Rules for Teachers

The Rules for Teachers from 1915 and 1872 are different from the ones we have today.  These rules mainly targeted teachers and did not affect the students.  Some of the rules were quite harsh, especially towards female teachers.  Female teachers had stricter rules than male teachers.  They could not be seen in public with a male unless it was their father or their brother.  Teachers would lose their integrity and could even lose their job by doing social things in the community, such as smoking and drinking in public, and even shaving their beards.  Incredibly, teachers could not even go outside of the city limits without permission from the school board.  In addition, teachers had to be home between certain hours at night.  I actually found some of these rules to be funny because they seem so unreasonable now.  The modern NEA Code of Ethics mainly focuses on each teacher’s commitment toward the student and the teaching profession.  The Code of Ethics are also in place to protect the students.

            I definitely believe there are unwritten “social rules” for teachers.  They are certainly not as harsh as the one from 1872 and 1915, but with the same principles.  As educators we need to be positive role models to our kids.  I think some of the important social rules for teachers include dressing appropriately and using proper hygiene, using appropriate language, not having romantic relationships with the students, being on time, and being an upstanding member of the community, including appropriate social behavior outside the school.  For example, teachers should not go out to the bars and get drunk or have any type of disorderly conduct in the community.  Also, we need to watch how we use modern technology, especially on-line.  Teachers definitely have more freedom now than in the past, but I think we need to continue to work to keep some of these freedoms.