Teacher’s Code of Ethics

The school is as good as good are the people in it.

While working on this code we drew our inspiration from

the document created by the fellows of the Association of
Slovenian Catholic Teachers1. We had looked through
various similar codes from Poland, Sweden and Italy but
only the Slovenian document managed to avoid strict
instructions of what a good teacher should do and what
he should not. Rather, it is focused on describing a profile
of an ideal teacher by suggesting certain ways of
behavior concerning the teacher’s educational role and
his personal development.

The aim of this code is to offer advice, support,

encouragement and inspiration to even deeper
involvement and mutual responsibility for the results of
work of catholic teachers. It is to give hope for better
future.

The following code, which is influenced by the Slovenian

code and other documents that have their origins in the
Jesuit tradition2, is a description of an ideal teacher. It is a

1
Association of Slovenian Catholic Teachers, Code of Ethics for the
Members of the Association of Slovenian Catholic Teachers,
Ljubljana 1998.
2
Por. The Characteristics of Jesuit Education, Roma 1986 and
describtions of the teacher’s profile elaborated by Jesuit schools in
USA. See also: Jakub Kołacz SJ (redakcja), Podstawy Edukacji

1
kind of teacher itself, a moral savoir-vivre. It can serve
schools and associations as a great help in creating a
profile of an ideal educator and code which form would
stray away from that of a text presenting only duties of
the teacher.

Teacher’s Code of Ethics

This code of ethics is a starting point for teachers who would
discover their vocation in it. Its purpose is to strengthen the
teacher’s identity and to present to the society values which
people who perform educational roles identify with. The code
should also influence teachers’ solidarity and protect them
from groundless criticism of people who assign to teachers
roles which do not belong to them.

1. ASSUMPTIONS
We assume that:
• The aim of education is to train mature, free,
trustworthy, generous and creative people who are
well-developed physically, intellectually, socially
and spiritually and who can make responsible
decisions in accordance with their philosophy of
life, their personal credo.
• Education is a searching for truth and learning
skills necessary for proper and worthy life. It
helps people to understand the world and to find
their own place in it. It enriches their spiritual

Ignacjańskiej, Wydawnictwo WAM, Kraków 2006.

2
 lives and encourages forming justly organized
and peacefully developing society.
• The pupils are independent persons and subjects
of education. We want them to be healthy,
intelligent and happy people.
• The teacher educates with his whole being. The
cohesion of his actions and passion with which he
fulfills his vocation play a highly important role
in the process of education. He is responsible both
for his personal and professional development
and for creating conditions conducive to effective
learning.
• The school is a place where young people spend
most of their time. Here they form the bonds of
friendships with their peers, learn how to behave
in a society and how to function in an institution.

2. ROLE OF THE TEACHER

2.1. The teacher as a companion on the

quest for knowledge

The pupils’ attitude toward themselves and the world

that surrounds them
• The teacher leads his pupils to discovering both
themselves and the world. He stimulates them to
admire the creation and perceive it as something
interesting, valuable, mysterious, good and
beautiful.

3
 • The teacher helps the pupils to find their own
places in the world. He encourages them to
develop their talents, knowledge and skills and he
accompanies them on their paths of forming their
own hierarchies of values.
• He helps the pupils to develop their senses of
observation, skills of analysis, love for reflection,
responsibility for the decisions that they make and
the common good.
• He encourages the pupils to discover the riches of
spiritual life and awakens the need for holiness.
• The teacher makes sure that every of his pupils is
accepted and loved both by themselves and
others. At the same time he pays attention to the
fact that every one of them has to be aware of
both their strong and weak points.
• The teacher motivates his pupils to form their
strong will and reject destructive habits in order
to lead healthy lives.
• He teaches his pupils how to plan their lives
according to their vocations and shows them
techniques of independent studying and self-
evaluation.

Dangers of the modern world

• The teacher helps the pupils to interpret the signs
of the times without hiding from them the
injustice existing in the world and various dangers
awaiting them.
• He provides the pupils with tools which will
enable them to expose manipulations and thanks

4
 to which they will learn to evaluate wrongful and
sinful structures.
• The teacher emphasizes the need of respecting
human dignity and freedom. He teaches how to
fight for freedom, peace and justice.
• He shows the pupils positive aspects of difficult
situations and teaches perceiving them as
challenges and great occasions.

2.2. The teacher as a constructor of the

school community

Life in the community

• The pupils learn how to live in the community
governed by the rules of trust, dialogue with the
teachers and other members of the school
community.
• The teacher helps the pupils derive pleasure from
social life. He creates opportunities for them to
form bonds of friendship with their peers,
experience disinterestedness by being volunteers
and teaches them how to rest actively.
• He makes sure that the atmosphere present in a
given school facilitates wide-ranging
development of the pupils and that the working
conditions in the institutions are equally high for
every worker.
• The teacher builds true relationships with all
members of the school community, pupils,
teachers, parents, workers of administration and
ground crew, based on trust and partnership.

