Read the NAEYC Code of Ethics
NAEYC Code of Ethics (2011)Answer the following questions:
Professionalism Questions
- Pick 2 Professionalism Questions — but not the 1discussed in class. Identify the question you chose and answer it:
- Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
- Is it professional to wear sweat pants when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
- Is it professional to talk to families about what is wrong with the program? Why?
- Is it professional to share what families have told you about their personal life with other staff? Why?
- Is it professional to tell families when they should stop giving their child a bottle? Why?
- Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas — but not the 1 discussed in class
- Which situations did you pick?
- How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY?
Reply to 2 other posts — try to reply to people who had different views or answered differerent questions/ scenarios then you do.
Pick 2 Professionalism Questions — but not the 1discussed in class. Identify the question you chose and answer it:
1.Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why? It is not professional to have long nails while working with infants and toddlers because you can accidentally scratch them and their guardians will most definitely be upset also working with kids is a fast paced job and you should not have long nails because it can affect you from completing certain tasks. For example: Picking a child up because they might be trapped in an obstacle or playground and you need to pick them up as fast as possible to get them out of that pickle.
4.Is it professional to share what families have told you about their personal life with other staff? Why? No it is not professional to share something personal about a child’s family member to your colleagues because that information is confidential.
Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas — but not the 1 discussed in class
Which situations did you pick?
8. Zelda is a child in your class and Marcus is her father. Marcus comes in one morning with sunglasses on. As he puts Zelda down, she knocks the sunglasses off Marcus’ face and you notice he has a black eye. You ask if everything is OK. Marcus tearfully shares with you that his wife has been physically abusive recently because of the financial stress the family has been facing.
9. You heard Jacob’s family mention to the director during drop-off that his newborn sister was in the hospital with the flu. Jacob is starting to cough, sneeze, has a runny nose, and is lethargic. You take Jacob to the director and share you think Jacob might be getting the flu too. The director takes his temperature and he doesn’t have a fever. She tells you she doesn’t want to bother Jacob’s family since Jacob’s sister is in the hospital. She says not to mention this to the families of the other children and reminds you to wash her hands well.
10. The part-time teacher on your team often does things a little differently than the rest of the teaching team. She will whisper to the children or encourages them to be quiet or play quietly. She cleans up without speaking to the children or the other members of the team and does not add to the team meeting. When you ask her about how she is doing, she always smiles and says she is fine.
How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY?
8. I would tell the parent privately that I apologize for what he is going through and suggest that the family seeks counseling.
9. I would suggest to the director to get a second opinion and check in with the school nurse or health person to insure that his symptoms are not contagious to others and keep this information confidential.
10. I would have a sensitive and direct conversation regarding those aspects and give her suggestions on how to change her tone in a positive way.
hi Selanie, reading over your post was very interesting because i saw your perspective on how you would handle situations and it helps us learn to make us realize if we should have a different approach with things but overall great work!
I feel like you piced the most stressful siituations in your ethical dilemmas and gave really sound professional answers for how you would handle them. Would you consider reporting the family to CPS that was suffering abuse?
How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY?
Pick 2 Professionalism Questions — but not the 1discussed in class. Identify the question you chose and answer it:
Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
It is not professional to have long nails while working with infants and toddlers because you can scratch or harm the child by accident and leave marks. This will not look good and can get you in trouble because if the child comes home with scratches for long nails the parent can get you fired. It is important to follow all safety precautions in order to make sure the Child’s best interest is met. Therefore if you work with children long nails would not be advised.
Is it professional to tell families when they should stop giving their child a bottle? Why?
It isn’t professional to tell families when they should stop giving their child the bottle because it is the decision of the family when they want their child to stop doing something because they know what’s best for their child. However you can influence their decision by telling them in a different form by saying it is to help the Child’s development proceed but in a professional manner.
Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas — but not the 1 discussed in class
Which situations did you pick?
How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY?
2. You have a new co worker in your classroom.She appears to strap James who is 12 months old into the stroller on the way to the park. A she pushes the stroller a little way James slides out of the stroller onto the floor. James cries but does not hit his head, or have any cuts, red bruises, or marks on him.
3.Agressive behaviors have been increasing in your toddlers classroom. Families are complaining and demanding something is done.One of the teachers on your team has started to use time out. Two of the other teachers are not comfortable with this approach.
