The Ethical Lens of Teaching

Picture yourself in your classroom, facing a tough choice. Maybe you’re wondering how to help a child with ADHD succeed, or how to ensure students are not being injured by online risks. As teachers, we make dozens of ethical choices every day while helping students develop technology skills. Let’s explore three helpful ways to think through these decisions.

The Common Good Lens: We’re All in This Together

Think of your school as a garden where everyone’s growth matters. The Common Good Lens helps us tend this garden carefully. When facing a choice, we look at how it affects our whole school community – especially the vulnerable.

I once watched a teacher wrestle with allowing phones in class for research. Instead of making a quick decision, she thought about the whole picture. Some students had phones, others didn’t. Some needed help staying focused, while others thrived with technology. By viewing the situation through the Common Good Lens, she created a plan that worked for everyone: a mix of shared devices and personal phones, with clear guidelines to keep things fair.

The Virtue Lens: Becoming Our Best Selves

Every choice we make as teachers shapes who we become. The Virtue Lens asks us to consider not just what works, but what’s right. It’s like looking in a mirror and asking, “Is this the teacher I want to be?”

Good teaching grows from attitudes, dispositions, or character traits like honesty, courage, kindness, and fairness. These aren’t just nice words – they’re tools that help us navigate tricky situations. When you’re tempted to skip a difficult conversation with a parent, or overlook a minor infraction to avoid conflict, the Virtue Lens reminds you to stay true to your best self.

The Care Lens: Hearts Before Charts

Numbers and rules matter, but relationships matter more. The Care Lens reminds us that behind every policy decision are real people with real feelings. It’s about understanding the feelings of our students and acting with empathy.

Here’s a real example: A school needed to start summer classes for struggling students. Through the Care Lens, they saw beyond test scores. They talked with students about their fears and hopes. They asked families about challenges at home. This understanding helped them create a summer program that students actually wanted to attend.

Bringing It All Together

These three lenses work best when used together, like different angles of the same camera shot. Let’s say you’re planning a big change in your classroom. The Common Good Lens helps you consider everyone’s needs. The Virtue Lens guides you to act with integrity. The Care Lens ensures you handle changes with empathy.

Remember, ethical teaching isn’t about finding perfect answers. It’s about making thoughtful choices that help our school community thrive. By looking through these three lenses, we can see our challenges more clearly and make decisions we’re proud of.

Want to dive deeper? Join our new online ethics PD course to explore these ideas further.

2025 Editor’s Note: We’ve refreshed our examination of three essential ethical frameworks for educators: the Common Good, Virtue, and Care lenses. This update reinforces how these timeless approaches help educators evaluate difficult decisions, implement solutions compassionately, and consider impacts on both individuals and the broader school community. Understanding these ethical frameworks remains crucial as educators face increasingly complex decisions in modern education.