Unit 3: Reflection

Character in the Professions: Teaching

Discussion Board Unit 3

Reflection

Please use these discussion boards to interact with your fellow learners. The discussion boards provide a unique opportunity for learners to debate ideas and thoughts generated by the ‘Character in the Professions: Teaching’ course and reflect on the application of theory discussed in your professional lives.

Unit 3 is your opportunity to pause and engage in an active ‘Reflection’ about what you have studied. 

You may find it useful now to go back to the questions you answered at the beginning of the course and reflect on your thoughts. Do your thoughts differ now to when you started the course?

Begin by taking the below Quiz to check your learning and understanding.

Refer back to the dilemmas posed in Unit 2.5 and use the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics ‘Making an Ethical Decision’ app to work through the dilemma. State which dilemma you have tackled and discuss below.

Select one of the following statements and debate either for or against it on the discussion boards:

1. "To be a good teacher, one must always be a virtuous person."
2. "To bring more positive ethical behaviour into the teaching profession, we require more formal character education."
3. "Teachers would be happier if their context of practice better enabled virtuous practice."

Other suggested activities are available, which your course tutor may direct you to.

Please post your comments below and join the discussion. 

2.6: The Good Teacher

Character in the Professions: Teaching

Discussion Board Unit 2.6

The Good Teacher

Review the Code of Conduct and Practice for Registered Teachers document (General Teaching Council for England) and the Teachers' Standards 2011 from gov.uk

 

Consider the ‘you must’ and ‘you should’ terms used in the Teachers' Standarads 2011 document.

Design your own ethical dilemma scenario which challenges the compliance with the 'you must' or 'you should' terms. Create a list of actions available for a teacher and ask a fellow student to read your dilemma and choose a choice of action.

Discuss your answers below:

2.4: Role Models

Character in the Professions: Teaching

Discussion Board Unit 2.4

Role Models

Please use these discussion boards to interact with your fellow learners. The discussion boards provide a unique opportunity for learners to debate ideas and thoughts generated by the ‘Character in the Professions: Teaching’ course and reflect on the application of theory discussed in your professional lives.

Unit 2.4 looks at the importance of ‘Role Models’ as individuals who can set positive examples for others, and who can be admired for their positive qualities or contributions.

Activity 1 invites you to think about who you see as role models in your place of work or study. Can you list 5 qualities of character that each role model displays? Why do you notice those qualities of character in those people? When do they demonstrate these qualities of character?

Activity 2 looks at negative role models. Is there anyone who has influenced you through negative actions, and helped shape who you do not want to become?

Please post your comments below and join the discussion.

2.3: Personal Character Strengths

Character in the Professions: Teaching

Discussion Board Unit 2.3

Personal Character Strengths

Please use these discussion boards to interact with your fellow learners. The discussion boards provide a unique opportunity for learners to debate ideas and thoughts generated by the ‘Character in the Professions: Teaching’ course and reflect on the application of theory discussed in your professional lives.

Unit 2.3 investigates ‘Personal Character Strengths’ with reference to the well-used ‘Values in Action’ survey. Take the survey and self-report your own character strengths.

Activity 2 challenges you to think of a time when you have been required to use one or more of the character strengths which appear in your top 5 from the VIA.
Discuss how you used those character strengths below. Did the virtues compete with one another at any point?

Activity 3 looks at Bystander Effect.

Watch the video and join the discussion:

Why do you think so many people ignored the man in ‘distress’?

Think of an example where you had the opportunity to act virtuously but failed  to do so and chose an 'easier' option. Why did you act in the way that you did? What would it take for you to act in a ‘more virtuous’ way?

Please post your comments below and join the discussion. 

2.2: Teachers in the News

Character in the Professions: Teaching
Discussion Board Unit 2.2
Teachers in the News

Please use these discussion boards to interact with your fellow learners. The discussion boards provide a unique opportunity for learners to debate ideas and thoughts generated by the ‘Character in the Professions: Teaching’ course and reflect on the application of theory discussed in your professional lives.

Are teachers required to be virtuous all of the time?

Can one be a virtuous teacher if one is not a virtuous person?

Can one be a virtuous person if one is not a virtuous teacher?

Unit 2.2 investigates ‘Teachers in the News’. Activity 4 asks you to refer back to the examples presented in Activity 1. Select one of the 10 examples where the teacher(s) has behaved virtuously. Which qualities of character has the teacher shown?

Do you think that all teachers should routinely behave in these ways?

Is it possible to be a virtuous teacher and not be a virtuous person? If so, why? If not, why not?

Activity 5 focuses on cases 1-6 from Activity 1. Having reviewed the cases as if they were journalist pieces commenting on an absence of virtue in each scenario, consider the following questions:

1. What impact may each report have on the notion of virtue in the teaching profession among members of the general public?
2. Do cases 8-10 provide a counterbalance to the examples of vice in the profession, or are they simply examples of "good people" rather than "good teachers"?

Please post your comments below and join the discussion.

1.5: Why Does Character Matter?

Character in the Professions: Teaching
Discussion Board Unit 1.5
Why Does Character Matter?

Please use these discussion boards to interact with your fellow learners. The discussion boards provide a unique opportunity for learners to debate ideas and thoughts generated by the ‘Character in the Professions: Teaching’ course and reflect on the application of theory discussed in your professional lives.

Unit 1.5 asks ‘Why Does Character Matter?’ 

Activity 1 asks you to download the worksheet and discuss the ways in which character was taught and developed at your school or college.

What are challenges or drawbacks to teaching character?

Is character best taught as a discrete subject in its own right, or as part of a whole school ethos and throughout the curriculum? You may wish to refer to some Jubilee Centre publications and resources to inform your thinking.

Can character be developed outside of the classroom and school environment?

Which environment has had the greatest impact on your own character development? Why?

Activity 3 asks you think about the benefits of acting in a virtuous way. Complete the following and discuss with your colleagues:

Activity 4 asks what would you differently with regards your own character development? Were there any missed opportunities to develop your character at school, or home?

Please post your comments below and join the discussion.

1.2: What is Virtue Ethics?

Character in the Professions: Teaching
Discussion Board Unit 1.2

What is Virtue Ethics?

Unit 1.2 asks 'What is Virtue Ethics?'
Activity 3 asks you to write your own definition of virtue ethics based on what you have read and watched so far.
Activity 5 asks you to prepare a brief for your fellow partners in response to the below scenario:

Post your comments below:

1.1: Introduction

Character in the Professions: Teaching

Discussion Board 

Unit 1.1: Introduction

Introduction to the Course

Please use these discussion boards to interact with your fellow learners. The discussion boards provide a unique opportunity for learners to debate ideas and thoughts generated by the ‘Character in the Professions: Teaching’ course and reflect on the application of theory discussed in your professional lives. Please begin by sharing your thoughts on the following questions:

Post your comments below:

Character in the Professions: Teaching

 Welcome to this online course on character and virtue ethics in the teaching profession. The course is centred on the moral theory of virtue ethics. This theory promotes the importance of personal character and virtues for making the right decisions, at the right time, in the right place and with the right people.

As you work your way through the course you will be directed to post comments, answer questions, and share your thoughts with fellow learners on these discussion boards. We encourage you to do so as much as possible. It is important to treat fellow learners with respect. Please read the Discussion Board Guidelines before proceeding. By posting comments on the discussion boards, it is understood that you agree to adhere to these guidelines.

We hope you enjoy the course!