4. A family demands you tell them the name of the child who bit your son.
I picked situation 2 to 4 because I wanted to pick it in order and address how I would have handled this situation. The coworker in the firs scenario should have taken better safety precautions to ensure the child is safe. Luckily the chid was not harmed but it is still important to notify the parent of what had occurred. She was new so obviously she still didn’t know any better I would have informed her what to do that way no more mistakes would occur. In scenario 3 there could have been a better method to address the children behavior. There could have been a meeting and better observation to control the problem. Then come up with a safe and friendly solution which would keep the children under control while informing their parents first. In scenario 4 there could have been a better way to handle the situation. If a parent is demanding a name you can give them the child’s name. Have a meeting with both parent’s and come up with an understanding. This is how I would have handled those situations and why I chose to write about them
Hi Briana, I enjoy reading your post and I love the situation and what you would do. Great point. If they was ani there teacher in the classroom with you, I would alway keep my eyes on my co worker because it’s my class and I would be responsibility for anything that would happen to the kids.
Hi Briana, i completely agree with you saying that its unprofessional to tell parents when to stop giving their child a bottle because that the parents responsibility and only they can make those decisions when it comes to their kids
2. Is it professional to wear sweat pants when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
Yes, it is professional to wear sweat pants when working with infants & toddlers because you will spend most of the time sitting on a floor playing with them.
1. Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
No it is not professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers because you could accidentally scratch one of the children, it’s unsanitary germs are able to hide under the nail.
Hi Annamarija! I have never thought of sweatpants being useful since you are going to be all around the classroom with the kids. This is a very interesting and good attire to wear.
Hi Annamarija I totally agree with you because sweatpants are needed especially if you are kneeling or playing and moving around. nails are also dangerous because they can hurt the childrens.
This is how I would professionally handle these situations using code of ethics.
1. Question 7: I would allow for the parent to take the toy home for its use to bring as smooth transition to the child. According to ethics I.1-12, one of our ethical responsibilities to children “To work with families to provide a safe and smooth transition as children and families move from one program to the next.”
2. Question 9:
According to the principles section P. 2-9, I have a responsibility to inform the other families in the class about cases of the flu in our classroom. The flu has the ability to expose the other children to infection.
3. Question 8:
According to principle p 2-13, I would respect the family’s right to privacy however, I have reason to believe that child’s welfare is at risk. So it is permissible to share confidential information with individuals who had legal responsibilities for intervening with the child’s interest.
Hey Annamarija,
I agree on question 9, it is important to inform families about the flu.
Bianka — Thanks for replying to Annamarijia’s comment. I wonder, why do you agree it’s important to inform families about the flu?
Hi Annamarija, I agree with question 7 , toys will make it easier for the kids to adapt
Emily — Thanks for replying to Annamarijia’s comment. Why do toys make it easier for children to adapt to a new program?
Pick 2 Professionalism Questions — but not the 1discussed in class. Identify the question you chose and answer it:
Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
I believe that is not professional to have long nails when working with infants and toddlers because it is not safe at all. You can harm them while changing their diaper or mistakenly scratch any parts of their body while doing any activity with them. This will cause trouble to the families and they’ll will loose trust even though it was not intentionally.
Is it professional to share what families have told you about their personal life with other staff? Why?
I do not think that sharing families personal life is professional. I do believe that any comment or anything that families would want to share with you is confidential and it is not okay to gossip or judge them in any way. Educators can try their best to understand their situations and just listen. I think that’s an act of professionalism instead of spreading the word.
Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas — but not the 1 discussed in class
Situation 4:
In this case, I would first try to stay calm if the parents is demanding his/her child’s bitter name and its causing negative energy. Next, I would tell the parent that I can not say who bit his/her son because it always stays confidential due to future conflict with the other child’s parent. I would say to the parent that we apologize for what happen, that us educators will always observe the children but wont promise to stop the negative actions that may occur in the future, but would surely try to prevent it.
Situation 1:
In this case, If the mom comes to pick up her son in a unprofessional way, I would stop her and tell her that she is in no condition to pick up her son for his safety in a professional matter. Even though her performance is not overly exaggerated, she stills smells like alcohol. I would first call my supervisor and ask her if its okay to pick up her son. If the supervisor tells me that she can not pick up her child, I would tell the mom that i have to call another family member on the child’s list or any person that I can contact with that’s on the list. If she doesn’t agree than the supervisor handle things professionally. I know I avoided future problems and all that matter is the child’s safety.
Situation 2:
In this case, I would make sure the baby is okay. Then I would let the new co worker know the regulations and safety before going outside. Before she takes action I would show her myself first to avoid conflict. In this matter I would not throw any negative actions toward her because she would feel embarrassed and would bring her down. Instead I would make sure to talk to her and make sure it wont happen again. This is a case where I have to report the incident even though the baby shows no scratches, marks or bruises because it later can show any marks when the baby goes home. That way also the mom knows what already happened with her child and would prevent any future concerns.
hey Bianka, while reading over your responses I agreed with what you stated because of the way you would handle situations is very understanding and well thought of. Great Job!
Hey Bianka! I definitely agree with your answer for situation 2. It is very thoughtful about thinking of how she would feel and keeping that in mind. It is also very smart to still report it since marks can show up later.
