Ethics are aspirational goals representing the maximum or ideal standards set by the profession, practiced through one's professional behavior and interactions (Remley & Herlihy, 2016). This study explored teachers' meaning making of ethical practice by delineating how participants deliberated and came to make sense of what, why, and how, they made educational decisions. Findings revealed a complex interplay characterized by 1) personal morality clashing with professional norms; 2) conflicts between individualized student benefits versus the larger community's norms; and 3) student's short-term versus long-term development. Conclusions affirm the influence of intentional care and suggest meaning making may begin in an internalized space framed by the participant's personal sense of morality but then be mitigated by external organizational and societal pressures that both inform and challenge ethical choices and professional practices.