5
 • The teacher takes care for the common good and
positive image of the school both inside and
outside of the institution.
• He supports the work of pupils’ self-government
and the actions of the parents’ association board.
• He takes care for the effective flow of
information.
• He introduces to the pupils rules which govern
various societies, savoir vivre, group dynamics
and communicational skills.
• The teacher exemplifies magnanimity and
solidarity by expressing readiness to sacrifice his
own interest in order to help the needy.

Coauthor of the school’s program

• The teacher actively participates in the school’s
management, planning and introducing the
curriculum.
• He initiates changes and innovations.
• He coordinates school’s projects and is involved
in the team work.
• He creates opportunities for pupils to participate
in school’s projects.
• He forms in a positive way so called “hidden
curriculum” of the school.

2.3. The teacher as a person who supports

parental effort in bringing up children
• The teacher is aware of the fact that family plays
a key role in the forming of child’s personality

6
 and that it is the parent who decides according to
which values his child should live.
• He maintains an open dialogue with the parents
and gives them opportunity to make decisions
concerning their children.
• In the process of planning and introducing the
curriculum he takes into consideration the
opinions of the parents.
• He is involved in the parents’ education and
advises them on pedagogic matters.

2.4 The teacher as a co-creator of culture

• The teacher provides fundamental knowledge

concerning general, national, local and personal
culture. By doing this, he completes the process
initiated by the parents.
• He teaches respect and open-mindness but also
critic approach to different cultures and
subcultures. He promotes “the civilization of life”
and warns about “the civilization of death”. He
fights against prejudices and superstitions.
• The teacher creates school’s culture and
community by integrating the pupils and
encouraging them to create their own identities
and history. He identifies with the values
promoted by the school and also helps the pupils
to identify with them.
• He teaches respect to school’s symbols.
• The teacher actively participates in the affairs
concerning local social problems. He is involved

7
 in the work of non-governmental organizations
and local self-government. He does it in the name
of common good of the local society.
• He stimulates the pupils’ interest both in local and
worldly cultural and social events.

3. The teacher’s profile

3.1. Creativity
• The teacher is creative and open to changes. He
updates his knowledge, improves his skills,
experiments and searches for the new solutions.
• He is not credulous toward novelties and new
trends. He can creatively adjust to the pupils’
needs and the context of studies.
• The teacher introduces his own ideas and looks
for an inspiration to make his classes more
interesting for the pupils.
• He gives the pupils opportunity to choose
between various forms of individual or team
work. He encourages them to be creative while
working on the school’s projects.

3.2. Knowledge and skills

• The teacher possesses proper qualifications to

teach a particular course.
• He knows his strong and weak points and he is
able to objectively evaluate his own potential.

8
 • He develops his skills and general, specific and
pedagogic knowledge through professional
literature and participation in various forms of
vocational training both at school and other
institutions.
• The teacher keeps records of his professional
development and analyses them.
• He is interested in the evaluation of his work by
professionals, the parents and the pupils.
• He enriches his knowledge about people through
literature and his own studies.

3.3. Pedagogical approach

• The teacher knows and develops various

techniques of teaching and learning. He can
modify them according to needs and context. He
adapts his methods and style of teaching
according to the needs and the style of learning of
each of the pupils.
• He develops management skills in order to
integrate school’s pedagogic work.
• He is able to create and introduce curriculum of
his course and to evaluate its effectiveness.
• He is able to justify values and usefulness of the
information presented by him and the methods of
his teaching.
• He challenges the pupils but at the same time he
motivates them through awarding their efforts and
progress.

9
 • His system of pupils’ evaluations is clear, just and
consistent.
• He is objective and creditable in presenting facts
and he tries to give the pupils often opportunity to
experience personally the things about which they
learn during classes.
• He incorporates to his classes elements of
analysis and personal reflection since these are
key factors which influence the pupils’ attitudes
and believes.
• He gives the pupils opportunity to make their own
decisions and evaluations of them. He helps them
to understand the consequences of undertaken
actions and teaches them objective evaluation and
planning.

4. Vocational ethics

4.1. Respecting children’s rights

• The teacher treats his occupation as a vocation

and service to others by guaranteeing equal
chances of development to every pupil.
• He has equal attitude toward all of his pupils and
he respects all of them irrespective of race, sex,
language, religious believes, national, social or
ethnic background, politic believes or wealth and
all the other characteristics of the pupils, their
parents or legal guardians. (Look for: Convention

10
 on the Rights of the Child, Universal Declaration
of Human Rights).
• He is aware of the fact that every pupil is a unique
individual and he treats them with respect.
• He knows that his main goal is to make the pupils
comprehend and appreciate the information he
introduces to them.
• He helps the pupils realize the fact that a bad
mark, blameworthy behavior or unexcused
absence does not mean that the teacher can be
prejudiced against the pupil.
• He protects the pupils from aggressive behavior
of their peers and other dangers which could lead
the pupils to loosing self-respect.
• He does not use aggression in his contacts with
the pupils. On the contrary, he shows that every
problem can be dealt with in a peaceful way
without disrespecting the other person’s believes,
by forgiving the wrongdoings and compensating
for mistakes.
• He helps the pupils with ethical evaluation of
issues concerning human dignity, fundamental
values, rights and duties.