Hi Bianka, I enjoy reading your post and it’s interesting. Well for me if the parents is demanding me to tell them who bit there kids. I would have a meeting with both parents and solve the problem, it I would tell both parent that would never happen back again.
Your sincerely JASMATTIE
Pick 2 Professionalism Questions:
1.Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
– It is not professional to have long nails because if we have an accident with one the kids even if it wasn’t intentional we are still hurting a child and its not professional to have that.
2. Is it professional to wear sweat pants when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
– It is professional to wear sweat pants when working because as much as we want the kids to be comfortable we ourselves would want to be comfortable too because we are very hands on and move around a lot as well.
Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas:
1. You have a new co-worker in your classroom. She appears to strap James, who is 12 months old, into the stroller on the way to the park. As she pushes the stroller a little way James slides out of the stroller to the floor. James cries but does not hit his head, or have any cuts, bruises, or red marks on him.
– I would’ve had her double check with me to make sure James was strapped on correctly so that this situation wouldn’t have occurred.
2. Anthony is an infant in your classroom. Earlier in the week Anthony’s mom told you she got a promotion at work. She was very happy and mentioned that she was going out Friday to celebrate. When she comes in Friday to pick up Anthony, she is in a very good mood. She is smiling and laughing. When you go to hand her Anthony, you notice she smells like alcohol. She isn’t stumbling when she walks and she isn’t slurring her words. He is the last child in your room for the day.
– I would ask Anthony’s mom if she is okay to even take her child home of not then figure out a solution that she is comfortable and agrees with so that they are both okay and get home safe.
3. Aggressive behaviors have been increasing in your toddler classroom. Families are complaining and demanding something is done. One of the teachers on your team has started to use time-out. The two other teachers are not comfortable with this approach.
– I would try out this approach if this behavior continues to get worse because there needs to also be discipline and respect from the kids as we the educators give them.
For the first scenario, would you tell the parent or just correct the co worker?
Pick 2 Professionalism Questions — but not the 1discussed in class. Identify the question you chose and answer it:
1. Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
It is not professional to have long nails when working with infants and toddlers because you can scratch them or hurt them without knowing. This would make someone look unprofessional since you are going to be hands all most of the time with the infants.
2. Is it professional to share what families have told you about their personal life with other staff? Why?
It is not professional to share what families have told you about their personal life with other staff because the family member had trust in telling you. It could have been confidential and the family member would not want their business to be heard by someone they do not know.
Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas — but not the 1 discussed in class
How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY?
Situation 8 –
I would respect the families privacy but if I believe Zelda is at risk, I would need to involve other parties to make sure she is fine. They would check for abuse or neglect in the home since her mother is abusing her father.
Situation 1-
I have the responsibility of protecting the child until someone can pick up the child. I would wait till an adult can pick up Zelda and her mother,
Situation 10 –
I would tell them the concern of their actions that shows respect for personal dignity. I would then try to fix the problem in a professional way.
HI Araceli, I agree when you said that it is not professional to share what families have told you with other staff and people because they have a reason why they told you there personal life so telling other people isn’t professional. You have also mentioned that in situation number 1 you have the responsibility to protect the child and I agree because it is your responsibility to protect them in any type of way.
How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY?
Pick 2 Professionalism Questions — but not the 1discussed in class. Identify the question you chose and answer it:
Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
It is not professional to have long nails while working with infants and toddlers because you can scratch or harm the child by accident and leave marks. Which is not good to have. This will not look good and can get you in trouble because if the child comes home with scratches for long nails the parent can get you fired. It is important to follow all safety precautions in order to make sure the Child’s best interest is met. So you should not wear long nails and work with kids. It’s dangerous.
Is it professional to tell families when they should stop giving their child a bottle? Why?
It isn’t professional to tell families when they should stop giving their child the bottle because it is the decision for the family to make and not you. when they want their child to stop doing something they know what’s best for their children. You are just there to do your job and keep the kids safe. However you can influence their decision by telling them in a different form by saying it is to help the Child’s development proceed but in a professional manner.
Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas — but not the 1 discussed in class
Which situations did you pick?
How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY?
2. You have a new coworker in your classroom. She appears to strap Annie who is one years old into the stroller on the way to the park. A she pushes the stroller a little way Annie slides out of the stroller onto the floor. Annie cries but does not hit his head, or have any cuts, red bruises, or marks on her
3.Agressive behaviors have been increasing in your toddlers classroom. Families are complaining and demanding something has to be done. One of the teachers on your team has started to use time out. Two of the other teachers are not comfortable with this approach. But try your best to fix the problem and tell the parents it would not happen again.
