A Higher Standard for all?

Well, I’m back in Thunder Bay, and getting back into the routine of attending classes. After 5 weeks teaching and a 3 week break over Christmas, it is taking a bit to get motivated again.

The first week back was somewhat light, in terms of workload. There are a few new courses for the Winter term, but in all the courses the topic of discussion was primarily how was your placement?

Still, in both the new and returning courses, the prospect of eight more weeks of lectures, readings and assignments hangs over my fellow student-teachers and I like Damocles’ sword.

One of my classes – Educational Law – promises to be both interesting and challenging. Not that I find the topic challenging, in and of itself, but it is one which is essentially a scholarly minefield.

Teachers, as you may well know, are held to a higher standard than many other professions. Especially in smaller communities, but even in mid- and large-sized ones, a teacher’s personal life is frequently held to close scrutiny.

Don’t get me wrong, I agree that teachers, charged with the responsibility of educating and caring for our children, ought to have high expectations to meet with regard to their conduct. But I wonder if societal expectations aren’t perhaps too onerous.

Yes, there have been incidents involving teachers, many garnering significant media attention, locally, nationally, and internationally. But let us be clear: as horrendous and contemptible as these incidents are, the perpetrators represent a minute fraction of those in the teaching profession.

Unfortunately, as is often the case, it is the negative incidents which do attract the most attention, and stay firmly embedded in our collective memories.

But even disregarding such incidents – those involving sexual exploitation or physical assault – there is often an unspoken standard to which teacher’s seem to be held by the public.

Remember last year, when a local teacher was charged with drunk driving after driving across several lawns in her neighbourhood and colliding with a number of parked vehicles?

Many people, myself included, were justifiably appalled that someone would attempt to drive with the apparent level of intoxication this person exhibited.

Others were even more appalled because she was a teacher.

I have made my stance on drunk driving known numerous times in these forums., so you should know that I have little or no tolerance for drunk drivers. But, I do not believe that this person’s profession made her offence more severe.

Now, it would be a more sever offence if a teacher was to be found driving under the influence while transporting students in their personal vehicle, or even while heading to school.

But, a teacher’s conduct “off duty” still comes under scrutiny by the public.

In fact, it also comes under scrutiny by the teacher’s governing body, the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT). And make no mistake, the OCT rigorously maintains the high standards set for its members. The College investigates alleged issues of professional misconduct, and can assess penalties ranging from letters of reprimand, to imposing restrictions, to the cancellation of a teacher’s license.

Teachers are expected to maintain a high degree of both professional and person integrity, even when “off duty,” because that is the expectation the public holds for them. In fact, the public’s expectation of a teacher’s conduct is often higher than that which they would hold for themselves.

Is this “fair?”

Yes, it is, because teachers do spend so much time with, and have such a great influence over, our children. As a result, society needs to be reassured that its teachers maintain a high degree of moral integrity.

For instance, what would you think if you ran into your child’s teacher in a bar, or the LCBO, or if you saw your child’s teacher being pulled over by the Police?

Would your feelings be the same if it was your tax accountant, or your mechanic, or even your kid’s hockey coach that you saw in a bar, an LCBO outlet, or being pulled over by the Police?

Should teachers be held to a higher standard than anyone else?

While we ought to remember that teachers are human, too, I believe that they ought to be held to a somewhat higher standard, because of the time they do spend with our children.

However, I wonder if we shouldn’t all hold ourselves to the same standard we expect of teachers.

But… that’s just my opinion.