Safeguarding my students and myself

Teacher Joe was worried as a female student seemed to be flirting with him. What should he do? He certainly hadn't encouraged her! Teacher Samantha suddenly was asked to drive a male student home alone by a teacher in her school. Was this appropriate? What should she do? Teacher Kin received a long, tight hug from one of his high school students at the end of the day. He felt really uncomfortable during the hug and didn’t hug back. But had he still breached the code of conduct? What should he do? Teacher Maria lost her temper and shouted at her class. They looked really shocked and she felt instantly guilty. What should she do?

Do you ever feel vulnerable or worried about a safeguarding situation? You might be pleased to know that many teachers do. We know that most of you chose to be teachers because you felt passionate about a subject and the well-being of your students. As TeachBeyond members, we believe what we’re doing is more than just a job but joining God in His ongoing mission of transformation within the educational environments we serve in. However, there are times when we come across tricky safeguarding situations, respond in a way we think might have been wrong, or worry whether we have breached the safeguarding code of conduct. Add all that to confusions within cross-cultural environments and misunderstanding of contextual boundaries and we can sometimes feel at a loss!

So how can we, as teachers, conduct ourselves in a way that glorifies God, being a good example in word and deed and promoting healthy adult-child relationships? How can we ensure the well-being and safety of our students and safeguard ourselves from any hint or risk of misconduct?

The TeachBeyond Safeguarding Code of Conduct, which you have signed, details expectations of all of us who are placed by TeachBeyond or who represent TeachBeyond in any capacity. This Code of Conduct is applicable at all times, in all places, and in relation to all children. Let's remind ourselves what part of the Code of Conduct says.

In any settings where children are present, at least one of these safeguarding conduct principles should be implemented and as many as possible should be followed. These safeguards are applicable for in-person and online interactions.

Visibility: “Is it possible for others to see me?” When interacting with children, adults position themselves in a place that is visible to other adults. This can be accomplished by such things as planning activities in areas where other adults are present, staying within view of the window in the door, or keeping doors open.

Accountability: “Do others know where I am or what I am doing?” “Am I promoting a culture of transparency and accountability?” One-on-one interactions with a child, physically or online, should only occur in situations when permission has been given by the parent or supervisor.

Power Balance: “Do children feel safe in my presence?” Adults, by virtue of their age, size, strength, and authority, exert control over children. Balancing control enhances child safety. This can be accomplished by avoiding one-on-one situations as much as possible, being aware of your body language and ensuring that touch is always in response to the needs of the child and not the needs of the adult.

Let’s now go back to the scenarios. How might following the VAP principles (Visibility, Accountability, and Power Balance) safeguard the students and yourself as a teacher. Teacher Joe should follow “accountability” and immediately go and report what happened to his supervisor, follow the instructions given and ensure that he has high “visibility” if he is ever around this female student. Teacher Samantha should phone up her supervisor and explain what is happening and ask what to do as a short-term solution and then later ask to review the school policy. Teacher Kin should go and speak to his supervisor and together think of ways to avoid situations like this in the future to promote healthy boundaries between teacher and students. Teacher Maria should apologize to her students, speak to her supervisor, and ascertain why she lost her temper. She then could reach out to member care or a professional development coach for further support to ensure that in the future she uses “power balance” in her classroom to provide a safer environment for her students.

We have concentrated on the teachers in these scenarios but remember that children’s needs MUST always be the priority. Further responses by the appropriate leaders or safeguarding lead would be wise to ascertain why the student was seemingly flirting or the impact the teacher losing her temper may have had on the students, for example.

Following these VAP principles can really change a child’s life. I could tell you stories of how poor, irresponsible teacher-to-student relationships have negatively impacted a child or young person’s life which caused serious, harmful effects for many years. That’s devastating and wrong! But I could also tell you many stories of healthy teacher-to-student relationships that have empowered and positively impacted a child’s life in wonderful, life-changing ways. As teachers and school staff, we have a vital responsibility in how we conduct ourselves and how we model healthy adult-child interactions. Why? Because we have a God-given responsibility for the nurture and care of  children, providing for their spiritual growth and general wellbeing, as well as safeguarding them from harm.  What an honor and responsbility this is!

*If you ever need advice please always feel free to reach out to safeguarding@teachebeyond.org