4. A family demands you tell them the name of the child who bit your son.
I picked situation 2 to 4 because I wanted to pick it in order and address how I would have handled this situation. The coworker in the first scenario should have taken better safety precautions to ensure the child is safe. Luckily the child was not harmed and nothing happened to the kid, but it is still important to notify the parent of what had occurred, and it would not happen again. just to be on the safe page. She was new so obviously she still didn’t know any better. So I would have informed her what to do that way no more mistakes would occur again. In scenario 3 there could have been a better method to address the children behavior. There could have been a meeting and better observation to control the problem. Then come up with a safe and friendly solution which would keep the children under control while informing their parents first. In scenario 4 there could have been a better way to handle the situation. If a parent is demanding a name you can give them the child’s name. Have a meeting with both parents and come up with an understanding and solutions. This is how I would have handled those situations and why I chose to write about them. Kids need to be safe all time and eyes alway have to be on them.
Please leave a comment
Thank you
Hi Jasmattie I agree when you said that it is not professional to wear long nails while working with an infants and a toddlers because you can actually cause them harm with the long nails, and you can actually get in trouble just by wearing long nails. You also mentioned that in dilemma number 2 the teacher should have taken better safety precautions and I agree because safety comes first.
Lisbeth — Thanks for your reply to Jasmattie’s comment. I wonder, who would you get in trouble with for having long nails when working with infants and toddlers?
Hi Jasmattie, I agree with you that it is unprofessional to have long nails when working with infants and toddles because it’s more likely to keep on scratching them even if it was an accident. Their skin is still sensitive and can leave a mark when being scratched. I agree with how you would handle situation 2 by the co worker making sure that the child was safety enough in the stroller. As well as notifying the parents on what happened and to know that the child is fine.
Pick 2 Professionalism Questions
Is it professional to wear sweat pants when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
I think it is not professional to wear sweat pants when working with infants & toddlers because it shows that you aren’t ready to be productive throughout the day. Wearing something more formal will be better and also to shows other teachers and families that you are ready to teach.
Is it professional to tell families when they should stop giving their child a bottle? Why?
It isn’t professional to tell families they should stop giving their child a bottle because their parents know when the child is ready to stop drinking from a bottle and it is also the families opinion but they can also tell then in a different way rather then just telling them to stop giving them their child bottle
Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas — but not the 1 discussed in class
Which situations did you pick?
The Ethical Dilemmas that I chose were 3,6,10
How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY?
3.I would handle this situation as well matured person and try to talk with my fellow colleagues that way I know their opinion and see what we can all agree on, so there won’t be issues with families.
6. In this situation I think there is nothing wrong with making the infants throw away there own trash in fact it might help them be more discipline but the teacher is also responsible to be doing all the cleaning so in my opinion the teachers should do that once in a while.
10.In this situation I would try and communicate with my colleague and ask them what is wrong because not speaking or sayin a word would be difficult for everyone in the classroom
Hi Lizbeth, I agree with you that it is not professional for one to wear sweats when working with infants/ toddlers, in a way it shows lazyness and co-workers or even your director can get a bad idea from it. I liked how you explained how you would handle for all three situations.
Daniela — Thanks for your reply to Lisbeth’s comment. I wonder, what did you like about her response to the 3 Ethical dilemmas?
Hi Lizbeth, I would agree with you on scenario 10. It would be difficult for everyone in the classroom if one colleague doesn’t communicate with the rest of the team or students. I would have also tried to express that her encouraging to be quiet or play quietly will only prevent children from learning and having fun.
1) Pick 2 Professionalism Questions — but not the 1discussed in class. Identify the question you chose and answer it:
1- Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
It is not professional to have long nails when working with infants and toddlers because you can accidentally scratch them which can leave a scar since their skin is still sensitive. Your more likely to harm them with long nails if you try to grab them and can leave them marks which can lead to a negative mindset on the parents.
5- Is it professional to tell families when they should stop giving their child a bottle? Why?
It is not professional to tell families when they should stop giving their child a bottle because it not up to us to tell their child when they should stop drinking from a bottle. Every child gives up a bottle at a different age and should not presure them or the parents to do so. It’s up to the parents decision on when they want to change the rountine for their child.
2) Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas — but not the 1 discussed in class
1- Which situations did you pick?
1. Anthony is an infant in your classroom. Earlier in the week Anthony’s mom told you she got a promotion at work. She was very happy and mentioned that she was going out Friday to celebrate. When she comes in Friday to pick up Anthony, she is in a very good mood. She is smiling and laughing. When you go to hand her Anthony, you notice she smells like alcohol. She isn’t stumbling when she walks and she isn’t slurring her words. He is the last child in your room for the day.
5. Because of the new licensing rules, all of the staff who work with children in your program need to have a CDA credential or be enrolled in college classes to keep their jobs. Your colleague tells you that she was able to buy her CDA credential on-line without taking any of the classes or trainings.
