Moral Teachers

Moral and Ethical Issues in Teacher Education. ERIC Digest.
This ERIC digest will address two components related to the moral and ethical preparation of teachers. First it will consider issues related to the identification and assessment of professional education, and then it will address foundations and specific models for the preservice training of teachers of character.
ISSUES OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN EDUCATION
Consider Irma, the student teacher. Not only does she already have a contract from the rural district in which she was born and raised, she is also bilingual. Irma wants to live in the community and teach in the elementary school in which she was taught. She has a natural rapport with children and a positive personality. As the student teaching semester progresses, Irma 's Master Teacher Mrs. Baxter grows increasingly uncomfortable. Irma is enrolled in a full set of courses during the student teaching semester and works 30-40 hours a week. Her relationship wit her boyfriend is serious and takes additional time. Because of this busy schedule, it is difficult for Irma and Mrs. Baxter to meet to discuss the classroom curriculum and review teaching plans.
Mrs. Baxter offers to meet with Irma before class, at 7:00a.m., but Irma has difficulty getting to school that early because of her late night hours at work. Meetings between the two are sporadic.
Mrs. Baxter has noticed other behaviors that bother her about Irma. For example, she has observed that on the playground Irma watches the students, but does not actively interact with them. In the computer room, Irma searches the web, but does not help the children. She has asked Irma to prepare a theme unit and has given her time at school to prepare. But it is now three days before the unit is to begin and there are no plans and Irma has not discussed the unit with Mrs. Baxter. Mrs. Baxter feels that perhaps Irma is just "putting in time" because she knows she has a job waiting and the other facets of her

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