scares me; as a teacher my every action and choice will be seen and judged by others, no matter what my intentions might be. The way that I combat these feelings of uneasiness is to think about my future students. I need to be a role model for them, and to be my best self for them. If my students can learn from me and take my lessons with them as they grow, then I will know I have followed standard 2.
Photo credit: Maddie Corbett, February 2023.