9. You heard Jacob’s family mention to the director during drop-off that his newborn sister was in the hospital with the flu. Jacob is starting to cough, sneeze, has a runny nose, and is lethargic. You take Jacob to the director and share you think Jacob may be getting the flu too. The director takes his temperature and he doesn’t have a fever. She tells you she doesn’t want to bother Jacob’s family since Jacob’s sister is in the hospital. She says not to mention this to the families of the other children and reminds you to wash her hands well.
2- How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY?
1. If I were the teacher in the classroom, I would handle this situation by telling my director that the mom has a scent of alcohol and don’t think the child is safe enough to be able to go home with her. I’s my responsibility to make sure the child is taken home with someone responsible and trustworthy that can bring the child home safely. I would stay with the child until I know that they are being picked up with a trusting and responsible adult.
5. I would tell my colleague that it is not safe to be in this program if there was no training involved or classes being taken to prepare to work in the program. I would first advise them that they should complete training in order to gain some knowlege on what to aspect in this program and if they are trustworthy enough to be able to work with kids. If they ignore my advice and decide to keep the CDA credential they bought online, then I should inform the program’s administration.
9. I have the responsibility to inform the other student’s parents about having a student with the flu in our classroom. I should respect all families and provide them updates when it comes to a health issue that is occuring in the classroom.
You said that you would wait until the child was picked up by a responsible adult in your response to ethical dilema number 1. Does that mean you would not let the mom leave with her child? I agree that the situation is dangerous but I would be so worried about doing the right thing legally by everyone involved!
Hi Daniela, I liked your response to scenario 9. Along with informing Jacob’s own parents, I would also notify the other student’s parents that their child’s classmate might have the flu as a safety precaution. I also liked that you would even provide the parents updates if it became a health issue. I’m sure many parents would appreciate that.
For the first scenario, I think it’s going to be hard to separate your personal views from teacher etiquette, but I think you did an amazing job answering this scenario.
Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
no it is not professional to wear long nails when working with infant or children because u can possibly scratch and hurt the kids.
Is it professional to wear sweat pants when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
it is okay to wear sweat pants because when working with small children you will have to be very active and it makes it the most comfortable option.
Pick 2 Professionalism Questions — but not the 1discussed in class. Identify the question you chose and answer it:
Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
It is not professional to have long nails with infants and toddlers because you could easily hurt the kids or yourself if you break a nail. The job is very hands on!
Is it professional to tell families when they should stop giving their child a bottle? Why?
It is not professional to give any parenting or personal advice to parents of your students. You are there to facilitate a safe and healthy learningin enviornment at school.
Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas:
1. A family angrily demands you tell them the name of the child who bit their son.
Reassure the family that the situation will be rectified and their child will be safe at school. However, the name of the child has to be anonymous so that there isn’t any animosity between the parents or children.
2. Because of the new licensing rules, all of the staff who work with children in your program need to have a CDA credential or be enrolled in college classes to keep their jobs. Your colleague tells you that she was able to buy her CDA credential on-line without taking any of the classes or trainings.
I would bring this up to the attention of our supervisor so that the quality and safety of the kids learning enviornment can be presrved.
3. The other teachers on your team are always having the infants do as many things as possible for themselves. For example, they have the babies clear their trash and put the plates and sippy cups in the little sink after meals. You do not think this is necessary.
I would explain to the teacher what is developmentaly approproate and see if we could come to a compromise on classroom procedure for the good of the children in class.
hi Sarah, i like how you answered in a very sample and reasonable way.
Elizabeth, Thanks for replying to Sarah’s comments. Can you explain in more detail what you liked about Sarah’s “simple and reasonable” comment?
1. Pick 2 Professionalism Questions — but not the discussed in class. Identify the question you chose and answer it:
—————-Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?———————
It is not professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers because it could accidentally hurt the children. Also, since working with children is very hands-on, it could limit how much you can do with your hands if you have long nails.
—-Is it professional to share what families have told you about their personal life with other staff? Why?——
It is not professional to share what families have told me about their personal life with others. If they only told me it must’ve been because they put their trust in me to tell me something personal.
2. Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas — but not the 1 discussed in class
The situations I picked were 2, 3, and 6.
———— How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY? ————–
For situation 2, I would have double checked that James was securely strapped into the stroller. I would also let my coworker know how to properly secure a child onto the stroller and how to check that they are secured so that it doesn’t happen again.
For situation 3, I would hold a meeting with all the teachers so that we can let the teacher know that her approach makes others uncomfortable. Then, we can hopefully discuss and agree on a way to solve the aggressive behavior problem. Or I would first talk to the teacher alone and if they are comfortable with a meeting then I would hold one.
For situation 6, I would talk to the other teachers on my team and let them know that I think what they’re doing is unnecessary. I would insist that we show children how to establish a class routine instead and not force children to do so many things. By showing children first, hopefully they’ll learn how to do things at their own pace.
