THE SOUL OF TEACHING: EDUCATING TEACHERS OF CHARACTER

The notion that schooling exists for the development of character as well as skills is not a new view of education. Still, in our schools of education today, little is done to prepare candidates to be teachers of character. This article initially addresses the lack of character education training in teacher education programs and makes a case for its inclusion. Several general ways for integrating teacher education and character education are explored. Finally, a description of a specific course that deliberately combines these two areas is presented. One could, I am convinced, experience an entire career as a teacher without having heard any other message from educationists than the dominate theme: Teachers should be highly skilled technicians…This is not a perspective that will sustain the teacher’s vision. (Bolin, 1997, p. 219) For many years, I have been interviewing candidates who hope to come into our teacher education program. One of the questions we always ask is, “Why do you want to be a teacher?” The answers to this question are remarkably similar across time, major, race and gender. Nearl