1. Summarize the case (1/2 page)
The case that I am analyzing is the Incapacity Case Study, which outlines a situation with a teacher who is inappropriate with his students and ultimately faces the consequences. The teacher was found to be using foul language towards the students, and allowing for both inappropriate and illegal actions in her classes, such as smoking or drinking alcohol. Additionally, she was absent from school without notification more than once and missed important deadlines for submission of grades to be put on report cards. Following a meeting with the principle and a board investigation, mental illness was identified and the teacher was placed on paid sick leave. Following a concerning letter from the teacher, the investigation
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Identify the legal (citing specific education laws) AND ethical (citing specific OCT principles) issues. (1-2 pages)
The legal and ethical issues in the Incapacity Case Study are based on the actions that took place while the teacher was in the presence of students and others in the school. The ethical issue violations include those of care, respect and integrity, while the education laws that are called into question are those of morals and absences
The ethical standards of the OCT are vital values for teachers to be successful in a school. Care is outlined as involving compassion, acceptance and interest for one’s students, which the teacher did not follow through her yelling of curse words and her disregard for illegal actions taking place under her supervision. The OCT ethical standards on respect involve aspects of human dignity and emotional wellness. The teacher under investigation failed to show human dignity by shouting foul words and disrespectful insults at the students in her class. By swearing at her students, a lack of respect for emotional wellness is shown as well. The teacher is clearly unable to show respect for her own emotional wellness throughout the investigation, as evident in her handwritten letter accusing the principal of ruining her reputation, and her inability to fill the prescription for her medication out of fear. Under the umbrella of integrity, the reliability and moral action of the teacher can be called into question when evaluating
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My case focused on the mental health and illness of a high school teacher who was influencing adolescents by her inappropriate behaviour in the classroom. The article Mental Health in Schools: How Teachers Have the Power to Make a Difference discusses the role that teachers have in promoting mental health awareness and how a teacher can intervene to assist a student in need (Meldrum et al 3). The content of my case relates to this article by citing the importance of awareness, identification and intervention when someone is suffering from a mental illness, and how an individual can take a stand to assist in the recovery of a mental illness (Meldrum et al 4). Additionally, the case that I have analysed relates to the safety of the school community members. As discussed in the Parents’ Guide to the Ontario Code of Conduct, the standards of behaviour directly relate to the issue at hand in the Incapacity Case Study, as it is stated that “School community members must not: give alcohol to anyone under the legal drinking age” which took place before the removal of the teacher from the classroom (2). This document outlines the requirements of all school members, including staff, in order to promote a “positive school climate and a safe learning and teaching environment,” a topic that we have discussed greatly in PROF310 (Parents’ Guide to the Ontario Code of