Why Do Teachers Have Ethical Violations In The Classroom?

Social media has become a daily part of life, with the line become professional and personal sometimes difficult to discern. According to a 2009 study by T.R. Hutchings, when professionals lack a clear understanding of professional ethics that govern appropriate behavior, they risk violating the “fiduciary relationship that exists in the K-12th-grade schooling environment” (p. iii). These violations may be as innocent as sharing photos of student work or students, which would violate FERPA law and student privacy. Violations could be far more egregious, including inappropriate relationships with students on social media. However innocent a teacher’s intention, both scenarios could potentially result in dismissal or even litigation. It is, therefore, imperative that educators understand their ethical obligations in the use of social media. …show more content…
There is a unique relationship that exists between teachers and students within schools and therefore, teachers are not provided full First Amendment protections, even with off-campus speech (Schroeder, 2013). In 2006, the Supreme Court established the Pickering-Garcetti test, a five-part test, which is the “standard used to determine the First Amendment speech protections afforded to public employees” (Williamson, 2013, p. 732). The first three parts of this test provide the greatest challenge to teachers’ free speech, which include the determination if the speech was related to the employee’s position, if the speech was in respect to public matters, or if the importance of the employee’s speech outweighs the interests of the employer” (Williamson, 2013). In general, courts almost always favor schools (Schroeder, 2013). Educators must consider the reality that very little online information is truly private and determine if an interaction with a student or speech made would be acceptable if made