Using the Code of Conduct to proactively support teachers . . . Helen Kinsey-Wightman This year I have begun working for the Teaching Council as part of one of their Teacher Complaints Assessment Committees. There are several committees throughout the country who meet once a month to review cases of alleged teacher misconduct. This work has been both challenging and thought provoking. It has led me to think about how we can create more support for teachers so that they better understand professional conduct and can avoid accusations of misconduct. Teachers whose conduct is reported to the Teaching Council, due to a mandatory report by an employer or a Police vet which reveals a previous offence, experience a great deal of stress. Many choose – or are required to – give up teaching at least temporarily and this can have significant financial impacts on them and their dependants. In addition their reputation, confidence and mana are seriously impacted. How can we support teachers to understand what professional responsibility looks like in New Zealand and to step in when we see teachers heading down a path which may ultimately lead to an allegation of misconduct. These are my initial thoughts: 1. Ensure all teachers are familiar with Our Code Our Standards: This document sets out expectations for the teaching profession with considerable clarity. The accompanying document The Code of Professional Responsibility: Examples in Practice is a useful tool to talk about professional expectations and should be part of every new teacher’s mentoring programme. At a time when we can expect to be supporting more teachers from overseas who may have a variety of different understandings of appropriate teacher conduct, we have a duty to ensure all of our staff are familiar with this document at induction. 2. Have clear policies and guidelines to keep teachers safe and talk about them often: Ensure staff understand their obligations under the Vulnerable Children’s Act, the guidelines on Physical Restraint and so on; talk about how to use social media responsibly and professionally as a teacher; what should they do if a family member accesses pornographic content on their school laptop; how should they report disclosures made by a student; what does safe teacher behaviour before look like on a school camp. 3. Talk to teachers when we see problems emerging: I believe that in many cases a teacher’s conduct is often the subject of gossip and discussion within the school community
well before a complaint is made. Leaders may sweep low-level incidents and concerns under the carpet because we are afraid of having a difficult conversation. This can result in a teacher continuing with behaviour that could ultimately result in the loss of their practising certificate. The code is a valuable document in creating the context for such a difficult conversation. Ask the question, ‘How do you think your one on one conversations with Student X after school fit with the Code of Practice requirement to engage in ethical and professional relationships with learners that respect professional boundaries?’ The teacher then has the opportunity to reflect on his/her behaviour and if necessary make changes. School leaders can ensure that they are protecting students from harm and supporting staff to look after their own professional reputation. 4. Look out for signs that teachers are struggling: It is my observation that when teachers get into situations where they use physical force or inappropriate language with students there have often been tell-tale signs that they are out of their depth in their classroom management and an offer of support at an earlier stage could have made a difference. This can be particularly challenging when the teacher has had a long career as a successful teacher and due to a change in personal circumstances or ill-health their practice is suffering. Again, a conversation that starts from a place of concern for a teacher’s wellbeing and reputation, ‘I’ve noticed that you have some students with challenging behaviour in your class and I wonder if you need some support . . . ’ may begin a conversation that allows a teacher to share their struggle and get the support they need. 5. Ensure staff know about their obligation to self report: If a teacher is convicted of a criminal offence punishable by a jail term of three months or more, they must tell the Teaching Council within a week of that decision. Teachers convicted of drink driving offences are frequent referrals to the Teaching Council. Again, it is likely some of these situations are preventable. Having everyday conversations about teacher wellbeing create an environment where we can keep staff safe. It may be worth thinking through how would we act if we saw a colleague experiencing a relationship breakup and we became aware that they were drinking excessively and were potentially driving under the influence? Is this our business?
6. Ensure staff know where to get support: Make talk about teacher wellbeing part of school culture, think about investing in a scheme such as EAP which enables staff to get some free sessions of counselling to talk through personal and professional challenges. Look out for groups of teachers who may be especially vulnerable – teachers of Te Reo Māori often report feeling especially alone and under pressure as school’s lean on them to meet their expectations under Te Tiriti – paying for them to attend the PPTA Māori Teachers Conference is an investment in wellbeing; the PPTA provide extra support to teachers who identify as part of the Rainbow community; teachers approaching the end of their careers may need extra support to adjust to all of the changes we regularly challenge our staff to take on.
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7. Invest in leadership: Ensure staff on the frontline of dealing with challenging people and situations ie yourself, your Senior Leaders and Guidance Counsellors have supervision/counselling support. Invest in professional development for syndicate leaders, HoDs/HoFs in coaching skills ie the GROWTH model, training in Hard to Have Conversations and the tools to support these ie Viviane Robinson’s Open to Learning Conversations and Jennifer Abram’s Having Hard Conversations resources.
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