Can We Teach Morals?

After doing a paper for Principles and Techniques on educational philosopher Nel Noddings, I began to think if we can teach our students morals and values for their good outside the classroom. Her philosophy is all about caring, and sometimes crosses the border of moral education. For some, it is ridiculous to think that moral education is something that should be done in the schools, while others believe the schools are where children should learn values, since not all parents can be depended on to do so. Should us teachers be depended on, though? We have enough trouble dealing with the actual content of the curriculum, do morals really need to be immersed into that also?

Most children's morals and values come from their family, and usually their religious and cultural backgrounds. Since each student is different, we don't really have a right to impose on them. However, I do believe it is our duty as teachers to teach them common courtesies-- saying please and thank you, everyday respect, making eye contact while speaking, professional greetings, etc.--that may not necessarily be taught at home, all of which will be expected from future employers. How to behave in certain situations, on the other hand, is something that can be dealt with by each individual's conscience, or their families--those morals should not be up to the schools to handle.