Professionalism & Teaching

Campus Resources:
Teaching and Learning Center

UOTeach Guidelines Professional Communication Guidelines

As an educator, you have a professional image to uphold and how you conduct yourself online impacts this image. Instances of misconduct, engaging in inappropriate dialogue about schools and/or students or posting pictures and videos of individuals engaging in inappropriate activity online can result in serious repercussion including termination from the licensure program. Guidelines for use of technology are as follows:

Cell Phone and Text Messages

  1. Turn your cell phone off. If you need to have your cell phone on, set it to vibrate.
  2. Let your cell phone calls go to voice mail.
  3. Refrain from checking and responding to messages while at your practicum site.
  4. Use of your cell phone should be reserved for important calls and messages only.

If you need to make a phone call, wait until you have a break and then find a private place to make the call.

Educational and Social Networks

  1. If using an educational network at your practicum site, find out what the district and school policies are and comply with them.
  2. Do not post photos or videos of students without written parent or guardian permission.
  3. Do not accept students as “friends” on personal social networking sites.
  4. Decline any student-initiated “friend” request and discourage online “friendships” with students.
  5. Remember, “friends” have the ability to download and share your information with others.
  6. Never discuss students, teachers, or staff, or criticize school policies or personnel.
  7. Post only what you want the world to see. Once you post something, it may be available even after you have taken it down.

As an educator, you are expected to use appropriate language and demonstrate a professional demeanor in all written communication with classroom teachers, parents, and university supervisors. Assume you will be google searched during the hiring process. This includes all written (email and text messaging) and verbal communication, including phone conversations. Guidelines for the use of email, text messaging, and cell phones at your practicum site are as follows:

Email

  1. Email should be used primarily to schedule meetings and for short updates. A telephone call or personal conversation can do wonders in resolving difficulties. Complicated issues should be discussed in a face-to-face meeting.
  2. Always use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and paragraph structure. Careless spelling, grammar or punctuation conveys a poor impression on you. Use the spell feature that accompanies your email program.
  3. Do not capitalize whole words that are not titles. Capitalizing is generally interpreted as SHOUTING to your reader.
  4. Get your most important points across quickly. Use the descriptive subject line to identify the message content. Emails without a descriptive subject line may be deleted without reading.