Job Discussion Forums

Baba Alex · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 2411

Now this IS interesting. Have only skimmed through it myself, but seems a good idea.

http://www.tesol-law.com/codeofethics.php

HOWEVER, would Dave's agree to do such a thing for English Schools. ie. that they should pay the money that they owe to teachers and soforth? Then maybe name and shame those who don't.

I'm starting to sound like someone else.

errrrrrrr. THE BEACH BOYS! I'VE BEEN ON TELLY!

Sheikh Inal Ovar · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 1208 Location: Melo Drama School

Does the 'oldest profession' have such a code?

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

I can't really vote on it. In the context of the language schools where I have worked, it's rubbish, because in the school-as-business context, it just doesn't work.

For example, this:

Otterman Ollie · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 4:29 pm Post subject: None of the above !

On paper at least this is something thats well overdue ,however,we are dealing with a different culture that has little concept of abstract ideals like ethics where even basic down to earth honesty is hard to find . The really sad thing is that my so-called fellow native speakers are the biggest culpruits . Any opportunity to advance themselves and foster nepotism among their toady gangs and stab you in the back at the same time is IMHO the greatest threat to the welfare and wellbeing to the average tefl teacher .
It also has to be said that in most establisments total indifference holds sway and the general mindset among the foreign community in any city or place of work seems to be if they are kicking someone else at least they are leaving me alone . We have a really long way to go among ourselves first before we can truthfully say we have an ethical profession .
Nice idea though ,very nice !

Sheikh Inal Ovar · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 1208 Location: Melo Drama School

Otterman Ollie · Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:06 am Post subject:

Hardly ,especially if you have worked in the real world outside education . But , it does seem our fellow expats are the best or worst perveyors of it .

molly farquharson · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 839 Location: istanbul

I think this code was neither great nor rubbish. It was a rather unwieldy writing down of what most people expect of professionalism. Who are those people anyway? I have been in this field for many years and I have never heard of them.

justme and ollie, you are really sour on teaching here, or maybe you posted on a bad day. I have taught in univs, community colleges, and language schools in three countries, and there is certainly a difference among them, but just because I work at a language school does not mean that I feel less professional than I did at the univ, for example. It is important for the individual teacher to have his or her own code of ethics which is also shared with other teachers. This is a very wide field and I think if you go to international conferences such as TESOL, you would find that teachers from all over the world have similar concerns. These people were trying to codify what professionalism is and that in itself is a useful exercise. Some things don't apply to everyone everywhere, but better to be inclusive, eh?