In my opinion, the purpose of the Code of Ethics and Principles of Professional Conduct

of the Education Profession of Florida is a guide to what the expectations are for teachers in

Florida. Teachers are held to a higher standard due to the amount of responsibility that we take

on as a teacher. Teachers are not babysitters or a referee for students who are disagreeing.

Teachers are the conduit to knowledge, love, motivation, and respect. Teachers spend the most

amount of time with these young people and in some cases the only positive portion of a young

person's day. This is the reason the code of ethics exists so that we can be the model for students

to become productive citizens and possibly one day take a position that may do the same.

At the school that I intern at, I am fully aware that as a bilingual male Hispanic, I am a

model for the students that I teach and I have to ensure that I follow all of the principles that are

set forth for teachers. When I am in the classroom, my intent is to develop an equitable

environment that allows all my students the opportunity to learn in the manner that best suits

them. A specific example is with my student Eddie (a pseudonym used for privacy). Eddie is

considered below level for both Math and ELA and when I work in small groups, Eddie is

usually working with me. In the math classroom, we were working on rounding using the

strategies that were taught by my math CT. Eddie was having some difficulty with it and I sought

to use a method that I had learned last semester with regards to allowing students to use invented

strategies per the teachings of Mr. Van De Walle. As Eddie was counting on his hands he had an

“aha” moment and determined a way to remember when to round up or down that he called “four

down and five up”. I named the strategy after Eddie and when we concluded small groups I made

a point to explain this strategy to his peers and allowed him to explain it. I have learned from my

internship supervisor Mrs. Reiser that naming these invented strategies after the student who

created it allows them to feel that they are in control of their learning. Through my inquiry and
wondering task for this semester I am also recognizing that when students feel that they can take

control of their learning, it helps to build students' self-motivation and autonomy.

I feel that the connection to the Code of Ethics would match number two and three of the

obligation to the student which is “Shall not unreasonably restrain a student from independent

action in pursuit of learning” and “Shall not unreasonably deny a student access to diverse points

of view”. Although I was working in a small group setting with the student, I did not provide him

the strategy that he created and I did not prevent his point of view on the matter to be swayed.

All of my students can complete the tasks and assignments that they are asked to complete and

the manner that they do so is based on what benefits them. A blanket approach to learning does

not equal success because it is universally understood that not all students learn the same. If I had

denied him the use of this strategy, it would deny him the ability to learn. That is completely

against what the Code of Ethics is built on.