Understanding Professional Boundaries - PowerPoint Presentation

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Understanding Professional Boundaries

Professional Staff Development September 6, 2018

Building Positive Relationships

All

people are more likely to perform in the context of a positive, nurturing relationshipHolding a conversation with the student

Ask questions and listenBe an expert about kid culture (what it means to be a kid these days)

Student/Teacher Relationships

The teacher/student relationship is a central component in learning. Building relationships is a precondition to student

learning.

 A teacher must be able to demonstrate that he or she “cares” about students and can be trusted.

All this must be done without crossing professional boundaries.

Professional Boundaries

We have a responsibility as staff

members, employed within a position of trust, to provide students with adequate levels of protection against harm and to safeguard their welfare at all times

.Teachers and all education professionals are in a unique position of trust, care, responsibility, authority and influence with their students.

This means that there is always an inherent power imbalance within the

teacher-student

dynamic. 

Professional Boundaries

The

following examples are by no means exhaustive. As you explore and reflect upon boundaries within the school and your role, make sure they support the culture of the school.

** The key is we are not the students’ friends.

Appropriate Language

It’s important to be thoughtful

about the language that you might be using. Examples to avoid include:

Use of inappropriate names or terms of endearment.Allowing the use of non-formal

names without

correcting the

behavior.

Inappropriate

comments about a

student’s

appearance, including excessive

flattering.

Humiliation

, profanity or vilification.

Suggestive

humor

, “banter”, jokes or innuendo of a sexual nature.

Obscene or inappropriate gestures and language.

Names such as buddy

,

pal, friend and so on may give confusing messages.

Information Sharing

Avoid sharing personal information. Your online boundary-setting is equally as important as your school and classroom-based boundaries. Remember that social media is just that – social. Examples to avoid:

Discussing personal lifestyle details of

yourself, other staff or students.Correspondence of a personal nature via any medium (phone, text, letters, email

etc.)

that is unrelated to the staff member’s role.

Adopting

an on-going support

role

beyond the scope of your position, or a role that is the responsibility of another staff member (e.g.

the

school

psychologist, mentor)

or external professional, that

occurs

without

permission.

Photographing

, audio recording or filming

students

via any medium

without

parental consent.

Information Sharing

Using personal rather than school equipment for approved activities, unless

authorised in writing by the leadership team.Correspondence or communication (via any medium) to or from

students where a violation of professional boundaries is indicated.Facilitating

or permitting access to pornographic or sexually explicit material.

Failing to intervene in sexual harassment of pupils.

Photos or video of students on personal equipment or

kept in personal locations such as car or

home.

Uploading or publishing

images

or

video

recordings of

students

to any location without parental

consent.

Personal Space

Respect the personal space and privacy of all

students. Remember that they can read different interpretations into our actions. It is also very easy for these situations to escalate if we are not sensitively, proactively

managing boundaries. Examples to avoid:Unwarranted or unwanted touching of a

student.

Corporal punishment (physical discipline, pushing, shoving, smacking).

Initiating, permitting or requesting inappropriate or unnecessary physical contact with a s

tudent

(hugs, kisses, tickling, play fighting) or facilitating situations which unnecessarily result in close physical contact.

Work/Home Balance

Work and home or the personal and the professional should be held separately.

Maintaining this separation ensures that professional codes of conduct are adhered to. Examples to avoid:

Inviting, allowing or encouraging students to come to your house or apartment unless a structured activity.Allowing

students

to access

a

staff member’s personal internet locations and personal devices (e.g. social networking sites).

Attending

students’ social

gatherings.

Being alone with a

student

outside of a staff member’s

responsibilities (i.e. mentoring).

Work/Home Balance

Entering dorm rooms , bathrooms, locker rooms occupied by students unless there is an emergency.

Giving personal gifts or special

favors. Singling the same students out for special duties or responsibilities. Offering to have a student stay overnight

,

for a weekend

or

during vacation time at your home.

Role Models

We

are role models for the students that we work with, and it is important that we promote and respect

professionalism. We also have a responsibility to challenge and correct negative ideas, assumptions,

behavior

and language whenever it occurs.

Avoid discussing information regarding

students in public areas.

Be aware of being

overheard.

Non-verbal Communication

Our

moods and feelings affect our thinking and most importantly our communication. This is also true of our non-verbal communication; body language, eye contact and facial expressions. This can have a huge impact on our interactions with students

and colleagues alike.We are all human and we may have things going on in our lives at work or at home that will affect our mood, attitude, judgement, and our

demeanor. As professionals we must learn to separate these issues when we

are work.

Our personal issues are not problems for

students and

they should be protected from

exposure

to our personal or professional challenges or emotional difficulties.

Non-verbal Communication

What is appropriate—high

fives, hand shakes, fist bumps, open-handed pats on the back and should be done in public.

We are all responsible for recognizing whether we are “at risk” of crossing boundaries and, if

we discover we

are, of addressing the issue

.

Seek out assistance from your supervisor.

Customer Service

It is important to

Maplebrook’s credibility that we do what we say we do.

We have quality programs and an excellent reputation among professionals in the special education field.If we maintain this good reputation by delivering good services and the height of professionalism, we will continue to enroll students regularly.

Parent Needs

Parents are making a HUGE investment in sending their children to

Maplebrook. It isn’t just financial, but emotional.

They care about one student – their son or daughter.Some parents are very unrealistic about what their child’s future holds, but we need to give them hope, but not promise things we cannot deliver.

Communication with Parents

Families want to know what good things are happening at school. They don’t always get the full story from their children.

In an effort to expand the level of communication with the parents, we have an initiative schoolwide whereby administrators regularly communicate with parents in addition to the mentor.

This is designed to help families be more informed about what is happening here at school as well as listening to their concerns.

Communication with Parents

Faculty/staff

more than anyone else have the opportunity for frequent and fruitful contacts with parents, directly or indirectly.

While those contacts are centered on the student’s progress, they can easily overstep boundaries. Parents are emotional about their children and it’s human nature to try and make them feel better.

Think

about all the messages you send via your emails, telephone calls, written comments, formal conferences and informal conversations.

Boundaries

It is important to maintain a professional distance with not just the students, but with their families.

It is NOT good customer service to do special favors.

Everyone has school e-mail and access to school phones. We should not give out our personal information to students or parents.

It’s important to address parents formally.

While it seems obvious to not be “friends” on social media with our students, the same applies to the parents. We have designated social media accounts for them to access.

Scenarios

Based on these situations, explain how it should be handled.

The mother of your mentee starts talking to you on your mentor update call about her personal problems, as well as how they may affect her student.

During an activity (unstructured time), students begin to engage you in highly charged conversations such as the latest political climate, suggestive music videos, etc. All of which you have strong opinions.

A student seems upset and wants to talk with you in your apartment.

You get numerous friend requests by students on your Facebook account.

Students overhear you speaking to other staff about your personal life and start asking you questions, as well as telling other students.

A Final Word

As educators, we

should not be afraid to connect with the students

.Each educator needs to find ways that allow him or her to connect with students in a professional manner.

We

are not parents, friends, counselors or social workers.

We

should offer encouragement and listen to

the students, but redirect them if the relationship takes too personal of a turn.

We have a unique opportunity with the nature of our students to heavily influence them, we are obligated to make it as professional and safe as possible.