An Autoethnographic Account of Why an ‘Ethics of Care’ Matters

A cursory glance at teacher education research, especially in South Africa but also elsewhere, suggests that teachers’ competencies, skills and content knowledge have received considerable attention over the years in the quest for systematic learning and teaching to take place. One neglected area that needs attention, in my view, is teaching as a relationship-building exercise. In a fractured society such as South Africa that is characterized by a bimodal education system, child-headed households as well as abject poverty, building caring relationships in the nation’s classrooms is of the utmost importance. In this chapter I will explore the importance of building caring relationships between teachers and students as a basis of good teaching and learning that should be foregrounded in teacher education. I will draw upon my own experiences as a schoolteacher for 17 years and being a teacher educator since 2000 as well as literature sources that elaborate on pedagogies of care.