Journal Entry #4: Promoting the Code of Ethics in Teaching via Online or Flexible Learning Modality

          Though a teacher may have a pleasant disposition, there will always be some learners who pinpoint and ridicule the minuscule faults one has. Soon enough, fury and the thought of retaliation to defend oneself sweep away one's cheerful disposition. The teacher scolds the students on social media or reprimands them in public: the teacher and the student exchange nasty comments. Soon enough, other students or concerned observers take screenshots or videos of the teacher's actions, which they use as evidence against them in a court of law. This scenario is entirely avoidable if one has a go-to list on the teachers' professional code of ethics whenever such a scenario happens. If specific scenarios occur, the teacher can use that go-to list and proceed as calmly as possible.

The teacher should expect that students will unavoidably ridicule them publicly, online or face-to-face, so they should write Section 7 Article 3 in their go-to list. If such a situation where a student does something distressing against their teacher in the classroom setting or public, the teacher should remember Section 7 Article 3, which states that "every teacher shall maintain harmonious and pleasant personal and official relations with other professionals, with government officials, and with the people, individually or collectively." Retaliation against the student will inevitably lead to destroying the harmonious and pleasant personal and official relations with the student, so the teacher should proceed as follows:

1.   Talk personally to the learner who ridiculed them and ask them how one can improve to change for the better.

2.     If the attacks on the teacher are ad hominem, then personally ask the student to refrain from doing such attacks.

3.     If the attacks do not stop despite the teacher's reasonable actions, consult school policy regarding lousy behavior and proceed as instructed.

4.     If the attacks still do not stop, then it is reasonable for the teacher to use legal action as the student profusely violates Article VIII Section 3 of the Code of Professional Ethics for Teachers as well as the Data Privacy Act, specifically Chapter 8 Section 31, malicious disclosure. Article 8 Section 3 states, "Under no circumstance shall a teacher be prejudiced nor discriminated against by the learner." On the other note, malicious disclosure states that "any personal information controller or personal information processor or any of its officials, employees or agents, who, with malice or in bad faith, discloses unwarranted or false information relative to any personal information or personal sensitive information obtained by him or her, shall be subject to imprisonment ranging from one (1) year and six (6) months to five (5) years and a fine of not less than Five hundred thousand pesos (Php500,000.00) but not more than One million pesos (Php1,000,000.00)."

On the other hand, teachers should also know that the hatred generated by students against themselves may stem from the lousy learning environment they created. So they should also include Article 3 Section 1 of the Code of Ethics in their go-to list, which states, "A teacher is a facilitator of learning and of the development of the youth; he shall, therefore, render the best service by providing an environment conducive to such learning and growth." The teacher should create an inclusive atmosphere and ensure students actually learn from their class. In online courses, they should be considerate of their students since not everyone has a good learning environment at home. Some may have noisy housemates, while some may have poor internet connection or low-end gadgets. If teachers follow such steps, they will inevitably create a harmonious and positive relationship with their students.

If, for example, a student unmutes and hears a parent scolding their child, then the teachers should follow Article 9 Section 1 of the Code of Ethics. This provision states, "Every teacher shall establish and maintain cordial relations with parents and shall conduct himself to merit their confidence and respect." The teacher must congenially ask the parent to close their child's microphone or camera to continue the class.

By following the list of provisions in the abovementioned Code of Ethics for Teachers and the Data Privacy Act, teachers can fully understand how they can be "ethical" and "professional" in their conduct of teaching.