Limits of Care

I admire really caring teachers, who know their students personally and encourage them with their kind words and genuine concern. But what are the limits of care? If a student lies or cheats, what does caring intervention look like? In the case that the student is caught in the act, is direct confrontation and issuing consequences uncaring? I would argue not. In fact, the really caring thing to do is to call the student to account while at the same time believing he or she has the ability and the will to change his/her behaviour. Why? First, unless we are caught and stopped, hedged in, as it were, we find ways to rationalize wrongs and even reoffend. Secondly, we have to care enough to challenge and correct, all in the spirit of helping the student be their best. Lastly, without limiting consequences, the student will have the license to be uncaring toward those who are implicated in their lying and cheating.
Let's not assume that students are any different than we are, in essence. We often only redirect wrongdoing toward doing what's right when we are caught and feel the temporary pain of natural or imposed consequences.