Kimberly Eick

Journal Assignment #1
Facts: Kenny started a new medication. The medication is a mood stabilizer. Parents
did not initially tell the school that Kenny was going through a medicine change. School
called the parents to notify them that they have seen increased behaviors in Kenny
which include hitting, charging staff, biting, pulling hair, kicking, and pinching. When the
school called the parents asked Have you noticed any behavioral changes in Kenny?
Ethical Issue: Should parents notify the school that a student is going through a
medicine change?
Arguments:
Yes they should notify the school

No they should not notify the school

Open communication with the school/

building a relationship

Personal information

Help monitor changes

None of their business

Notify us when there is a problem

It is not the school right to know

Affect performance in school

No release signed

Safety of students and staff

They should know what is going on

without us telling them

Affect attendance in school

I dont have to tell them everything only

part of the information

Ethical Decision:
I have parents on both sides. The most severe case that I had this year the parents and
doctors were notifying us on everything that was happening. It helped greatly because
of the medication changes the student ended up being hospitalized for 3 weeks. If we
would not have known what was happening the student would have ended up being
truant and would have had lots of other difficulties. I appreciate the parents that will
share the medical history with us because of the safety reasons as well as trying to
understand what is happening with the student. For the well being of the student it is
best for the parents to share the information with school.
Consequentialist or Non-Consequentialist- My answer is a consequentialist answer
in that I am looking at how many people this will impact as well as what the rules are. I
am also looking at the best issue for everyone involved not just the individual student.

Kimberly Eick
Journal Assignment #2
Facts: Terry is 14 years old and a nonverbal freshman. When weighed at school he
weighed 56 pounds in September he was weighed a second time in October and he
weighed 52 pounds. He is 4 foot 3 inches tall. Terry is lactose intolerant ( it is
documented in his student file). His parents send his lunch daily which consists of a
sandwich ( with cheese on it), juice or water, a cheese stick, fruit, chips or a granola bar.
Terry comes into class crying and holding his stomach daily, he goes through his icons
and will hand staff the icon for snack and juice daily. The high school principal was
notified and she said feed Terry a small snack like a piece of fruit and if he is thirsty
give him something to drink. The principal also notified the Superintendent and the
Pupil Services Designee about the situation. They agreed with the principals decision.
Staff in the classroom started feeding Terry snacks in the morning and gave him water
or juice throughout the day. Terry comes to school in shoes that are too big, pants too
short, his shirts are too big, and he did not come to school with a coat when it was cold
outside. When he comes into school from the bus his lips and hands are purple and
when you touch his hands they are ice cold. Several attempts were made to contact the
parents about the situation. The parents did not return the phone calls or emails. After
talking with the Principal, the Pupil Services Designee, and the Superintendent the
decision to call Social Services was made. Parents responded by getting a doctors
note that stated Terry is of appropriate height and weight for his age. The note
continued on that Terry is not to receive any extra food or water during the school day it
was signed by a licensed physician.
Ethical Issue: Was this a situation where Social Services should have been called?
Yes ,Social Services should have been
called

No, Social Services should not

have been called

Terry was not properly clothed for the weather

There was not information to warrant

a phone call

He showed us that he was hungry

Contact with parents should have

been pursued harder

He showed signs that he was cold

No enough documentation to call

them

He was not receiving proper food for his

medical condition

Are there other family members that

could have been contacted

Child Safety

Staff did not visit the house

Letter of the Law- we had pursued all avenues

While participating in a cooking

of communication within the district as well as

attempting to contact Terrys family while trying
to keep Terry safe.

activity he was actively participating

and not eating any of the food he
was making.

Ethical Decision:
In accordance with mandatory reporting the decision was made to contact Social
Services. As a district we felt that we had enough information to provide the social
worker and we needed to look out for Terrys safety and well being. When I called
Social Services I was asked why I had waited so long to call. I did tell them that I had
tried to call the parents first. I was advised next time to call them first. I got a letter in
December that there was not enough evidence and that all appeared all right in the
home. I also had received a call 3 days prior to the letter that stated Social Services had
not been able to make it out to the home or completed the investigation from the lead
social worker on the case.
Consequentialist or Non-ConsequentialistIn this instance it was a non-consequentialist response. I followed the universal rule of
human conduct do unto to others as you would have others do unto you . I was also
concerned with the safety of one student.

