Framework Reflection

Decisions. We make them everyday. We decide what to wear, what to eat, where to
go, how to treat friends and foes. At certain points in our lives we decide what we want
to do for a job, where we want to live, or whom we want to marry. Each decision is
processed through filters. No one is exempt from going through the process of these
filters. They are our life experiences, cultural traditions, and values. Filters that influence
our decisions include social class, religion, age, personality type, precipitating factors
and aspirations. When faced with a decision our emotions also influence the choices we
make.
When I was younger, many decisions were based on emotional responses to a
situation. Now, older with more life experiences and education, my decision are
processed through many more filters. As a teacher, I am faced with making decisions
everyday. What and how to teach the students, how to assess, behavior management
strategies, classroom aesthetics, and so on. My philosophy of teaching, beliefs, and
personal priorities fit perfectly with the self-actualizer approach. When confronted with
students who need guidance, I influence/impose onto them these beliefs and ethics. My
classroom environment is structured to facilitate self-actualization traits in my students.
When making decisions in my classroom I focus on what is best for the students. I try to
go beyond the textbook materials and find ways to make learning fun. I prefer alternate
assessment to standardized testing. I believe these methods are better for the students
learning and well-being.
I have a Hispanic student whose mother expects her to take care of her siblings,
get married as soon as she can, and does not value the education her school is offering.
She believes Jenny should be a stay at home mom, serve her husband and have children.
Jenny has a hearing deficiency so she has an IEP. Her teachers want Jenny to do well in
school and learn a skill so she can get a job to support herself and her family after
school. Jenny is also working with a lawyer to attain her US citizenship. We use the
Spanish teacher to communicate with Jennys parents about school. We convinced
Jennys parents to allow her to take Job Skills, but she had to put in her hours at her Day
Care job during school hours because Jenny was needed at home to watch her siblings,
even though her mother was also home. Jenny wanted to take Child Development during
the Spring Semester but her mom was against this because Jenny would have to bring
home one of those pretend babies as a class assignment. Her mom felt that it would

keep Jenny from watching her siblings. So she didnt want Jenny to take the class at all,
even though she would only have to take the baby home for one night! Jenny is very
interested in pursuing a career in childcare so this class would be crucial for her to take. I
encouraged Jenny to follow her desires to be a day care provider. I told her that her
future was in her hands. For her mother to tell her she couldnt take the Child
Development class seemed unfair. Especially because her reasoning was centered on
Jenny bringing home a pretend baby for one night out of an entire semester. The class
would give her the opportunity to be a better caretaker for her siblings and put her on
the right path for a job in a day care center. The decision I made went through my own
personal life experience filters. I married and started a family young. I played the role of
the housewife while working full time and going to school. That life style was very
stressful and I will encourage any woman to learn how to take care of them selves before
starting a family. This is a consequentialist decision because by allowing and
encouraging Jenny to go against what her mother wants, it will benefit her, her siblings,
her parents, and her future family. A non-consequentialist would have decided differently.
They would believe that Jennys mom has the right to want what she wants for her
daughter. That going against what Jennys mom wants, the teachers could be violating
Jennys moms parental rights and traditionally speaking, maybe being a stay at home
mom is the right thing for Jenny. A non-consequentialist would believe that its more
respectful to follow what Jennys parents want for her.
I knew that a student was here illegally with her parents. This was difficult because
she could not get a job or apply for college without proper identification. If I told
someone, she could be deported, and I didnt know if the parents were working on
getting legal status or not. I did not report her or her family. This is both a
consequentialist and non-consequentialist decision. If I were to report this student, her
and her family could be deported back to their home country. This could potentially
impact numerous people. Maybe they have nothing to go back to, or it would be
dangerous for them to go back. And what are the opportunities for this student in their
home country? In Mexico, for example, education is provided free until third grade, after
that, families have to pay for it. So, this student would have a higher chance for success
here in the US. She may not be able to attend college until the proper paperwork is filed
but at least she would have twelve years of education instead of three. I did, as her
teacher, assist her with and put her in contact with someone, to attain US citizenship. It
is also my duty, as an educator, to provide education to all students, regardless of their

economic, social, or legal status. The US Education Department and Justice Department
issued statements to all schools that they are obligated to do so. Wisconsin does not
currently have a law requiring schools to document and report immigration status, they
operate under Plyer v. Doe. I am a self-actualizer so this decision is filtered through my
personality type. I want the best for all my students regardless of class, education,
political belief, race or color.
The case analysis framework provides an outline in which to slow down and
organize the decision making process. Ways to make sure you have covered all the bases
before making a decision. Pulling out only the facts so your decision cannot be influenced
by opinions. Once the facts have been laid out, the issues become clear and can be
narrowed down to one main ethical issue. Then arguments can be made on both sides.
These arguments are based on beliefs, filters, and legal cases. Consequentialists believe
in the principle of benefit maximization and utilitarianism. Non-consequentialists believe
that rules are rules so everyone is treated the same. They follow the universal rule of
human conduct and the principle of equal respect for persons. Filters include age, social
class, religion, or life experiences. Finally, a decision can be made and supported through
these arguments. With the case analysis framework I will be better equipped to make
ethical decision at school and in life.