Professional Ethics - Part 5a

As I am currently working teaching for three different dance schools in the North, I have taken a closer analysis into one particular school which is most familiar to me. The school teaches students from 3 years old to adults. All dance disciplines are covered, and syllabus work is from the RAD and IDTA. (Royal Academy of Dance and International Dance Teachers Associations for all you non dancers out there!)My observations into what the codes of practise are in this professional community have been interesting, and I am realising more and more which regulations guide the setting into how the school runs and classes take place. The particular school has been established for many years, the ethics that I feel apply here are listed below:

-          All teachers and students to be treated equally, respect from both parties is expected.

-          Classes are to be run on time, sticking to suggested time schedule

-          Uniforms for students are required, this includes correct footwear for each discipline (tap shoes, leather ballet shoes, jazz shoes etc) and rules regarding neat and tidy presentation must be adhered too

-          Parents of students are to wait outside until the class is finished, no class observation is allowed. (To prevent distraction from the students concentration)

-          Students must be dismissed to go to the toilet during lesson, one in one out policy. (Ensuring teachers know where all students are all times)

-          No eating in the studio, water is allowed to be drink whenever but must be kept off the studio flooring

-          Time must be allocated for every student to undergo an appropriate warm up and cool down for each class

-          Teaching staff required to have on hand emergency contact details for each student, however must not use these details for personal use (e.g. social networking sites such as Face book)

-          Teachers to encourage and inspire motivation through a structured time planned lesson designed appropriately on each student’s ability

-          Teachers to never leave a class unattended

-          Applying corrections in a constructive manner and have knowledge of appropriate disciplinary action

-          Adhering to suitable use of musical technology when necessary

-          Teachers to be CRB checked, it is their own responsibility to keep up to date with national insurance and tax contributions

-          Teachers to be a wear of all potential health and safety risks, conduct classes in safe manner

-          Report all incidents immediately should they occur.

What I have noticed here is that some of these pointers are easily measurable, for example, you either are or are not CRB checked, so in cases like this one, ethical standards are more easily attainable. However, I have mentioned factors which incorporate the use of the teacher’s best judgement. In relation to the reader on professional ethics, these factors are a little more complicated. When applying ethics to a situation such as ‘to ensure a sense of equality through having a standard uniform’, one may be tied between descriptive ethics and normative ethics. If one were to simply state the case remaining objective, a child who does not wear the correct uniform should not be allowed to take part. By the student being dressed different to everyone else, they become separated from the other students, and may cross boundaries into health and safety (not wearing the appropriate footwear could result in a student injuring themselves for example). However, if the student were to say they couldn’t afford a uniform, then is it morally right to discriminate them by not letting them take part? Personally, I know I would really have to question what one ought to do all things considered, and consider what my values are and how I express them through the choices I make.  I hope that with greater experience and exposure to such ethical issues, my judgement on what is morally right or wrong would improve.