Kimberly Eick
Journal #3
Facts: Terry is 14 years old and a nonverbal freshman. When weighed at school he
weighed 56 pounds in September he was weighed a second time in October and he
weighed 52 pounds. He is 4 foot 3 inches tall. Terry is lactose intolerant ( it is
documented in his student file). His parents send his lunch daily which consists of a
sandwich ( with cheese on it), juice or water, a cheese stick, fruit, chips or a granola bar.
Terry comes into class crying and holding his stomach daily, he goes through his icons
and will hand staff the icon for snack and juice daily. The high school principal was
notified and she said feed Terry a small snack like a piece of fruit and if he is thirsty
give him something to drink. The principal also notified the Superintendent and the
Pupil Services Designee about the situation. They agreed with the principals decision.
Staff in the classroom started feeding Terry snacks in the morning and gave him water
or juice throughout the day. Terry comes to school in shoes that are too big, pants too
short, his shirts are too big, and he did not come to school with a coat when it was cold
outside. When he comes into school from the bus his lips and hands are purple and
when you touch his hands they are ice cold. Several attempts were made to contact the
parents about the situation. The parents did not return the phone calls or emails. After
talking with the Principal, the Pupil Services Designee, and the Superintendent the
decision to call Social Services was made. Parents responded by getting a doctors
note that stated Terry is of appropriate height and weight for his age. The note
continued on that Terry is not to receive any extra food or water during the school day it
was signed by a licensed physician.
Ethical Issue: Should staff feed Terry when he asks for food or exhibits signs of
hunger?
Yes staff should feed Terry

No Staff should not feed Terry

Student is communicating

Parents pack his lunch and know what he can

have

It was a team decision to feed Terry Parents provided a doctors note stating that
Terry is of appropriate height and weight
He is hungry and it could affect his
learning

If staff feeds one they will have to feed

everyone that is hungry

It is not fair to Terry watching other

kids eat and he cant

The doctor knows what weight and height a 14

year old should be

He is hungry and it could affect his

behavior

It is against parents orders

It is the right thing to do

It is going against doctors orders

Ethical Decision:
Prior to receiving the note from the doctor and after we had talked with the principal,
Superintendent, and Pupil Services Designee we were feeding Terry small snacks when
he got to school and giving him water and juice to drink throughout the day. Since
receiving the note from the doctor we have stopped feeding Terry and we stopped
giving him water throughout the day. He does have tantrums when the other kids are
having snack and he does not get to have snack so we take him out of the room at that
time. I I have a very hard time not giving him something to drink after a physical activity
or even when he requests it. I do not agree with the doctor that he does not need to
drink water throughout the day. I would love to ask him if he drinks water throughout the
day or just what is in his lunch.
Consequentialist or Non-ConsequentialistIn this instance it was a non-consequentialist response. I followed the universal rule of
human conduct do unto to others as you would have others do unto you . I was also
concerned with the well being of one student. I am still very concerned about him.
Weekends and long breaks are the worst because I do not know what will happen to
him over that time period or if you will see him Monday morning.

Kimberly Eick
Journal #4
Facts: Confidentiality is very hard to keep in a school. Knowing who you have to tell
and how much you can tell them is also difficult. Confidential is defined as secret of
private or the ability to keep a secret. In my classroom I work with 5 paraprofessionals.
I share with them confidential information with the understanding what I say is
confidential and does not leave the room. The issue is that the information is leaving the
room. I have listened to other staff and it appears that confidentiality does not exist any
more and everyone should know everything. What is really upsetting is that I find out
information that is relevant to my room outside of my room.
Ethical Issue- Do you keep confidentiality or not?

Keep Confidentiality

Dont Keep Confidentiality

Not everyone needs to know

Everyone needs to know

Students make mistakes and need a second

chance

Students dont have the same rights as

adults

HIPAA

It is a matter of public safety

Trust of the student and family

It is a matter of personal safety

It is a matter of personal safety

There are no secrets anymore

Silence speaks volumes

They need something to talk about

Ethical Decision:
I try to be very careful in what I share with others. I share only what needs to be shared
with the ones that have to know. When it comes to medicine changes I will let the
students teachers and staff working with them know. Family issues I will share with the
director of pupil services and if absolutely necessary I will share with the
paraprofessionals. I share less information than I receive as I do not want to lose the
trust of the student or family. I also do not want to jeopardize the relationship with my
co-workers or boss. As a high school special education teacher I am entrusted with a
lot of confidential information in the student files as well in conversation with my boss. It
is a very tricky balance keeping the secret and know what to share and when to share it.
Consequentialist or Non-ConsequentialistIn this instance it was a non-consequentialist response. I followed the universal rule of
human conduct do unto to others as you would have others do unto you . If I told
someone something in confidence I would hope that they would keep that way and not
share the information with the world. In addition I am looking out in a sense for me and

the relationships that I have built with the students and their families trying to keep that
relationship.

