Page 9 - Inquiring into the Ethical Dimensions of Professional Practice

Vignette 2: Negative and Contagious Attitudes
I worked with an administrator for several years that many staff found difficult to work with: My colleagues perceived this administrator as being disorganized, arbitrary, unfair and extremely biased. For the first time
in my professional life, I found myself also beginning to speak of a colleague behind her back in the most unprofessional manner. I knew that back-biting and negative attitudes were contagious and unproductive - worst of all, these actions only worsened an already bad situation within our school. Something had to give as I could not continue to behave and think the way I was. I knew I was negatively impacting the culture of our school. I also reflected on how my own actions and thinking had changed so negatively over the course of time at this school. I wondered how I could move forward and once again act from a more positive and ethical place? How could I once again positively contribute to developing and helping to sustain an ethical culture within our school?
Ethical Inquiry Cycle
Ethical Inquiry Dialogic Process
After reading the vignette, educators are invited to engage in critical reflection and dialogue related to the following ethical inquiry process:
1. Experience: Identify the ethical challenge(s), issue(s) or dimensions inherent within this vignette.
2. Reflection: Critically reflect on the underlying values or assumptions that are influencing the professional practices in this vignette.
3. Critical Analysis: Critically analyze this vignette through the ethics of Care, Respect, Trust and Integrity.
4. New Perspectives and Insights: Identify new insights or understandings have been gained from reading this vignette?
Ethical Knowledge and Action
Generate suggestions for enhancing the ethical awareness, sensitivity and ethical efficacy of the educators in this vignette?
Inquiring into the Ethical Dimensions of Professional Practice 7