Identify the question you chose and answer it:
Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
– it is not professional to have long nails because it can prevent you from taking action when needed and it can also be a safety problem because you can scratch a kid, you can poke them in their eye and you can even hurt yourself because of the nails.
Is it professional to talk to families about what is wrong with the program? Why?
– it is not professional to talk to families about what’s wrong with the program because then it put the program at fault and the parent may wanna take their child out of program because of it. The parent can then say your unprofessional for even voicing your concerns to them.
Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas —
Which situations did you pick?
1. You have a new co-worker in your classroom. She appears to strap James, who is 12 months old, into the stroller on the way to the park. As she pushes the stroller a little way James slides out of the stroller to the floor. James cries but does not hit his head, or have any cuts, bruises, or red marks on him.
2. A family angrily demands you tell them the name of the child who bit their son.
3. Because of the new licensing rules, all of the staff who work with children in your program need to have a CDA credential or be enrolled in college classes to keep their jobs. Your colleague tells you that she was able to buy her CDA credential on-line without taking any of the classes or trainings.
How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY?
1. Being that my coworker is new I would have double checked that she strapped him in the proper way before we did leave the classroom. I even would have showed her the proper way to strap him. Once James slid out the stroller I would have then checked him and if I seen no visible markings I would’ve then made my supervisor aware. I would have also called and made Jameses parents aware. I would have done so because that’s the proper protocol you have to let a parent know anything that happens to their child no matter if there was a bruise or any visible markings or not. I would have went about it this because it protects us all and also protects the child! Now if he would have went home and he did hit his head and you didn’t see it and the parent wasn’t aware that he fell today out the stroller they would not know what to look out for or even if the child is acting different they would be lost !
2. I would advise the family that we can’t disclose that information according to our code of ethical conduct. But what I can do for them is to take note of the situation and then handle it in house and give them an update on what’s going on with the matter and how we will proceed with it. I will also remind them that their child’s best interest is what matters to me and all the children’s interest is what matters to me. So I will then inform the other child’s parents about their child biting and see if there is a pattern or something. I think giving the angry parents redirection and reassuring them that their child’s safety is my number one and all the children’s safety at that is what should happen. Also it’s all about the approach with the parent.
3. I would inform my boss this is what’s going on. The reason is because she is not properly trained nor does she have the proper credentials to deal with children. That is not putting the children at risk putting our program at risk and even putting ourselves at risk. It isn’t safe for the kids or myself to be in the classroom with her. She is now a safety hazard, she is now a liability, and most of all she is now someone who is not properly trained to be around the children. That is the biggest concern for me my children safety within my classroom shouldn’t be and always is number one.
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1.Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
No it’s not professional to have long nails while working with infants & toddlers because accidents can always happen and long nails could scratch a child and a parent won’t be okay with their kid to have scratches on them.
4.Is it professional to share what families have told you about their personal life with other staff? Why?
No it’s professional because whatever a family tells you should be confidential and shouldn’t be shared with others.
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10. The part-time teacher on your team often does things a little differently than the rest of the teaching team. She will whisper to the children or encourages them to be quiet or play quietly. She cleans up without speaking to the children or the other members of the team and does not add to the team meeting. When you ask her about how she is doing, she always smiles and says she is fine.
I would talk to the teacher and suggest that they engage more with the kids, we cant just tell them to be quiet and not communicate with the kids. We as teachers should know more about the kids that we are working with. I would also tell her that is okay to add onto a team meeting, her voice will always we heard.
2.You have a new co-worker in your classroom. She appears to strap James, who is 12 months old, into the stroller on the way to the park. As she pushes the stroller a little way James slides out of the stroller to the floor. James cries but does not hit his head, or have any cuts, bruises, or red marks on him.-
Since my coworker is new I would double checked that she strapped the child correctly so he wont slip. I would also demonstrate the proper way to strap him. Once James slid out the stroller I would checked him and see that he’s okay with no scratches, then I would’ve made my supervisor aware about what happened with James and also informed James parents. After informing his parents and supervisor i would take him to the nurse just to make sure everything is okay.`
3. Aggressive behaviors have been increasing in your toddler classroom. Families are complaining and demanding something is done. One of the teachers on your team has started to use time-out. The two other teachers are not comfortable with this approach.
I would have a talk with the kids and let them know that if their behavior doesn’t improve we will have to start doing time outs so the aggressive behavior could improve.
Hi Emily, you answered in a logical and objective way. i also can see from your answered on the second questions that you took the responsibility to check on the new coworker to make sure she does her job correct and that show how good you are on taking responsibilities.
Hey Emily I agree with your response and I will actually take the same steps as you being able to communicate in a working space is key.
Jenni — Thanks for replying to Emily’s comment. Why is being able to communicate in the work environment important?
