Ethical Decision-Making Step by Step

Your friend shows you her test answers during a quiz and tells you to copy them. You really want a good grade. What do you do?

→ Step 1 – See the problem: Copying is cheating. Step 2 – Who is affected: you, your friend, your teacher, and honest classmates. Step 3 – Options: copy the answers, ignore the answers and do your own work, or quietly tell your friend you cannot do it. Step 4 – Pick the best: do your own work and whisper 'I can't' to your friend. Step 5 – Own it: accept whatever grade you earn honestly. · Cheating might help your grade once but hurts your learning and your integrity long-term.

You see a classmate's lunch get knocked on the floor by accident. Everyone laughs, but the classmate looks like they might cry. What do you do?

→ Step 1 – See the problem: someone is embarrassed and hungry. Step 2 – Who is affected: the classmate, you, and the kids watching. Step 3 – Options: laugh along, ignore it, or help the classmate and ask a teacher about a replacement lunch. Step 4 – Pick the best: stop laughing, help pick things up, and walk with them to the office. Step 5 – Own it: check in with the classmate later. · Using empathy means imagining how you would feel if it were your lunch on the floor.

You find a $10 bill on the classroom floor with no name on it. Your first thought is to keep it. What should you do?

→ Step 1 – See the problem: the money belongs to someone else. Step 2 – Who is affected: the person who lost it and you. Step 3 – Options: keep it, leave it on the floor, or turn it in to the teacher. Step 4 – Pick the best: turn it in to the teacher so the owner has a chance to claim it. Step 5 – Own it: feel good knowing you acted with integrity. · Keeping something you know is not yours is dishonest even if no one sees you do it.

Your group of friends decides to leave one kid out of the lunch table on purpose because they think he is annoying. They ask you to go along with it. What do you do?

→ Step 1 – See the problem: deliberately excluding someone is unkind and unfair. Step 2 – Who is affected: the excluded kid, you, and your friends. Step 3 – Options: go along with it, say nothing, or invite the kid to sit down anyway. Step 4 – Pick the best: invite the kid and tell your friends quietly that leaving people out on purpose is not cool. Step 5 – Own it: be ready for some pushback but know you did the right thing. · Standing up for fairness can feel uncomfortable, but it gets easier with practice.

You accidentally broke a library book by getting it wet. Nobody knows it was you. The librarian is looking for who did it. What do you do?

→ Step 1 – See the problem: staying silent means someone else might get blamed and you avoid responsibility. Step 2 – Who is affected: the librarian, other students, and you. Step 3 – Options: say nothing, blame someone else, or admit you did it. Step 4 – Pick the best: go to the librarian, explain it was an accident, and offer to help pay for it. Step 5 – Own it: accept the consequence with a calm and honest attitude. · Admitting a mistake is hard, but it builds trust and shows real integrity.