Contact+Zone-+Personal+Lives+of+Students


 * __Nina Bender and Blake Craft __**
 * __Lesson on “Not Knowing” - __**

 ** (Hook) **  – **2 Videos Clips**. Students will be shown two examples of teacher/student interaction and will determine which one was appropriate and which one was inappropriate. **(2 min)- Nina**

 ** (Intro) **  – Explain “appropriateness continuum” and describe a teacher at a local middle school who has a close relationship with students and invites them to his home. Ask for student’s feedback on this scenario and to affix it on the “appropriateness continuum.” **(3 min)- Blake** Break groups up and provide 4 different scenarios for them to discuss **(5-7 mins)- Nina introduce scenarios** - Article in Lancaster Newspaper discussing the morality of “friending” students on Facebook. - You're reading a student’s notebook and you see their writing has become more depressing and morbid over the last two months. The writings do not directly suggest suicide or them wanting to hurt anyone, but your intuition tells you this student is close to acting out on their feelings. You are aware this student had lost a brother around the same time these writings began, but the student has never talked with you about this incident. You decide to show the writings to the school counselor, who suggests a team meeting with you; the counselor, the student, and the parents get scheduled immediately, which you do. - Rachel enters your class and is complaining about her mother never having enough food in the home and not cooking breakfast for her. You decide to call the cafeteria to see if there is any food leftover and they say there is not. Because you do not have any food of your own, you decide to let Rachel pick out a reasonably healthy snack from the vending machine, which you pay for. After class, you provide her with a form for a reduced fare on the school lunches to prevent this from happening again. - Your student, Dave, is an excellent soccer player. He is involved with a travel club that is not affiliated with the school, but he asked you to attend his championship game this upcoming weekend. The location of the game is two hours away, but Dave told you his family would provide for your transportation as well as your meal while you are there. You see this as an opportunity to help guide a gifted student and play a “mentor” role in his life. Conflicted, you decide to attend the game, and offer to pay for your part of the trip, but his family declines your offer.
 * (Body) **

Have groups write where they think their scenario falls on the continuum and defend their case **(10 min)- Nina and Blake facilitate Discussion** Ask if students would rearrange their scenario after hearing all scenarios- **Blake**

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> ** (Closing) ** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> – <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Explain difficulties of not being able to find a list of “dos” and “don’ts” and read segment of L-S School district’s policy for Teacher’s Code of Ethics **(1 min)- Blake** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Ask if they wish to rearrange their scenarios based on the PA Code of Conduct- **Nina** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Exit Card- //What is one way you plan to get to know your students on a personal level?// **(If time permits)- Blake**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Discuss PA Code of Conduct (2 min)- Nina **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">LESSON PLAN GUIDE Name:_­­­­­­____Nina Bender and Blake Craft_______ **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Context for classroom: (course, grade level, class description) **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Teaching English Secondary Education, college students in pursuit of teaching English at the secondary level
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Context for lesson (brief description of Unit and background for today’s lesson): **


 * **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Unit Question(s) ** ||
 * ¬ **** ® ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Lesson Question(s) for today ** ||
 * ¬ **** ® ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Description of “understanding” students are expected to work toward today **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.6667px;">(Knowledge? Skills? Dispositions?) ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">-What are the concerns of first year teachers? || ** ¬ **** ® ** || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">How do teachers find a balance between being a professional teacher, while still getting to know their students on a personal level?

