25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them

Mistake 22: Unethical Behavior
The responsible teacher would
have apologized to the child immediately
and let the child know that
she did not mean to hurt him or her.
She would take the child to the
nurse if possible, acknowledge what
happened, and point out that the
child pulled away and precipitated
the accident. She would make sure
the child’s injury was attended to
SCENARIO 22.5
A Lesson in Deception
171
and that the child was comfortable
before returning to class. If necessary,
she would be willing to
acknowledge the accident to the
class to assure them that the child
would be fine. The smart teacher
would learn from her mistake and
cut her nails or keep her paws off
her students as long as she has
claws.
The worst experience I can remember is plagiarizing my entire senior research paper.
My teacher was a man whom I highly respected and thought of as being very scholarly
and astute. When he returned my paper, he made a note on it that he could tell it was
plagiarized, but still gave me a C and did not make me rewrite it. I learned that subaverage
work was acceptable and enough to get by. I also learned that “scholars” could
look the other way and lower their standards.
A high-school senior with a
developed sense of right and
wrong realized that “giving” a student
a grade is unethical. Teachers
are supposed to model moral and
prosocial behaviors. The astute student
was quick to detect the dishonesty
in the way the teacher graded
the paper. He realized that the grade
of “C” was not a gift. It was a lesson
in deception. The student was obviously
disenchanted with the tea cher’s
willingness to look the other way. It
suggested that the teacher had
low expectations for the student.
The teacher’s motive could have
been to seek the approval of his
students. Perhaps he was giving
the student the benefit of a doubt.
Whatever the motive, the action was
inappropriate.
The best “gift” a teacher can give
a student is honest feedback that will
help to improve the student’s performance.
Expecting students to do the
right thing is an added bonus.
Discerning teachers are unwilling to
accept anything less than a student’s
personal best. If they suspect that
they are getting less, they send students
back to the drawing board for a
redo. These caring actions teach children
to strive for excellence and to
take “good enough” out of their performance
vocabulary. Most of all,
wise teachers make their students
accountable. Plagiarism carries heavy
consequences. Students who knowingly
plagiarize should have consequences
that are not rewarding. Good
teachers only give students grades
that they earn, no more and no less.