CoDE OF CONDUCT
McTeggart Kentucky (the school and booster club organization) is a community of learners and teachers, dancers, musicians, artists, and enthusiasts who come together to learn, encourage one another, and celebrate a beautiful shared tradition and heritage. We value community, relationships, and people, and ask that all our members and guests abide by the following code of conduct:
Be welcoming, considerate, and patient.
We are all at different places in our study, learning, and growth. We know that everyone has something to offer and something to learn. We intentionally welcome each other and newcomers, we are considerate and kind in our interactions, and we are patient with one another and our guests.
Communicate often. Be open and honest in your communications, and respectful and thoughtful in the words you choose.
The process of learning a new art form, or of achieving elite and advanced levels in one’s artistic/athletic practice, requires regular and honest communication and dialogue amongst students, between students and teachers, and between parents and teachers (with students, when appropriate). Misunderstandings, miscommunications, and even disagreements may arise in the course of our discussions and relationships. We might all experience some frustration now and then, but we cannot allow that frustration to turn into a personal attack. A community where people feel uncomfortable or reactionary is not conducive to learning and enjoyment. At McTeggart, we ask our members to:
Engage in courageous conversation. Speak to (and not about) the person or persons with whom you may have a concern, disagreement, or issue with gentleness, patience, and compassion.
Engage in practices of dialogue as opposed to debate. We work to understand one another better and to find solutions.
When you are representing McTeggart to outside parties, organizations, or individuals, you uphold these standards of behavior and communication.
We are all Team McTeggart. We support, encourage, and uplift one another. This includes students and parents. Negative talk and attitudes towards or about members of our community is not acceptable and not welcome. Speaking about people who are not present, especially in negative ways, is not acceptable.
We respect one another’s time and effort. We expect students and parents to be punctual and prepared for classes, performances, meet-up times, competitions, etc. Tardiness or absence sometimes only affects the tardy student; other times, tardiness or absence may impact an entire class, team, or performance troupe. Tardiness or absences can have the effect of making punctual and present students feel disrespected and that their time isn’t valued. We know that emergencies, conflicts, and other issues arise, and we are understanding when they do. However, we expect that students and families will respect one another and adhere to the standards of punctuality and presence.
We expect and believe that members of our community act with the best of intentions. Mistakes and misunderstandings happen, and when they do occur, we look for resolution. We create a space where it is okay to make mistakes and okay to own up to them when they happen. We create a space where forgiveness - and learning from our mistakes - is a norm. We believe in one another’s best intentions, and when engaging with one another around a source of disagreement, we speak to the impacts of actions, as opposed to assuming another’s intention behind the actions.
We adhere to the “Rule of Three.” The Rule of Three means that no child will ever be alone with an adult who is not their parent or guardian, but always in the company of a third person, child, or adult. We adhere to this rule to live into the spirit and abide by the Child Protection Standards of CLRG and to uphold organizational best practices to prevent misconduct, abuse, or harassment.
Irish dancing instruction is akin to a master-apprentice relationship: the relationship between teacher and student is at the pleasure and discretion of the teacher. Students may be accepted and dismissed at the sole discretion of the teacher(s), as long as the reason for dismissal is not discriminatory (see our Inclusivity and Non-Discrimination Policy).
Accountability
If you consider someone to be in violation of this Code of Conduct, please submit a report of the incident to mcteggartdancers@gmail.com and kmidboard@gmail.com. The McTeggart teachers and MKBC board will review the report and respond to your concerns.
Maintaining a Healthy Community
If the McTeggart teachers or MKBC board find a member to be in violation of this Code of Conduct, they will take steps to either request the member cease the behavior in question, if the issue is minor, or, for major infractions, will remove and disenroll a student/family from membership in the school and booster club.