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">How would teachers approach these boundaries given specific classroom examples? || ** ¬ **** ® ** || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Students will be able to discuss positive and negative ways of how to handle situations presented between teachers and students.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Students will rank appropriate behavior on a continuum and be able to provide defenses for their choices. ||


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Title of Lesson: //How Close Can You Go?// **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">What specific evidence will reveal that students have explored this understanding, and in how much depth, today? <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Through group discussion students will provide a defense as to why they chose to rank their scenario on a specific level of appropriateness. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">What assessment process or activities are most likely to reveal this understanding? <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">- Appropriateness continuum conducted with student’s input <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">- Students will have the opportunity to defend their choices <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">- Students will be able to change their answers (if needed) after being introduce to the PA Code of Conduct <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> **Prompting understandings:** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Use //WHERE// questions to guide your planning for today’s lesson: <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">1) //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Where //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;"> are students headed today and how do they know this? > <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">2) When and how are students //Hooked//? > <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">3) When and how are students //Equipped// to //Explore// such understandings? > > <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">4) When and how do students //Reflect// upon and //Revise// their thinking? > <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">5) When and how do students //Exhibi//t what they know, and when and how are they //Evaluated//? >
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Recognizing “understandings”: **
 * 1) //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Towards understanding what is appropriate and not appropriate in a student/teacher relationship //
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Video clips in the beginning
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Will be given individual scenarios to debate and will present defenses for their decisions
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">After reviewing all scenarios and the PA Code of Conduct, they will have the opportunity to adjust the “appropriateness continuum.”
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Their knowledge will come from defending their choices
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Exit card- Write down on the way they plan to implement appropriate behavior into their own classroom


 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">Materials needed: **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">- Computer for Youtube video <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">- Lancaster Newspaper with Facebook article <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">- List of L-S School District’s //Code of Ethics// for teachers <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">- PA Code of Conduct Highlights <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">- Scenarios for student/teacher interaction

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13.3333px;">__**Scenarios for Groups**__

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Group 1 **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Group will be given article in Lancaster Newspaper discussing the morality of “friending” students on Facebook.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Discuss Susan Heydt’s decision to “friend” her students on Facebook with your group and answer the following questions.


 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Do you think this teacher is making an appropriate decision?
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Would you do anything differently?
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Where does this decision fall on the “appropriateness continuum?”

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Group 2 **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">You're reading a student’s notebook and you see their writing has become more depressing and morbid over the last two months. The writings do not directly suggest suicide or them wanting to hurt anyone, but your intuition tells you this student is close to acting out on their feelings. You are aware this student had lost a brother around the same time these writings began, but the student has never talked with you about this incident. You decide to show the writings to the school counselor, who suggests a team meeting with you; the counselor, the student, and the parents get scheduled immediately, which you do.


 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Do you think this teacher is making an appropriate decision?
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Would you do anything differently?
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Where does this decision fall on the “appropriateness continuum?”

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Group 3 **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Rachel enters your class and is complaining about her mother never having enough food in the home and never cooking breakfast for her. You decide to call the cafeteria to see if there is any food leftover and they say there is not. Because you do not have any food of your own, you decide to let Rachel pick out a reasonably healthy snack from the vending machine, which you pay for. After class, you provide her with a form for a reduced fare on the school lunches to attempt to prevent this from happening again.


 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Do you think this teacher is making an appropriate decision?
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Would you do anything differently?
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Where does this decision fall on the “appropriateness continuum?”

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Group 4 **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Your student, Dave, is an excellent soccer player. He is involved with a travel club that is not affiliated with the school, but he asked you to attend his championship game this upcoming weekend. The location of the game is two hours away, but Dave told you his family would provide for your transportation as well as your meal while you are there. You see this as an opportunity to help guide a gifted student and play a “mentor” role in his life. Conflicted, you decide to attend the game, and offer to pay for your part of the trip, but his family declines your offer.


 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Do you think this teacher is making an appropriate decision?
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Would you do anything differently?
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Where does this decision fall on the “appropriateness continuum?”

