PROFESSIONAL ETHICS, CODES OF CONDUCT AND DRESS CODE DURING TEACHING PRACTICE EXERCISE

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS, CODES OF CONDUCT AND DRESS CODE DURING TEACHING PRACTICE EXERCISE

By

Fowowe, S.S.

HOD, ECCE,

AOCOED & Lagos State Chairman, Association for Childhood Education Practitioners.

“Teaching practice is the thrust and hub of teacher education. It is a programme (course) that pre-service students should not toy with; interns should take it with all seriousness because of its overt and covert importance/benefits. Teaching practice, you are an inevitable journey every pre-service teacher must embark on”… (Fowowe, 2015).

Let’s ponder and react to this conversation:

Student A:    Now that our T.P starts on the 12th of October, there is an urgent need to master and if possible, cram the content of subject matter we will be teaching in our schools.

Student B:    Why cramming, just load your pocket with Naira, as soon as the supervisor arrives, shower him/her with gifts, brown envelope and oratory comments, the rest is history.

Student C:    I disagree with you, what is important is to master the use of child-centred methods, sorry, methiodics and pedagogics, I meant to say jare, learnt during principle and practice classes held recently.

Student D:    Haba! Why do you all reason this way? T.P exercise is more than the way you’ve described it… Though I agreed with student A and C but disagreed totally with student B. T.P. provides opportunity to the beginning teachers to become socialized into the profession. It is dissemination in practical reality, of what has been learnt during the courses: principles and practice of teaching, micro teaching theory and practice, content knowledge, pedagogic content knowledge and general knowledge of the learners, etc. Students on teaching practice must therefore exhibit the professional ethics, codes of conduct and conform with the appearance and dress code of professional teachers.

Who is a student teacher?

A student teacher, as the name implies, is an intern posted to a school to perform some obligatory pedagogical, leadership and administrative role for a period of time.

In the context of College of Education, bearing in mind the demand of the new UBE curriculum, the T.P. students is a newly promoted 300L students who is posted to a crèche, nursery, primary, junior or senior secondary school or Adult/non-formal settings for practice teaching to give them appropriate exposure at that level and context.

It is for a period of six months October-March/April of the following year. T.P students are however expected during this internship, to uphold the following professional ethics mentioned by student D.

Teachers' Professional Ethics

Teachers' professional ethics, as contained in the Teachers' Handbook are as follows:

1.         Teachers shall live within their means; they shall not misappropriate funds, neither take bribes nor engage in corruption in any shape or form. 

2.         Teachers shall not have immoral dealing or be involved in any indecent relation with pupils.

3.         Teachers shall not smoke within the school premises nor be involved in any way in the possession use and offer of any illegal/hard drugs. 

4.         No teacher shall engage in any form of private practice or private lessons for fee during school hour or engage in remunerative activities except approved by the commission or by the appropriate authority, teachers shall not participate or encourage any act of indiscipline In the school.

5.         Teachers shall not make any defamatory statements or comments about their colleagues and the Head of school in the presence of the students or members of the general public.

6.         Teachers shall not belong to secret cults or organizations which are likely to be detrimental to the progress of the school.

7.         Teachers shall not reveal examination questions to anyone and shall not engage in any examination malpractice. 

8.         Teacher shall not exploit students put in their charge.

9.         Teachers shall not engage in any act of indiscipline like fighting, use of vulgar language, abusing and other acts that are unbecoming of a teacher.

10.       Teachers shall not use their position to promote partisan politics.

11.       Teachers shall not impose their religious beliefs on students and others.

12.       Teachers shall not be found wanting in their mode of dressing and comportment.

(Lagos State Post Primary Teaching Service Commission, 2003:34-46)

Codes of Conduct of student teacher should be mastered

i)         Student teachers are expected to stay in the school(s) to which they have been officially posted.

ii)        On no account should any student-teacher change his/her school of posting without due clearance from the Directorate of Teaching Practice.

(iii)      Violation of (ii) above will attract appropriate sanction which could be repetition of the teaching practice exercise at the next available opportunity.

(iv)      Student-teachers are expected to come, to their schools of posting punctually (on or before 7.30am) and regularly (Mondays through Fridays) except on public holidays and to leave after afternoon assembly.

(v)       The attendance register provided by the school of posting must be duly adhered to.

(vi)      Persistent lateness, early departure and absence from school of posting without the permission of the Head-teacher/Principal would result in suspension from the teaching practice exercise and repetition at the next available opportunity.

(vii)     Cases of illness must be reported to the Head-teacher/Principal as soon as possible. If it’s serious enough to warrant absence from school, a medical certificate or report must be obtained from a Medical Director in any Government Hospitals or the College clinic. Medical certificate or report obtained from Private Hospitals will not be accepted and such cases may be treated as absence without permission.