4.2. Respecting family’s rights

• The teacher respects the parents and perceives

them as the most important guardians and
educators of the child. He offers them
professional help and tries to create an

11
 atmosphere of partnership between home and the
school.
• He helps the parents to understand and accept
their child the way he or she is and together with
them he tries to make the child’s better.
• He regularly informs the parents about the child’s
development and progress.
• He introduces to the parents the school’s rules,
values, goals and methods of teaching.
• He respects the parents and he takes their believes
into consideration in introducing educational
methods.
• He respects the family’s privacy and uses his
knowledge about the family’s life with great
caution.

4.3. Care about independence and good

name of the school
• The school is autonomous and no one can change
it in arbitrary way.
• Together with the school’s authorities and the
parents, the teacher tries to preserve good name of
the school by protecting it from being used by
various political parties, companies and sects in
their campaigns.
• He treats the school’s statute and rules with
dignity and takes care of proper order in his
workspace.

12
 • During public discussions he speaks of his
colleagues and the school with respect and he
cares for good name of the school.

4.4. Reputation of a teacher as profession

• The teacher cares for his profession’s reputation

by being professional and responsible. He is
certain about his vocation and the value of his
work. He expresses this by solid preparation for
the classes and individualistic approach to each of
his pupils.
• He cares for his image by appearing as a person
of high integrity.
• He has got good manners.
• He is involved in social work.
• The teacher is responsible to the school’s
authorities, the pupils, their parents and the whole
society for properly performing his duties. In his
work he follows his own conscience and sets a
good example of how one should fulfill civil
duties.
• He is aware of being a civil servant but at the
same time he is independent of public institutions
in his moral evaluations. He has the right to
object to regulations which are contrary to his
conscience and understanding of teaching
vocation. He cannot be limited by political
ideologies.

13
5. Personal development
5.1. The teacher’s challenges
• The work of the teacher is often demanding and
stressful. The generation gap and the rapidly
changing world force the teacher to constant
searching for new methods of didactic and
educational work, developing skills and finding
new techniques.
• Daily routine should not paralyze the teacher’s
work. The characteristics of the best teachers are
the ability of finding motivation to constant
enthusiasm and treating teaching as a passion.
• Forming people’s characters, their attitudes and
believes is a highly responsible task but at the
same time it is extremely satisfactory. It carries
many dangers resulting from the great power that
the teacher has over his pupils. The ability to
accompany a young person on his quest for
development and searching for truth is connected
with being honest and reliable without imposing
one’s ideas on the pupil.
• The quality of education depends on the teachers.
This why the care for happy lives of the teachers
is directly connected with the success of future
generations.

5.2. The teacher searches for truth

14
• The more the teacher cares for his own
development the more he has to offer to others.
• Balance between hard work and rest, stress and
relaxing atmosphere among loved ones, teaching
and learning, is the perfect way toward the
teacher’s satisfaction of his work. Only the
teacher who is emotionally mature can achieve
both professional success and personal happiness.
• The teacher knows that communication between
humans is the key to education. This is why he
tries to maintain good relations with his family,
friends, pupils and colleagues both at school and
outside. Such relations reflect a healthy life and
encourage the pupils to form relations with other
people.
• The teacher needs a clear set of values which
would help him deal with various conflicts and
misunderstandings of daily life and would
facilitate making crucial decisions both at work
and in private life.
• The teacher who is free and independent, who
searches for truth and spreads good, who fights
for peace and justice, who is a person of dialogue
and who truly respects other’s opinions, who
crosses his own boundaries and has a good sense
of humor, who is open-minded and responsible, is
going to pass all these values on to the pupils.
• The teacher cares for his spiritual development.
He is ready to accept the Holy Spirit. He is
looking for a peaceful time for himself when, in
the light of gospel, he can ponder upon his
actions, confront his opinions, think about his

15
 future and reveal God’s plans. He has his spiritual
guide and moral authority. He points toward
holiness in the fellowship of the Church.

5.3. Teaching profession as vocation

Being a teacher is a beautiful but also responsible and

difficult profession. It is a vocation. The teacher is a
person who works for others and this is why it is so
important for him to understand people. Empathy,
spiritual freedom and responsibility allow him to
accompany young people on their quest for
independence. Christian teacher knows that his vocation
is a gift from God. By choosing his profession, he
follows his inner voice and becomes a member of
fellowship which has common mission. His
qualifications and skills cannot be separated form moral
values and passion he has to care for his every pupil.

6. Conclusions

The code of ethics presented above may be a starting

point for creating a code which teachers who belong to
non-governmental organizations, groups of self-educators
or schools can perceive as morally valid. Actions
undertaken in opposition to this code would point to the
dishonesty and immorality of the teacher who has
accepted the code in the past. This text may also serve as

16
a help in discussion concerning the profile of a teacher
and his role in the school’s community.

Translated by Agnieszka Okuniewska

17