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Group 5 ** **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 32px;">Should teachers, pupils be 'friends?' ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">More school districts are frowning upon interactions between students and teachers on social networks <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">By BRIAN WALLACE <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Staff Writer <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Susan Heydt likes to use Facebook to remind her students of upcoming assignments and check on them if they've had a difficult day in her class. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Heydt, a secondary gifted teacher in Donegal School District, said she's "glad to be a safe adult that can be available to support my students" through the popular social media site. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">But more and more school districts are frowning upon such interactions between teachers and students on Facebook, Myspace, Xanga and other social networks, claiming they blur the professional boundaries between educators and pupils and can lead to problems. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">In Missouri, the Legislature recently attempted to ban all personal contact between teachers and students through social networks, but a judge blocked the law because it infringed on free-speech rights. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">A revised statute now requires all school districts in the state to implement their own policies on online teacher-student interactions by March. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Other states reportedly have been considering similar restrictions, although Pennsylvania apparently is not one of them. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">In Lancaster County, only one school district — Conestoga Valley — has a policy barring personal social media interactions between students and teachers. Most other districts discourage such contacts — sometimes strongly. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">"Absolutely do not do it, do not do it, do not do it," said Charlie Reisinger, technology director for Penn Manor School District, which for several years has urged its teachers not to accept or initiate "friend requests" from their students. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Teachers need to tell students, "I'm setting a boundary," and "we're not friends," Reisinger said. "Even though teachers have private lives, they're still professionals. Our standards of ethics never go away. We can never loosen them or relax them." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">When students become part of a teacher's online inner circle, the student-teacher dynamic is altered, leading to the possibility of inappropriate relationships and bias toward students, school administrators say. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">And whatever information and photos a teacher posts on a site can end up anywhere in cyberspace — even after a teacher removes them. That "online fingerprint" can cause problems for educators. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">••• ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">In a highly publicized case, a student teacher at CV High School was removed from the classroom after a photo she posted on her Myspace page surfaced. The image of Stacy L. Snyder showed her holding a cup to her mouth and wearing a pirate cap; beneath it was the caption "Drunken Pirate." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Snyder claimed her First Amendment rights had been violated when Millersville University denied her a teaching degree, and she sued the university. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">But a judge ruled it was the school district, not MU, that took action as a result of her interactions with students. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Teachers and public employees have limited First Amendment rights, the judge said. They're protected when they speak out as citizens on public matters, but the institutions they work for may curtail their speech rights in their professional capacity. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">The state's largest teachers' union urges educators to think about the materials they post online this way: If you wouldn't gladly show them to your mother, your students, your superintendent or the editor of the New York Times, don't post them. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">The Pennsylvania State Education Association also recommends teachers do not respond to friend requests from their students or their parents. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">In recent years, most school districts in Lancaster County have shared similar guidelines or recommendations with their faculty, although CV's policy — first adopted in 2009 — is the only outright ban. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Heydt said she never initiates friend requests with her students, but if a pupil she knows asks to "friend" her, she'll accept. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">She posts reminders on her Facebook page of due dates for upcoming projects, links to interesting or challenging videos or articles that might be of interest to her students or their parents. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Heydt also checks in privately via Facebook with students who are applying to colleges or having difficulties in class. She also sends private messages of congratulations or encouragement to her pupils. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Heydt is careful to keep her Facebook page clear of potentially controversial material. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">"Do I think twice before referencing alcohol or adult jokes in my posts? Absolutely. If I want to say something of an adult nature, I say it in a private message to other adults only," she said. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Heydt warns young teachers about the ramifications of failing to remain a "professional public persona." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">"As a 50-year-old, I am less concerned about students misconstruing my communications with them as 'friends' and am glad to be able to be a safe adult that can be available to support my students, both on Facebook and in private messages." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Facebook, she said, "is an effective tool to connect with students in crisis or to challenge them on a deeper level." **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">••• ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Kevin Bower, a teacher at Pequea Elementary School, agrees that online social media is a powerful way to inspire students but says Facebook is the wrong venue because of its open format. