Ethical And Equitable

Cultivating Ethical Pedagogy: Why Teacher Preparation Must Prioritize Equity and Care

Teacher preparation programs must prioritize ethical behavior as a central focus of training. Educators who demonstrate ethical pedagogy adopt a "caring for" disposition that transforms thought into action, creating meaningful connections with students that directly impact achievement. This critical discussion lays a foundation for future research and development in equitable pedagogy—an urgent need given the persistent achievement gaps in American schools.

The disparities in educational experiences across different student populations reveal a troubling double standard. Zero-tolerance policies and punitive disciplinary methods create hostile and oppressive school environments for some students. These same students experience high rates of failure and harsh consequences that widen rather than close achievement gaps. Meanwhile, for other groups of students, school validates their experiences and reflects their identities through curriculum and role models—a place where learning feels natural and success seems attainable.

This disparity is unacceptable. Educators must shift from apathy and ignorance toward deliberate, democratic, and equitable treatment of all students. To make this shift, teachers must be prepared to "care for" their students in a manner consistent with ethical and equitable principles.

What "Caring For" Really Means

Shevalier and McKenzie (2012) make a compelling case that caring for students involves far more than good intentions or sympathetic thoughts. Genuine care requires action—deliberate pedagogical choices that demonstrate respect for students' identities, experiences, and potential. This means teacher preparation programs must help teachers become more capable of connecting with people from different social, cultural, economic, and academic backgrounds. More importantly, teachers must use those connections to bridge gaps, plan responsive lessons, and raise student achievement.

However, caring for students does not mean abandoning structure or accountability. True care includes appropriate discipline, but discipline reimagined through an ethical lens.

Traditional disciplinary methods often remove opportunities—suspensions, detentions, loss of privileges. This negative approach fails to address root causes or teach better behaviors. Instead, ethical pedagogy requires positive discipline that adds opportunities and increases desired behaviors. Restorative practices help students understand the impact of their actions and develop skills in conflict resolution, emotional regulation, and community building. For example, rather than suspending students for fighting, restorative approaches might involve mediation, understanding underlying conflicts, and developing personal action plans for managing anger.

Disciplinary methods should seek to understand the reasons behind behavior and include corrective measures that genuinely increase desired outcomes. This alternative approach to discipline aligns with the "caring for" framework but remains underexplored in current teacher training.

Most teacher preparation programs focus heavily on content knowledge, but very little attention is given to social-emotional understanding or relationship-building skills (Grossman & McDonald, 2008). These critical areas remain under-investigated because of the intangible nature of emotions and emotional connections. Yet these "soft skills" are precisely what struggling students need most from their teachers.

Shevalier and McKenzie (2012) provide practical strategies that teachers can deliberately incorporate into their pedagogy. While these strategies may appear to be simple common sense, their consistent and intentional application—with an explicitly ethical and equitable mindset—is critical for transforming student achievement in urban schools. The difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it consistently is where transformation occurs.

University and alternative certification programs must take critical steps to expand their curriculum to include preparation for an equity mindset. The educational disparities in America are an embarrassment to our public education systems. After more than two decades of persistent achievement gaps, we must acknowledge that traditional pedagogical methodology has failed many students.

Teacher education programs must evolve beyond content delivery to prioritize culturally responsive teaching, ethical competency, and equitable practice. Teachers need explicit training in establishing inclusive classroom environments, building authentic relationships across difference, and implementing restorative rather than punitive approaches to behavior.

The question is no longer whether we need to change teacher preparation—the evidence demands it. The question is whether we have the courage and commitment to make ethical and equitable pedagogy as central to teacher training as content knowledge has always been. Our students—particularly those in under-resourced urban schools—cannot afford another decade of well-intentioned but unprepared teachers.

Teacher preparation programs must produce educators who are not only knowledgeable but also ethically grounded, culturally responsive, and genuinely prepared to care for all students through both their words and their actions. This is the foundation upon which we can finally close achievement gaps and create schools where every student's experience is validated and every student has the opportunity to succeed.