(viii)    Shabby, flamboyant or indecent dressing to school would attract appropriate sanctions including suspension from the teaching practice and repetition at the next available opportunity.

(ix)      Any reported act of rudeness, insubordination to and non-cooperation with headteacher/principal, cooperative/subject teacher and other staff of the school would attract suspension from the teaching practice exercise and repetition at the next available opportunity.

(x)       Student teachers are expected to keep up to date records in the school especially lesson plan/note.

(xi)      Reported cases of immoral or indecent relationship with pupils will attract an immediate suspension from the teaching practice exercise. This will be followed by an investigation by the directorate of teaching practice. Thereafter, the student- teacher will face the College Disciplinary Committee and if found guilty, the student teacher may be suspended or dismissed from the college.

(xii)     Student-teachers are expected to participate in all curricular and co-curricula activities in their schools of posting.

Any other proven act of misconduct by the student-teachers will attract appropriate sanctions as may be prescribed by the Teaching Practice Directorate.

Students on T.P should appear like a well trained professional teacher at all times, especially while on duty. They should not appear like someone that is being forced to be a teacher. Therefore,

Appearance and Dress Code of Teacher-Trainees 

The student-teachers' demeanour is very important in portraying one as a bad professional. It has to do with whether the student-teacher is well composed, neat and simple or not. His personality is the totality of what makes him as an individual distinct from others around. The dressing should be modest enough and not like that o· someone going to a disco show or masquerade fiesta. Okunneye (2007) opined that the appearance of student-teacher should not depict someone that is being forced to be a teacher. 

v    There should be obvious signs of regular bathing and proper hair care to reflect neatness and modesty.

v    Teeth and the entire dentition should be well cared for,

v    There should be no mini-skirts, as student-teachers skirts should not be too short as to make pupils drop mirrors on the floor in order to reveal the few upper parts of her thigh that remain unexposed.

v    Female student teachers should not put on trousers except trouser suit and its top.

v    Native dress which involves tying a wrapper should not be put on by female student teachers except on Friday.

v    Male student-teachers should put on decent shirts and trousers corporate for the profession not those sewn for social outings. (suit and tie are excellently acceptable but jeans no matter how expensive should not be worn).

v    Slippers (however costly it may be), should not be put on by the student- teachers.

v    Back-less, sleeveless, show-your-navel etc, macaroni, spaghetti, indomie type of tops should not be put on by student- teachers; especially female.

v    Shoes to be put on by professional teachers and student-teachers should not produce knocking sounds that distract attention and adversely affects the teaching-learning process.

v    Make-ups by female students-teachers should be moderate and not like the "Karete" or well known "lagbaja", turning the student-teacher to a comedian; as such distracting the attention of the pupils.

Discipline of Student-Teacher

Maintaining discipline among the student-teacher is an important dose for any purposeful education. Student-teachers need discipline in order to be well adjusted professional teachers. They need discipline in order to appreciate what the ethics prescribe. The following are the professional misconducts that are not expected from student-teachers:

(i)        Unauthorized transfer of T.P Service to another school.

(ii)       Abusing a student verbally, physically, psychologically, emotionally or sexually.

(iii)      Drunkenness by the student teachers during school hours.

(iv)      Failure to keep statutory and appropriate records as expected e.g. Scheme of work, Diary, Lesson note, Attendance register, etc.

(v)       Disobedience and flagrant disregard to the constituted authority e.g. Head teacher, Principal, Officials from LGEA and Quality Assurance Unit, Directorate of Teaching Practice, Supervisors, etc.

(vi)      Perpetuating or engaging in illicit acts such as immodest dressing, stealing, fighting, laziness, loafing, etc.

(vii)     Instigating students to riot and protest against the interest of the school.

(viii)    Outright disregard for the co-operative teacher through gangsterism and the likes.

(ix)      Unguided utterances and leakage of information or divulging information of the school at your disposal without the authority of the school to do so.

Conclusion:

As you launch out for the highly rewarding exercise, always remember that you are an ambassador of this great College. I therefore challenge you to put into use the expertise, skills and pedagogy acquired during your 100 and 200 level days, most especially during micro teaching (theory and practice).

The seeds that you will be sowing as from Monday, will germinate when you least expected, therefore go out there to stir up the giant in the learner and make them unstoppable for the future endeavours….

Wish you all happy world teachers day as Nigeria joins the rest of the world to begin the implementation of the newly accepted seventeen (17) sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Thanks for listening.

Fowowe, S.S.

HOD, ECE

AOCOED.

Written by AOCOED BLOG

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