6a. Adheres to the Code of Ethics and the Principles of Professional Conduct of the Education Professional of Florida pursuant to State Board of Education Rules 6B-1.001 and 6B1.006, F.A.C. and fulfills the expected obligations to students, the public and the education profession.
The Code of Ethics and the Principles of Professional Conduct provide educators with a set of rules to which they must be compliant. While I did not encounter any situations that were too scandalous during my final internship, I still made an active effort to stay within compliance of these aforementioned rules. As I worked closely with my mentor, our students, and their parents, I learned a great deal about these children. I made sure to never use their names when communicating with those outside the school. Additionally, if I did need to discuss a situation, I chose to do so where I could not be overheard, so the information could not be misconstrued by someone not involved in the conversation.
Many first-time teachers can get pulled into the negativity of lunch room gossip. They want to be liked or accepted by the other teachers, so they choose to disparage their colleagues to fit in. During my final internship, I made sure to keep all of my remarks positive and constructive. Even when I heard others around me gossiping or speaking ill of a colleague, I would excuse myself from the conversation or simply keep my thoughts to myself. Teachers already work hard enough for recognition from the rest of the world. We, as educators, should be building one another up and not tearing each other down.