Task 5B - Official 'Codes of Practice' and 'Regulations'

Task 5B

With regards to 'Codes of Practice/Regulations' so far I have simply focused on the assumed regulations that were instinctive to me as a teacher (Task 5a). These 'rules to abide' have been gathered from my experience of teaching within the private sector and I think it would be fair to say, have been learned through trial and error methods.

It is now time to look at the official 'Codes of Practice' that are stipulated within my Contract of Employment and also from various Professional Sources.

Contract of Employment
I started this task by looking at my Contract of Employment from one of the schools I work for on a Self-Employed basis. I think the main point to highlight here is 'Self Employed Basis'. The contract covers various headings such as Pay, Invoices, Holidays, Sick Pay etc... All of these were very self explanatory and as assumed I am not entitled to holidays or sick pay as I am not employed by the company full time. The main point of focus for me is the section 'Roles and Responsibilities':

A selection from 'Roles and Responsibilities':

• Plan, prepare and deliver stimulating classes that engage the learners.
• From time to time you may be asked to submit a lesson plan (you will be given notice of this)
• All scripts and music, planning, materials are YOUR responsibility.
• Easter term - you are required to give short written feedback in the form of a report. This will be done in your own time.
• Shows - You are not only responsible for your subject but the whole show (sales and marketing, technical requirements, theatre bookings, FOH)

Various other issues are covered in the contract such as giving at least 2 weeks notice if you cannot teach and having to provide your own cover. Wearing the correct uniform, rates of pay, etc..
CRB checks and Confidentiality are also mentioned, but in very brief terms.

In all honesty, the contract gives me no more information than my already assumed 'Code of Practice'. Perhaps it is assumed or it is made obvious in an interview that the employee has a good standard of Personal/Professional Ethics. All the teachers at the school are trained Professionals and therefore their Professional Ethical Standards should be of a high standard and have been instilled through their training and Professional Practice.

I have always been aware that if you work on a 'Self Employed Basis' then the benefits from the employer are much less, however there is nothing within the contract that focuses on employer to employee. In return what does the employer give me?........A job!

I think it is fair to say that this is the first time I have picked up this contract since signing it....I think that says everything! There are no guidelines contained within it that I am unaware of and I am more likely to find guidance and an outline of good ethical practice from other Professional Sources.

Professional Sources As a private teacher I teach various classes to include Performing Arts (covering dance, singing and drama), Acting, LAMDA coaching and one of my main focuses is Mobile Singing Teaching.

Apart from the LAMDA classes which obviously follow a set syllabus, the other classes are all free work/non-syllabus based, therefore I am not affiliated with any particular organisation, apart from obviously following the Organisational Ethics that each school holds.

I decided to google 'Ethics for Singing Teachers' and I came across the following website....

http://www.centralregionnats.org/ethics.php

This Code of Ethics is established by NATS in order that its members may understand more clearly their ethical duties and obligations to their students, other teachers, and the general public, as well as to promote cooperation and good fellowship among the members. (NATS, 2006)

This is actually an American website but the 'Code of Practice' featured has many useful points. Some of the regulations are specific to the organisation but others can be used no matter who you are affiliated to...

Members will present themselves honestly, in a dignified manner, and with documented qualifications: academic degrees, professional experience, or a combination of both

Members will treat each student in a dignified and impartial manner

Members will offer their best voice and music instruction and career advice to all students under their instruction
(NATS, Code of Ethics, 2006)

Another extremely useful website is the CDET for their 'Code of Conduct'. I think this could be considered as a Dance Teacher's bible! It has all the relevant information/guidelines that you need to follow. Of course with teaching there is no black and white, but if you try to follow these ethical guidelines you can be confident in teaching with good ethical standards.

http://www.cdet.org.uk/teaching-and-qualifications/code-of-conduct/

The document covers the following headings:

Fundamental Principles

Integrity

Objectivity

Competency

Courtesy and Consideration

Confidentiality

Publicity

Teaching Names

Data Protection

Health and Safety

Standards of Good Practice

Notification

It is the 'Standards of Good Practice' section that really stands out for me, particularly the following statement...

communicate a love of dance and encourage the art of dance (CDET, 2012)

So often we get tied up in following rules and regulations that we forget the real reason we are teaching and why we love what we do :)

SummaryComparing my Task 5a and Task 5b I have realised that mostly my assumed regulations are those which are stipulated within statutory sources.

As a self employed teacher it is extremely important to have a good strong set of Personal and Professional Ethics. With these you need to be able to follow the Organisational Ethics of the establishment you are working in and hope that with a combination of all three types of Ethics you will provide the best possible standard of teaching you can.

Ethical problems start to arise when your Personal/Professional ethics conflict with the ethics of the organisation. No matter what basis you are employed under (full time/self employed), you have a duty to respect the employer and follow their 'way of doing things'. Jobs are hard to come by, but perhaps it is advisable to consider the ethics of the organisation before committing to them. If you have strong personal/professional ethics which conflict then perhaps it is best to walk away?

What do you think about this statement? Would you be willing to walk away from a job if you had real conflict with the ethics of the establishment?

I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on the above and particularly from fellow self employed teachers on their experience with contracts/codes of practice etc.