Educators act ethically and maintain the integrity, credibility and reputation of the profession. We as educators are role models for not only our students but society in general. We are responsible for our actions while at work and outside of work which means that we need to be cognizant of how we act and what we say in public because we are representing educators as a whole. We as educators need to set high standards for ourselves and colleagues and contribute positively to the perception of our profession of teaching. This also means that we need to know the Professional Standards for BC Educators and make sure we follow them. We also need to recognize the importance of the standards and how they relate to our profession.
The photo below was taken during the 2024 Prince George Iceman, which is a multi-sport winter event that takes place annually. The team I was a part of was an all-education program team, and I participated in the 5k part of the race. This photo represents the importance of maintaining integrity, credibility, and the reputation of the profession when outside of the classroom. As educators we need to act professionally even when we are not “at work” and while engaging with the community. The ability to represent the school of education was really cool and I am proud of my team. Being a teacher does not mean that we will not have lives outside of the classroom, which is where Standard 2 comes into play. We need to make sure that we are acting professionally whenever we engage with or take part in events or activities in our communities because anything deemed negative or questionable can come back to reflect poorly on our profession as a whole. Making sure that we as educators do not speak poorly of other staff and students either while at work or outside of work is important to maintaining professional standard 2.