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Bower uses a variety of other online tools with his sixth-graders that are monitored by Penn Manor School District, including Moodle, Google Docs and Edmodo. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Through these and other sites, his students can engage in group discussions from home, send and receive private messages from Bowers, edit each others' work, collaborate on homework assignments, watch classroom videos and perform other tasks similar to what they could do on Facebook. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">But unlike Facebook, the sites are monitored and closed to the public. Bower can edit out any offensive material before it is posted, and parents can access the sites via passwords. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">The online tools "help me get to know my students and their learning styles much more quickly," Bower said. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">"The awesome thing about using Moodle is that everything is safe and archived by the school district. With Facebook, you're on your own. You're not supported by anyone." **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">••• ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Heydt said her district also provides teacher access to Moodle, but many students won't bother to sign onto the site from home. Meanwhile, nearly all of her pupils are on Facebook — a lot — so they're easily accessible. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Sites specific to individual schools and teachers don't allow the broad exchange of information and ideas that Facebook can provide, she said. And social media sites are a great way to monitor what's happening in the larger school community. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">Heydt said teachers last year noticed an uptick in negative comments on Facebook involving Donegal and another school. Teachers spread the word, and before the situation escalated into physical confrontations, the principals of both schools met to defuse the situation. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">"There is so much good available on the Internet," said Heydt, who considers herself a role model for her students on how to use social media responsibly. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">"My biggest frustration," she said, is how "the small percentage of teachers who handle themselves inappropriately" online have prompted schools to restrict online teacher-student interactions. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">"I know I'm using it for good and not evil, and I'm not sure that a policy in place is going to change the behavior of someone who's going to use it in a bad way," she said. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">But Reisinger said Facebook is too open and unfocused to be of true value as an educational tool. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">"It's almost a mind-numbing stream of random thoughts. We are increasingly saying, 'Where is the instructional value in that?' " he said. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">"It's better to say no to using it and just simply provide some good alternatives." <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;"> Read more: <span style="color: #003399; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14px;">[|http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/463005_Should-teachers--pupils-be--friends--.html#ixzz1ZCeoIcJg]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> When deciding upon what is and is not appropriate as far as student-teacher interactions go, it is important that we decide as teachers what kind of relationships we want to have with our class. According to Ruby Payne, author of __Understanding Poverty__, discusses at length the idea of teacher-student relationships, and how these relationships are essential into creating a productive classroom environment. At the heart of these relationships is the concept of respect; when a student feels respected they are much more likely to open up and express themselves. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Because the term “relationship” holds so many different meanings, Payne describes the type of relationship she means on page 144: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What then, is meant by relationship? (Should students become my personal friends? Should I go out with them?) A successful relationship occurs when emotional deposits are made to the student, emotional withdraws are avoided, and students are respected. Are there boundaries to the relationship? Absolutely – and that is what is meant by clarifying expectations. But to honor students as human beings worthy of respect and care is to establish a relationship that will provide for enhanced learning. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">So should we have explicit relationships with students? ABSOLUTELY NOT. But should we take the time to get to know them as individuals, as specific learners who deserve our undivided attention? Yes. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> As we will come to find, and as Payne goes into at great length in her book, forming strong relationships with our students can do more than just create a comfortable classroom environment; these relationships can actually provide much needed structure for those in poverty. Whether or not we have experienced it yet, it is almost inevitable. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “Nationally, the number of young people living in poverty increased from 14.7 million in 2009 to 15.7 million in 2010”. The Bureau also states that, “…children who are poor before age six have been shown to experience educational deficits”. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> With the growing struggles of poverty in their lives, students in these low socioeconomic situations are especially in need of a strong relationship with influential adults, such as teachers. Payne writes, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">“When students have been in poverty (and have successfully made it into the middle class) are asked how they made the journey, the answer nine times out of ten has to do with a relationship – a teacher, counselor, or coach who made a suggestion or took an interest in them as individuals” (143). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Because relationships between student and teacher could be so misconstrued, each state has put into practice its own form of behavioral conduct. The two sections of the Code of Conduct that this lesson will focus on are Section 4: Practices, and Section 5: Conduct. Under Section 4, the Code states that: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> 4) Professional educators shall exhibit consistent and equitable treatment of students, fellow educators and parents. They shall respect the civil rights of all and not discriminate on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, culture, religion, sex or sexual orientation, marital status, age, political beliefs, socioeconomic status, disabling condition or vocational interest. This list of bases or discrimination is not all-inclusive. