Overview
The Training School Staff in Ethics and Boundaries Toolkit is designed to be used by school leaders in the development of training or discussion with school staff on the topic of ethics and boundaries. The materials in this toolkit can be modified to fit local needs with credit to the Department of Public Instruction. There are activities within this toolkit to lead a workshop on the topic, and other activities to lead a short discussion with staff. Ethics and boundaries is an important topic which should be consistently discussed with school staff, and this toolkit provides a few ideas to begin or continue those discussions and learning.
Toolkit Content
This slide deck was originally created as a one hour workshop to provide school leaders with an understanding of the activities and content to use in local in-service training. This slide deck can be modified to suit local needs. It is a place to start to become familiar with the activities in the toolkit.
Ethical Decision-Making Model and Worksheet
This document provides one example of an ethical decision-making model, which can help guide staff towards making more informed decisions. This model can be used in staff training paired with various scenarios for staff to consider and work through the model to discuss actions and outcomes.
Example Scenarios to Use with the Ethical Decision-Making Model
Use an ethical decision-making model to discuss the included scenarios with a small group, or use these scenarios to write relevant scenarios for the audience and context.
Boundary Questions to Consider: Continuum of Professional Behavior Activity
Have participants stand in the middle of the room. Designate one side of the room as “unacceptable behavior” and the other side as “super professional/helpful behavior”. Read each bullet point one at a time. After each, participants will move to the side of the area of the room where they feel the behavior falls. Have discussion after each point, allowing for folks on different ends of the spectrum to describe their thinking.
Ethics and Boundaries Scenario Discussions Examples
Have small groups of school staff consider the scenarios and the actions taken. Have boundaries been violated? Is the behavior ethical? Allow an open discussion to consider the question, “How would staff handle these situations in the best interests of the student, staff, and school?”
Cues of Blurring Boundaries - Participant Handout
This handout provides examples of signs that they may be over or under-involved with a student or family. Staff can self-reflect on their relationships with students and determine if they need to take action to get back to balance in any of their relationships based on the warning signs they find in this handout.
This brief, self-paced module leads staff through considerations related to boundaries and confidentiality and includes the following tools:
- Determining Boundaries in Staff-Student Relationships Document - The purpose of this tool is to assist educators in a school to come to a consensus regarding the appropriate boundaries to maintain in their relationships with students. Staff participation in the activity is a starting point for the discussion and development of a school-wide consensus on healthy boundaries. There are different sets of questions for elementary, middle and high school staff acknowledging the unique needs of each age group.
- Responding to Student Disclosure of Emotional Pain, Trauma or Mental Illness: Recommendations for Administrators - Tool to lead staff through training on handling student disclosures, including sentence stems and example responses.
Exploring Personal Values Exercise
This activity allows staff to reflect on their personal values, and to prioritize the values that hold the highest meaning for them. Individuals can find more fulfillment in life when they live more of life from values instead of needs.
Confidentiality, Consent, and Student Records Webpage
DPI Webpage with links to resources on confidentiality, consent, and student records.