Chipola College
Task 6.1.2: Analysis of Slippery Situations
EDG 4410 – Classroom Management and Communication
Standards Infused and Assessed
Florida Educator Accomplished Practice:
6.2 - Professional Responsibility and Ethical Conduct. Identify statutory grounds and procedures for
disciplinary action, the penalties that can be imposed by the Educational Practices Commission against a
certificate holder, and the appeals process available to the individual.
Task Description
The teacher is presented with a set of fifteen scenarios representing potential ethical conflicts and is asked to
describe what he/she would do in each situation by answering three general questions based on the Florida
Teacher’s Code of Ethics and Principles of Conduct.
What to submit?
The completed worksheet (see attached).
Directions
As a teacher you will be presented with situations that require a quick decision. You will need to consider how
you can avoid potential ethical violations while still supporting the needs of your students. In this task, you are
asked to consider fifteen scenarios and describe what you would do in each situation using the Principles of
Professional Conduct Scenarios Worksheet (attached). For each of the scenarios respond to the following in the
space provided.
Principle(s) Violated. Is there a potential violation of the Principles of Professional Conduct, and if so, which
Principle(s) are at risk in this scenario? List the number/letter of the violation in the middle column.
Teacher Reaction – Verbal response or Action required.
 In Part A of the worksheet, determine what would you actually say to the parties involved that shows
that you are responsible, dependable, and concerned about your students? Assume that you are
responding to someone who knows little about the ethical implications of the situation, and provide as
detailed and helpful a response as you can. Record your ‘verbal response(s)’ in the third column. Note:
Do not enter comments such as “I would say ….”. Simply enter what you would say.
 In Part B, what action would you take to protect yourself and your students? Do not simply respond yes
or no, but write a description of what you would do in the situation.
© Copyright 2002, Florida Department of Education
Principles of Professional Conduct Scenarios Worksheet
Part A Scenarios: Verbal Response Required
Scenario #
Principle(s)
What you would SAY – Do NOT
Violated
start off with, I would say, just
write a script.
1) Advice: One of your
students shows up alone at
your home and wants to
discuss a situation from school.
He claims that a gang is
bullying him and he can't tell
at school or he'll be attacked.
He has several bruises. That's
why he came to your house.
What do you do?
2) Rights: One of your
students is openly gay and
tells you that he/she is gay.
This conflicts with your own
religious beliefs and makes
you uncomfortable. The
student wants to talk to you,
because she is having trouble
"fitting in." She is crying. What
do you do?
3) The Press: Your principal is
running for superintendent and
a local reporter asks your
opinion about the principal.
What do you say to the public?
4) Public Role: You are a
member of a civic group, club,
church, or organization, and
you are asked to speak
representing that group on a
controversial matter. You are
introduced as a teacher. What
do you do?
5) Privileges: You are the
music teacher at your school
and teach private lessons at
home on the weekend. One
day, you go to buy music at a
local store for your private
students and the owner only
charges you half price for
being "a good customer."
There is a brochure in the
shopping bag for a band rental
offer. What do you do?
6) Free Speech and Equity in
the Classroom: Your eighth
grade class is studying earth
science. You assign the class a
science fair project with
grading criteria. They are
supposed to set up a poster
display on a project related to
the course content. One
student comes in on display
day and sets up a religious
scene of God creating the
world in seven days. You
explain to the student that the
display isn't consistent with
the criteria - it's not from a
topic in the book. The student
insists that his parents
approved the topic after
reading the science book and
encouraged the project.
7) Confidentiality: You are in
the teachers' lounge and
cannot help but overhear
several other teachers
discussing student
performance on exams,
including student names and
scores. The teachers' lounge is
not very private; office
personnel wander in to get
coffee, and the door often
stands open even though
students pass by regularly and
can overhear anything said.
What should you say to the
talkative teachers?
8) Faculty Interactions: You
commit to car pool for the year
with two other teachers.
Everyone chips in for gas. One
teacher is a gossip, who tells
exaggerated stories about
other teachers every day, but
shows up on time. Would you
continue to car pool? What
would say to the car pool
participants?
9) Academic Dishonesty: Your
students are talking with each
other about an FCAT
administration given the
previous day, and you hear
them mention that your
colleague who was proctoring
the exam gave several
students "clues" that assisted
them in answering some
questions. What do you do?
