Ethics and Diversity in Education

1. Ethics and Diversity
in Education

2. The Role of Ethics in Education
 Ethics are standards that make actions right or wrong
 Ethics influence behavior and helps students make the right choices
 Ethics help the school run smoothly and sets the standard of what is
acceptable behavior and what is not
 Ethics applies to both students and teachers
 Ethical questions to consider:
 Is it truthful?
 Is it fair to all?
 Is it legal?
 Is it for the common good?

3. Guidelines for Ethical Decision Making
Identify the ethical issue
Gather all the relevant facts
Evaluate the information
Consider the alternatives
Make a decision
Reflect on the outcome of the decision

4. Creating an Ethical Classroom
 All members of the class are valued and accepted, unconditionally
 All children are unique and shouldn’t be evaluated the same
 We must show patience to those with learning disabilities.
 Teachers should model goodness, fairness, truth, and respect for others
 Teachers shouldn’t hold grudges or treat students unfairly
 Students should respect the teacher and abide by the rules
 Students should have academic integrity and self-discipline

5. The Role of Diversity in the Classroom
All school staff members have a responsibility to
teach and model diversity in the classroom. Diversity
means understanding, accepting, and respecting
that a person is unique with individual differences.
We must respect all students, staff, and parents
regardless of their abilities, ethnicity, race, etc.

6. Code of Conduct
 Our district has a code of conduct that stresses the importance of diversity
in the educational setting. As faculty and students we should value and
apply those principles in our words and actions. Here are a few ways we
can communicate the importance of diversity.
 Define and have a discussion about diversity
 Identify behaviors that discriminate (intentional or unintentional)
 Accept and show respect to students and staff who are different than you
 Serve all children equally

7. Understanding Diversity Terms
By educating our students on what these terms mean, we can teach them strategies
that support diversity and avoid these issues.
 Sexism – prejudice or discrimination based on sex or gender. Belief that one sex is
superior.
 Ethnocentrism – evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions
originating in the standards and customs of your own culture.
 Classism – prejudice against or in favor of people belonging to a certain social class
 Racism – assumption that one race is superior
 Ableism – discrimination against disabled people

8. Communication Strategies and Activities
that Support Diversity
 Our primary goal is to communicate to all students to be respectful to different cultures in
and out of the classroom
 Have students share stories of their home life such as holiday traditions
 Show students pictures of different ethnicities
 Have video conferences with students from different cultures
 Welcome guest speakers from different backgrounds that have been successful to help rid
students of preconceived ideas about people
 Use wall spaces to display posters of diverse groups
 Display world maps where students can mark different places you are discussion in class
 Teach students to value, respect, and appreciate their own heritage