1.Pick 2 Professionalism Questions — but not the 1 discussed in class. Identify the question you chose and answer it:
1.Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
No, because she can heart the infants with nails.
4.. Is it professional to share what families have told you about their personal life with other staff? Why?
No, because she does not have the right to discuss their personal life with any body, its confidential.
2.Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas — but not the 1 discussed in class.
1. Anthony is an infant in your classroom. Earlier in the week Anthony’s mom told you she got a promotion at work. She was very happy and mentioned that she was going out Friday to celebrate. When she comes in Friday to pick up Anthony, she is in a very good mood. She is smiling and laughing. When you go to hand her Anthony, you notice she smells like alcohol. She isn’t stumbling when she walks and she isn’t slurring her words. He is the last child in your room for the day.
I will ask the mother nicely to coming inside the class and take a seat. And ask her if she can called somebody to come to pick the baby because she is incapable of taking care of the child at that time .and inform who ever responsible to take care of these types of stations.
4. A family angrily demands you tell them the name of the child who bit their son.
I will gently talk them in a respectful way and explain to them i don’t have the right to give any student information to any body. and its my duty to preserve the privacy of children in my class.
9. You heard Jacob’s family mention to the director during drop-off that his newborn sister was in the hospital with the flu. Jacob is starting to cough, sneeze, has a runny nose, and is lethargic. You take Jacob to the director and share you think Jacob may be getting the flu too. The director takes his temperature and he doesn’t have a fever. She tells you she doesn’t want to bother Jacob’s family since Jacob’s sister is in the hospital. She says not to mention this to the families of the other children and reminds you to wash her hands well.
I will insist for her to call jacob’s family to come and pick him up. because we putting the other kids at risk of getting the flu. informing the the other families to take precaution if there is an infection spreed.
Question 1
Is it professional to tell families when they should stop giving their child a bottle? Why?
I believe it is not professional to tell the parents when to stop giving their children a bottle because everyone is different and raises there children different we can not judge that is the families decision to make.
Question 2
Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
It is not professional to have long nails because it can hurt a student, you can pull it off while playing with the kids and its very unsanitary under the nails.
Ethical dilemmas
8. Zelda is a child in your class and Marcus is her father. Marcus comes in one morning with sunglasses on. As he puts Zelda down, she knocks the sunglasses off Marcus’ face and you notice he has a black eye. You ask if everything is OK. Marcus tearfully shares with you that his wife has been physically abusive recently because of the financial stress the family has been facing.
How I would handle this situation will be bring the parents for a meeting. Talk about how that situation can affect Zelda and that they need to work something out.
4.A family angrily demands you tell them the name of the child who bit their son.
I would handle this by telling the parents what had happen. than in there have a meeting with the 2 little boys parents to talk it out. But I will not give the little boys name out or information because it is violating his privacy.
6.The other teachers on your team are always having the infants do as many things as possible for themselves. For example, they have the babies clear their trash and put the plates and sippy cups in the little sink after meals. You do not think this is necessary.
How I would handle this would be talk to my coworkers separately and tell them that they are babies we are teachers and we should do our job which is look out for them cleaning for them is not necessary. Now if they rebel we can make an action plan to where 1 teacher can clean for that day and the other teacher the next and so on so for.
1. Pick 2 Professionalism Questions — but not the 1discussed in class. Identify the question you chose and answer it:
A. Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
No because they can accidentally hurt the infant/toddler when they are carrying or playing with them.
B. Is it professional to share what families have told you about their personal life with other staff? Why?
No because all personal information should be kept confidential unless the parents tell other staff themselves. In order to provide privacy about there child’s needs.
Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas — but not the 1 discussed in class
Which situations did you pick?
How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY?
8. Zelda isn’t safe in this current situation I would encourage the father to report this. I would tell Marcus to get some help because Zelda may be in danger of getting hit as well.
9. I would kindly ask the parents if they would take Jacob to get checked out as well. Jacob has flu like symptoms and could get the other children sick as well. I would explain that to the director and hope she realizes he may also be sick.
10. I would speak to the other teacher that it’s a team effort and shouldn’t be an individual job. I would ask if she could communicate more with me about her thought process and also interact more with the children. It would help make sure everyone is doing there part with the kids.
Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
Long nails are not professional to have when working with infants and toddlers because you can accidentally hurt them.
Is it professional to wear sweat pants when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
Yes it is professional to wear sweat pants because you will feel more comfortable working with the kids.
Which situations did you pick?
Zelda is a child in your class and Marcus is her father. Marcus comes in one morning with sunglasses on. As he puts Zelda down, she knocks the sunglasses off Marcus’ face and you notice he has a black eye. You ask if everything is OK. Marcus tearfully shares with you that his wife has been physically abusive recently because of the financial stress the family has been facing.
How would you handle the situation if you were the teacher in the classroom? WHY?