Part B Scenarios: Action Required
Scenario
Principles Violated
10) Alcohol: During an overnight field trip with students,
one of the chaperones brings a
cooler of beer and wine to
share after the students go to
bed. You check the field
manual, which doesn't mention
alcohol, but you are not sure if
you are responsible for the
kids after they go to sleep. You
would sure like one glass of
wine or bottle of beer. What
should you do?
11) Family Values: Your
spouse is a well-respected
business person in the
community - liked by everyone
- and has a master's degree in
economics. You have a perfect
marriage with three wonderful
children. Your spouse smokes
marijuana occasionally to relax
and uses no other nonprescription drugs. You
smoked when you were in
college 20 years ago. Everyone
did. You don't smoke anymore.
Neither of you has ever been
caught. What do you do?
12) Community Relations: You
are married to a real estate
broker and teach in a rapidly
growing community. You send
home a student profile sheet
the first week of school. Your
spouse asks you to share the
names, addresses, and
information so he can
approach them for new
customers. What should you
do?
13) Equal Opportunity: There
is a state drama contest and
What you would do.
you are the advisor for the
drama team. You have a
population of mostly Hispanic
and African American students
in your school and club. This
year's selection for the contest
is a scene from Shakespeare.
You need six parts and have
eight majority white students
in the club. You are sure that
pronunciation is one of the
major criteria for judging. How
do you pick the parts?
14) History: Before you
started teaching, you served in
the Peace Corps. While
overseas, you were arrested
and jailed for “subversive
activities” not appreciated by
the foreign government. It was
years ago and you don’t want
a school district to think you
were a criminal, so you didn’t
report the arrest on your
application. You know it won’t
show up on a criminal record in
the US. What should you do?
15) Community values: Your
best friend teaches middle
school science, and is an active
conservationist, supporting the
Green Party. During the
summer he has gone through
all the materials, removing
lessons that teach processes
that he disagrees with (nuclear
reactions) and substitute
lessons from the political
material he receive (global
warming). He tells you this is
within his academic freedom.
What should you do?
Task 6.1.2: Analysis of Slippery Situations
Name: ________________________________________
Submission #: ____
Florida Educator Accomplished Practice Indicators:
6 -Professional Responsibility and Ethical Conduct. Understanding that educators are held to a high moral
standard in a community, the effective educator adheres to the Code of Ethics and the Principles of Professional
Conduct of the Education Profession of Florida, pursuant to Rules 6B-1.001 and 6B-1.006, F.A.C., and fulfills the
expected obligations to students, the public and the education profession.
Decision for FEAPs on this Task:
___ Demonstrated
12 to 15 scenarios are coded correctly in both Principle(s) violated and teacher reaction.
___ Partially Demonstrated 10 to 12 scenarios are coded correctly in both Principle(s) violated and teacher reaction
___ Not Demonstrated
Less than 10 scenarios are coded correctly in both Principle(s) violated and teacher reaction.
· Must resubmit on or before the following date: _______
· Although the original grade is final and no points are added for resubmissions, failure to
resubmit by the deadline will result in a ten point PER DAY grade reduction.
· For all resubmissions – the original assignment and grade rubric must be included with
the resubmission.
Rating Scale Key: A = acceptable; M = marginal; U = unacceptable
Rating
FEAP
6
A = 2 pts.
M =1 pts.
U = 0 pts.
Criteria for "acceptable" rating
Points
The student demonstrates his/her ability to apply ethical principles defined by the Florida Code of Ethics
and the Professional Code of Conduct to a wide variety of proposed situations. The student identifies
potential violations and offers suggestions for avoiding/correcting each situation.
For each of the situations, the teacher has made the correct linkage to the
Florida Code of Ethics (as appropriate), indicating an adequate
understanding of the principles of the Code.
__ A __ M __ U
For each of the situations, the teacher has provided a verbal response or a
choice of action to be taken that would avoid a "slippery situation" while
still expressing concern for the students and/or colleagues and their wellbeing.
__ A __ M __ U
It is clear that the teacher understands actions that should and should not be
taken by a teacher that will avoid violating the Code of Ethics.
It is clear that the teacher knows how to act responsibly and dependably.
The strategies proposed are consistent with the Code, ethical, and realistic.
__ A __ M __ U
Reflection is included and addresses all FEAPs for this task.
(-10 points for missing or unacceptable reflection; -5 for marginal reflection ;)
Total Points: 6/6
Improvements Needed/Comments: