One classroom situation that reflects the principle of benefit maximization is when a teacher postpones a party because some of her students were noisy in the hall. The teacher had told the children that other students were taking a test and, to be courteous, must be quiet while walking through the hall. Even though some of the children were quiet, she postponed the entire party for all the students so that everyone will learn the importance of being courteous to others. For instance, both children will have the opportunity to answer questions in class or to read aloud. There is a greater interest in ethics of teaching today than 30 years ago because street crime and white-collar crime, drugs and violence, and our inability to keep promises in our professional and personal lives all suggest a renewed need for ethics.
Teaching is full of ethical issues, both in major issues and in everyday life.
Kenneth Strike points out that teachers also make promises to perform certain duties and that they have real power over the lives of children. The way the teachers answer the question often become their habits, whether the habits become good or bad. These habits define much of a teacher s ethical behaviors, and are conveyed to the children that he or she teaches.