Kimberly Eick
Journal # 5
Facts: Paraprofessionals are given directions by teachers.I have 5 paraprofessional in
a CD classroom. I am also the youngest professional in the classroom. Three out of the
six of us were hired this year including me. I often have to ask certain
paraprofessionals to complete a task several times before they are completed. Here is a
recent example of a paraprofessional not following directions given. This
paraprofessional has worked in the district 8 years in the Elementary and Middle
School. This is her first year in the high school. She has also been in a classroom alone
with a student for 3 years.
I asked a paraprofessional to update her schedule so that it reflected the new semester.
She huffed and walked away from me. She then walked into a different classroom and
made the comment I dont have to do this my schedule is changing drastically. to
another paraprofessional. Later in the day I had asked this paraprofessional to take two
students to the grocery store to pick up some of the items that we needed. The
paraprofessional responded back to me I have not had my break yet. I will take them
when I get back. She then went down to the middle school in the middle of a class and
started talking with another paraprofessional. I received a call from the cooperating
teacher asking me to talk with the paraprofessional about not interrupting her class. I
said that I would try and I apologized for her actions. When she returned from her
break I asked if I could talk to her in private. She rolled her eyes and said Now what?
Was I late from my break because I did not get to go on time. I asked again if I could
talk to her in private. She then proceeded to raise her voice and state that she Did not
have time to talk to me I proceed to walk away to avoid the confrontation. As I was
walking away she continued to rant and started following me. I stepped into the hallway
and she followed me. I closed the door and I asked her if she could stop and listen. She
then walked away from me and went back to the middle school. All of these incidents
happened in front of students until I walked in the hallway.I cleared the classroom so
that I could make some phone calls. I then called the middle school teacher and let her
know that I was not able to talk with the paraprofessional she informed that the
paraprofessional was back in her classroom. When I hung up I then called the High
School Principal and let her know what was going on. She then intercepted the
paraprofessional in the middle school classroom and took her to her office talked to her.
When she came back into the classroom she glared at me grabbed her items and went
back to the middle school. This incident happened at 2 p.m. The trip to the store did not
happen due to her walking out.
Ethical Issue: Do Paraprofessionals need to follow directions from a teacher?
Yes they need to follow directions

No they do not need to follow directions

Safety of students

She knows what she is doing

Job expectations

Directions were not clear enough

Professionalism

She does not need to complete the

assigned task

It was a direction that needed to be

followed

Not enough time to complete the task

Common sense

Past three years she was the boss

Common courtesy

Directions needed to be repeated

Ethical Decision:
As a team ( the high school principal, the pupil services designee, the paraprofessional,
as well as me) developed an improvement plan for her to work on. If she does not follow
the improvement plan she will be wrote up the first time and the plan will be reviewed to
make sure that she understands the plan. If she continues to not follow the plan she
may be terminated. My dilemma with this paraprofessional is that she still does what
she wants and the improvement plan does not seem to matter to her.
Consequentialist or Non-Consequentialist- My answer is a consequentialist answer
in that I am looking at how many people this will impact as well as what the rules are. I
am primarily concerned with her not following more important directions or safety plans.

Kimberly Eick
Journal # 6
Facts: Safety plans are written with student and staff safety. They are also written so
that in a crisis situation staff can remain calm and gain control of the situation as soon
and safely as possible.
I have written a safety plan for a student and the grandparents did approve of it. This
particular student has multiple drop seizures daily as well as severe behavioral issues.
The Pupil Services Designee came up with a basic 4 step plan. Step one clear the
room of all students. Step two Try to calm the student if you can not leave the room.
Step three call the Dean of students or high school principal. Step four administration
will call the cops if they find it necessary. An additional part of the plan is that the
student will be transported in a wheelchair and he will use the elevator when going
down the stairs. When working with this student we are to carry a cellphone in the case
of an emergency. In addition this student has two paraprofessionals working with him at
all times. This plan was approved by the high school principal, the Superintendent, and
the Pupil Services Designee. Not everyone has been following the plan.
Staff in the classroom have taken the student down the stairs, lost a school issued
cellphone, not used the wheelchair, left him in a room alone, walked him one on one
back to class, not cleared the classroom when he was having a break down, and not
cleared the room of staff when they could not calm him. The safety plan is posted in
every room and we have talked about the plan at several meetings. The
paraprofessionals that have not been following the plan have been talked to by
administration.
Ethical Issue: How important is it for everyone on a team to follow a plan as it is
written?
Yes it is important

No it is not important

Safety of students

Direction were not clear enough

Safety of staff

The plan does not pertain to everyone

It is a direction from the boss

I know what I am doing

It is common sense

Im not going to get hurt

Professionalism

Directions need to be repeated

Common sense

Not comfortable following the plan

Ethical Decision: We have to follow the plan. Plain and simple. There is really no if,
ands, or buts about it. He is an unstable student and this is the only way we can keep
the students and staff safe. This student has hurt 6 staff members (some more than
once) and 2 students have been injured. Would you want to be in a room with a raging
bull or on the other side of the door? I have been in both and personally I prefer the
other side of the door is a lot safer.

Consequentialist or Non-Consequentialist- My answer is a consequentialist answer

in that I am looking at how many people this will impact as well as what the rules are.
The rule is the plan, amount of people it affects is everyone in the classroom as well as
possibly the rest of the student body.