Mrs. McLean's Classbook Page

Essential Question: How does a school �crowded with people, tasks, and time pressures� (Hoy & Hoy, 2009) manage its diverse student population effectively allowing for the continuum of learning?

Classroom and school management is crucial for learning. According to Hoy and Hoy (2009), �no productive activity can take place in a group without cooperation of members�. Cooperation is vital to academic achievement. Key factors in obtaining student cooperation are healthy social and mental health of the student population. According to 6B-1.001 Code of Ethics of the Education Profession in Florida,

1.  �The educator values the worth and dignity of every person, the pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, acquisition of knowledge, and the nurture of democratic citizenship. Essential to the achievement of these standards are the freedom to learn and to teach and the guarantee of equal opportunity for all.

2.  The educator's primary professional concern will always be for the student and for the development of the student's potential. The educator will therefore strive for professional growth and will seek to exercise the best professional judgment and integrity.

3.  Aware of the importance of maintaining the respect and confidence of one's colleagues, of students, of parents, and of other members of the community, the educator strives to achieve and sustain the highest degree of ethical conduct.�

Educators must also adhere to 6B-1.006 Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida:

�Obligation to the student requires that the individual:

a.   Shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning and/or to the student's mental and/or physical health and/or safety.

b.  Shall not unreasonably restrain a student from independent action in pursuit of learning.

c.   Shall not unreasonably deny a student access to diverse points of view.

d.  Shall not intentionally suppress or distort subject matter relevant to a student's academic program.

e.   Shall not intentionally expose a student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement.

f.    Shall not intentionally violate or deny a student's legal rights.

g.   Shall not harass or discriminate against any student on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, handicapping condition, sexual orientation, or social and family background and shall make reasonable effort to assure that each student is protected from harassment or discrimination.�

In addition to the above Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct Codes, teachers must also adhere to IDEA in supporting students with disabilities. Supports include behavior intervention plans (BIP) maintained and updated regularly to be administered by classroom teachers, special area teachers, and other support persons. The law requires that students with disabilities cannot be disciplined in the same manner as their non-disabled peers if their actions are related to their disability. There are exceptions for serious offenses (Heward, 2009).