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> 5) Professional educators shall accept the value of diversity in educational practice. Diversity requires educators to have a range of methodologies and to request the necessary tools for effective teaching and learning. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> 6)Professional educators shall impart to their students principles of good citizenship and societal responsibility. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> 7) Professional educators shall exhibit acceptable and professional language and communication skills. Their verbal and written communication with parents, students and staff shall reflect sensitivity to the fundamental human rights of dignity, privacy and respect. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> 8) Professional educators shall be open minded, knowledgeable and use appropriate judgment and communication skills when responding to an issue within the educational environment. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> 9) Professional educators shall keep in confidence information obtained in confidence in the course of professional service unless require to be disclosed by law or by clear and compelling professional necessity as determined by the professional educator. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> 10) Professional educators shall exert reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions which interfere with learning or are harmful to the student’s health and safety. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">All of the above conditions are required, by law, to be upheld. Further into the Code, section 235.5 discusses specific conduct in regard to relationships with students. It states that “the professional educator may not: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1) Knowingly or intentionally distort or misrepresent evaluations of students. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">2) Knowingly or intentionally misrepresent subject matter or curriculum. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">3) Sexually harass or engage in sexual relationships with students. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">4) Knowingly or intentionally withhold evidence from the proper authorities about violations of the legal obligations as defined within this section. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Though each school in Pennsylvania has to abide by the same Codes of Conduct, each school writes up their own rules in regards to teacher-student relationships. In the Lancaster school district, Lampeter-Strasburg provides the following code of ethics for employee and student relations: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">“District employees are entrusted with the physical and mental well-being of every student. Therefore, employees shall treat students with respect and care and be aware of their proper roles as public servants, role models and contributors to student development. Employees shall not exploit, harass, or discriminate against any student or require students to perform work or service that could be detrimental to their health.” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Essentially, this is all of the information provided to new teachers who are given the responsibility of caring for multiple students. Clearly, it leaves many “gray” areas as questionable circumstances will arise through the school year, and teachers will struggle to find the balance of relating to students on a personal level while maintaining the role of a professional educator. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> When it really comes down to it, deciding what is appropriate and what is not in the classroom will be based upon our best judgment. By this stage in our education we are aware of what is indefinitely crossing the line when it comes to our interaction with students. However, to give a clear-cut list of what actions are right and which are wrong in every case would be impossible. How we react to our students is situational. We have provided you with the legal standards that are fully expected to be upheld in every circumstance, however, the rest of the learning process is up to you. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> When deciding which action to take, think back to the in class examples and the justifications you made for those pretend responses. Why did you choose to answer in that way? Would your response have been different had the situation involved a different student? Ask yourselves what would benefit the student, what would benefit your relationship with them, and if any harm could be done to the student or yourself. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Don’t forget; you are not in this alone. You will not be placed in a school with only new teachers that have the same struggles as you do. USE YOUR RESOURCES. If you don’t know how to handle a certain situation, ask one of your colleagues (provided it does not interfere with your teacher-student confidentiality). Principals, counselors and other faculty members are there to help you make this transition, and it is much better to gain their insight than to make a potentially harmful mistake.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Student-Teacher Relationships: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Pennsylvania Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Lampeter-Strasburg School District: Code of Ethics: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Putting It All Together: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Works Cited <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">"Code of Ethcis." L-S School District School Board, 7 Sept. 2011. Web. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Payne, Ruby K. "Chapter 9: Understanding Relationships." //A Framework for Understanding//

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> //Poverty//. Highlands, TX: Aha! Process, 2005. 143-44. Print. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Pennsylvania's Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators, <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">§ 4-5 //et seq//. Print. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Wright, Lori. "1 Million More Children Living in Poverty since 2009, New Census Data

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Released Today Shows." //EurekAlert! - Science News//. University of New Hampshire, 22

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Sept. 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2011. <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-09/uonh-

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