Moral+Dilemmas

=Dilemmas=

Dilemma 1: Standardised Tests Mr. Edwards and Mr. Marcus are special education teachers who work with seventh-grade students. Their school is preparing to take the state's annual standardised achievement tests. This year students in Mr. Edwards's and Mr. Marcus's classes have been identified as having difficulty in reading and are at risk for failure on the standardised test. The principal has made it very clear that he expects the school's scores on this year's standardised test to be an improvement over last year's scores. The day before testing is scheduled to begin, the principal has a meeting with Mr. Edwards and Mr. Marcus. At the meeting he tells them to do whatever is necessary to ensure positive test results. While administering the test, Mr. Edwards realises that Mr. Marcus is reading parts of the reading comprehension passages to the students. This violates the validity of the test and could result in a false learning profile of his students. Mr. Edwards shares this knowledge with Mr. Marcus, who responds by saying that he is simply doing what the principal instructed him to do. What should Mr. Edwards do now? What would you do?

Dilemma 2: Petty Behavior Ms. Garcia and Ms. Ming are both ninth-grade English teachers. Ms. Garcia, a new teacher at the school, has additional certification in gifted education. Ms. Ming has been a certified English teacher for a number of years. Ms. Ming has been overheard making negative comments about Ms. Garcia's teaching ability and about Ms. Garcia personally in the faculty lounge. Mr. Daniels, the ninth-grade history teacher, has heard Ms. Ming making negative comments about Ms. Garcia on more than one occasion and he knows that these comments are false. He also knows that Ms. Ming has been angry that Ms. Garcia was asked to teach the advanced English class. This is a class Ms. Ming had expressed a desire to teach. He believes this contributes to her negativity toward Ms. Garcia. What should he do? What would you do?

Dilemma 3: Religion Mr. Gregory and Ms. Samuels are both eighth-grade science teachers. Ms. Samuels has a strong command of the science curriculum, and she is also a strong believer in creationism. While Mr. Gregory and Ms. Samuels work together at their weekly planning meeting, Ms. Samuels tells Mr. Gregory that she does not feel comfortable with, nor will she teach her class about topics related to evolution, the subject for the coming week's lessons. She goes on to explain that presenting students with information about evolution will violate her religious beliefs. Mr. Gregory knows that the unit on evolution is a required part of the curriculum. He also knows the importance of teaching students to evaluate different types of information and points of view. What should he do? "What would you do?

Dilemma 4: Homework James is a seventh-grade classroom teacher whose homework policy is that homework for the week goes home on Friday and is due the following Thursday. He emphasizes that it is the students' choice to do it or not, but if homework is not completed and handed in on Friday, they will serve detention during one recess period. Raoul is an excellent student who always finishes his work on time and correctly. He is a sensitive and dedicated student who strives hard to please. One Wednesday, Raoul is sick and out of school; the following day, Thursday, he forgets to bring his homework to class. This is the first time Raoul does not have his homework. James is sure he did his work: Raoul could get a day's extension for being sick. James also knows the thought of serving detention is devastating for Raoul. James has to decide whether to follow the rule and have Raoul serve the detention, or make an exception based on the fact that Raoul has been sick and his routine is disrupted.

Dilemma 5: Exceptions You are the coach of a senior high school sports team. For the first time, in many years, the team has made it to the state semifinals. The community is excited too, and the game on Saturday will be a big event. With such an important game only a week away, you tell your team that every player must attend every practice promptly, with no exceptions. Two of your team's best players show up an hour late to practice, saying that the rules for others do not apply to them. They have deliberately disobeyed your orders, and the team rules say they should be suspended. The team depends on these players. What should you do?

Questions for each group: 1. What is the situation? What makes it a moral dilemma? 2. What values are involved in the dilemma? 3. Who is involved and who will be effected by the decision? How will they react? 4. How does the context affect the ethics in this case? 5. What are the possible solutions? 6. What will be the results of said possible solutions? 7. Final decision - What would you do in this case?

=Agree/Disagree=

1. I need to entertain my students so that they behave. 2. Students have the right to control their own work. 3. I have the right to make judgements about my students' competence. 4. The state has the right to regulate my professional decision making. 5. Parents have final approval over what I do in the classroom. 6. The publicisation of student marks is in the public interest. 7. It is hypocritical for teachers who smoke to penalise students caught smoking. 8. Teachers can ignore the canteen queue system. 9. It is wrong for teachers to drink alcohol with students outside of school hours. 10. You would discourage a student from making a smoking device used for Marijuana in technology class.