I would ask the parents to come in for a meeting to see how is everything and if I feel something bad is going to happen to the child I would contact child services.
A family angrily demands you tell them the name of the child who bit their son.
I would handle this by explaining the situation to the parents without giving up the name of the other stuff and if they want to speak with the parents of the other kid I would set up a meeting.
You heard Jacob’s family mention to the director during drop-off that his newborn sister was in the hospital with the flu. Jacob is starting to cough, sneeze, has a runny nose, and is lethargic. You take Jacob to the director and share you think Jacob may be getting the flu too. The director takes his temperature and he doesn’t have a fever. She tells you she doesn’t want to bother Jacob’s family since Jacob’s sister is in the hospital. She says not to mention this to the families of the other children and reminds you to wash her hands well.
I would still ask the director to contact the family because I don’t want to risk the other children health.
1. Is it professional to have long nails when working with infants & toddlers? Why?
-It is not professional, and actually it is a health code violation/health risk because it can harm a child and become a safety risk to them.
2. Is it professional to share what families have told you about their personal life with other staff? Why?
– It isn’t professional to share what families have told me about their personal life because it’s supposed to be confidential. They’ve shared personal things, most likely regarding to how the raise their child, etc. and it’s not up to you to share that to your colleagues.
Pick 3 Ethical Dilemmas — but not the 1 discussed in class:
Which situations did you pick?
4. A family angrily demands you tell them the name of the child who bit their son.
I would handle this by talking to the parents first about what happened and explain to them. The. have a meeting separately without the parents and have the children talk to each other, so that they don’t feel like 1 is being singled out.
5. (I think) You have a new co-worker in your classroom. She appears to strap James, who is 12 months old, into the stroller on the way to the park. As she pushes the stroller a little way James slides out of the stroller to the floor. James cries but does not hit his head, or have any cuts, bruises, or red marks on him.
I am definitely going to take full responsibility for what happened to the child and I will also tell the parent, so that if anything happened to the child in the future due to him falling from the stroller, she has an idea of where it stemmed from.
7. (I think) A few of the parents of children in your class have asked you and the other teachers in your classroom if their children could bring a home toy to school. The parents feel that it will make the transition better for their children. The parents will label the toy and make it clear that it is a transitional object for their child. One of the teachers on the team is not comfortable with children bringing in home toys.
I would advise the parent not to do so because if anything were to happen to the toy, it will upset all parties. Also, since the toy is meant for their child, it gives off an idea that we don’t share, which isn’t something I want to teach.
Akera — Thanks for your comment. You taking full responsibility for Ethical Dilemma #5 is bold. Keeping the family informed is important. I wonder, what will you say/ do with your colleague? I appreciate I wonder, can you think of a time when you would need to share what a family told you with a colleague?
1. (5). I think its not professional to tell the families when they should stop giving their child a bottle because its simply not their business and you should stay out of it.
(4) I think its not because they trusted you enough to tell you that information so why would you go along and give out information that has nothing to do with you.
2. (2)I would ask Anthony’s mom if she is okay to even take her child home of not then figure out a solution that she is comfortable and agrees with so that they are both okay and get home safe.
(8) I would respect the families privacy but if I believe Zelda is at risk, I would need to involve other parties to make sure she is fine. They would check for abuse or neglect in the home since her mother is abusing her father.
(6) I would talk to the other teachers on my team and let them know that I think what they’re doing is unnecessary. I would insist that we show children how to establish a class routine instead and not force children to do so many things. By showing children first, hopefully they’ll learn how to do things at their own pace.
Melany — Thanks for your comment. Having a conversation with Anthony’s mother demonstrates your respect for you and desire to build an open honest conversation with her. I wonder, how might your colleagues respond or feel based on your conversation to scenario #6?
It is not professional to work with long nails because it can cause harm to the children. Working with children is a hands-on job and having long nails puts both you and the children at risk of injury.
It is not professional to share a family’s private information with coworkers because the family trusted you for a reason. If they had wanted to share it with another teacher they would have. It’s confidential information and shouldn’t be shared without the permission of the family.
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I would make sure that my coworker properly strapped the child into their stroller. Inform them to make sure the child is secure and has no way of falling out again. I would make her double-check everything to prevent any injuries.
I would talk to the teacher privately and explain to her that her behavior was inappropriate and made others feel uncomfortable. But then I would go to the principal if that didn’t work or if further consequences were needed.
I would handle this by reminding my coworkers that these are children and should not be overwhelmed. Instead, have the teachers set up routines that benefit both them and the children that way everyone is satisfied.
Gina — Thanks for your comment, Your comments indicate you prioritize the health & well-being of children, families & your colleagues. I wonder, is there a ever a time when we should share info with colleagues that families tell us? How will you make sure your co-worker properly straps in a child into the stroller?