It is always required of teachers to behave professionally. The professional teacher code of conduct involves things like;
- Proper dress code
- Refraining from romantic relationships with students
- Punctuality
- Timely preparation for every lesson
When teachers follow a proper code of conduct, there are so many benefits that come along with that, and lots of risks evaded. This article discusses the major advantages of teachers maintaining a professional code of conduct. They include;
1. Staying out of harm’s way
When teachers act professionally, they are able to avert risks that could otherwise affect or cut their career short. Some of them include;
- Falling in love with their learners
- Conducting their lessons late
- Dressing up wrongly
- Disrespecting fellow members of staff and/or administrators
Sometimes, teachers don’t intend to do these things. So many times, it’s a result of ignorance about their professional code of conduct.
2. Gives you career longevity
By acting professionally and staying away from things that don’t constitute the professional teacher code of conduct, you increase your chances of lasting in your career and specific place of work. This is because;
- Administrators are always impressed with teachers that act professionally
- Professional code of conduct protects teachers from behaving recklessly
- Helps teachers respond positively to stressful situations
Behaving professionally is hard, but it makes your career a lot smooth if you normalize and make it part of your life.
3. Makes you more efficient
Efficiency is very important as far as every teacher is concerned. A professional teacher code of conduct provides you with the following traits that boost your efficiency;
- Punctuality
- Sticking to the topic
- Making adequate preparations before every lesson
Efficient teachers get things done, and make students excel with flying colors, while they also provide a perfect example for students to emulate.
4. Gives you a good reputation
A good reputation is very important if you need to be successful in anything you do. This is because it attracts people to you. Maintaining a professional teacher code of conduct is ideal because;
- Everyone loves teachers who behave professionally
- Professional teachers are reliable
- Behaving professionally makes you trustworthy
Attracting people is far better than just looking for them. Imagine huge and better paying schools and/or companies calling to see if you can help them out. This can only happen if they trust that you’re a professional at what you do.
5. Boosts your confidence
Confidence plays a great role in making or breaking a teacher. Right from the classroom to other areas of their lives, teachers need to be confident. Behaving in a professional manner makes them more confident because;
- They feel like they’re on the right track/ doing the right thing
- They panic less when they follow the professional code
- Positive reviews/ compliments make them feel more confident
Sometimes, some teachers can always freak out before class, because that’s just how some of them have been for their entire lives. Therefore it takes time.
6. Sets a good example to fellow teachers and students
Maintaining a professional code of conduct is very hard. This is why teachers and students need a living example they can see and emulate. If you behave professionally;
- Fellow teachers feel ashamed to act otherwise
- Administrators use professional teachers as perfect examples
- Students reflect the actions of their teachers
Much as some colleagues might laugh you off because you just can’t “take yourself lightly”, they’ll secretly admire what you are, and be a little envious of your discipline.
7. Promotes a good parent-teacher relationship
When parents hate the way teachers treat them, it can cause a downward spiral of the school’s progress, all the way down to closure.
However, a professional teacher code of conduct bolsters a good parent-teacher relationship because;
- Professional teachers approach parents properly
- Parents admire professional teachers
- Conflicts hardly break out between professional teachers and parents
8. Gives the school a perfect reputation
For schools to have an unassailably good reputation, it usually takes a long time, and that’s explains why 90% of the most recommended schools in Uganda are old, with the top 10 above 50 years since establishment.
When teachers act professionally, it gives the school a good name because of;
- Good student grades
- No reports of sexual immorality or any similar case about the school
- Parents trust that the school can give students a proper moral upbringing
9. Maintains order in the school
Actually, behaving professionally alone isn’t enough for the school to settle in a utopian manner. However, imagine all the teachers behaving professionally is one way for them to behave in an orderly way because;
- Every teacher knows what to do and when
- Teachers easily keep students in check
- All the work gets accomplished however and whenever it’s supposed to
Order is important for the progress of the school, and if there’s one way teachers can make students orderly is by getting themselves in order first.
10. Inspires students to become teachers
The one thing you have to be pretty sure about as you teach your students is, they use you as the basis to make their own conclusions about the teaching career at large. But acting professionally makes certain of the following;
- They admire how teachers do their thing
- Clears the doubt and negative thinking that they previously had about teachers
Of course, this all depends on the kind of student you have. Some of them settle for their beliefs, and it is almost impossible to change them.
Conclusion;
In the overview, every good trait is better done if started right away. If every new teacher knew whatever they had to do as soon as they made it out of college, everything would be probably a little easier. This is because starting off from the wrong foot, or under influence of bad workmates, can be poison to your career.