Now What? Confronting and Resolving Ethical Questions
A Handbook for Teachers
- Sarah V. Mackenzie - University of Maine, USA
- G. Calvin Mackenzie - Colby College, Waterville, ME
'The Mackenzies show us how to recognize moral dilemmas, employ guidelines for addressing them, and teach us how to resolve them on our own. A gift to educators, the educational profession, and to all who would behave ethically and professionally within it' - Roland Barth, Educational Consultant
Teachers deal with ethical issues on a regular basis, from confidentiality regarding student information to discipline to communication. As moral exemplars, teachers need guidance for handling such challenges. Written by an educator and a national authority on ethics, this professional development resource helps teachers confront and resolve ethical questions.
Featuring richly detailed, real-life case studies, this volume outlines the intricate relationship between ethical propriety and school success. Chapters focus on:
- The role of teachers in developing, sharing, and implementing ethical policies for their schools
- Four guiding principles-the Rule of Publicity, the Rule of Universality, the Rule of Benevolence, and the Golden Rule—for developing ethical approaches and practices
- Relationships between teachers and students, colleagues, supervisors, parents, taxpayers, and other stakeholders
With a facilitation guide and a matrix of cases with corresponding ethical principles, Now What? Confronting and Resolving Ethical Questions is a crucial tool for ensuring equality of opportunity and a quality learning environment for all involved in the educational process.
"This is a book that should set off needed conversations in every school and classroom and school board meeting—and the dinner table. Sometimes I wanted to quarrel with the authors, and that's part of its genius. It always managed to provoke me to think and to engage with these dilemmas."
"Schools are full of situations fraught with ethical implications. The Mackenzies show us how to recognize moral dilemmas, employ guidelines for addressing them, and, by walking us through abundant yeasty cases, teach us how to resolve them on our own. A gift to educators, the educational profession, and to all who would behave ethically and professionally within it."