This paper examines what pedagogical issues mean to practicing teachers, discussing the ethics of purpose, rules and principles, and probability, and noting teachers' philosophical perspectives and practical interpretations. Interviews were conducted with 20 Finnish secondary school teachers working in urban schools during an in-service training on ethical issues in teaching. Teachers described a work situation in which they had difficulty deciding what to do from an ethical point of view, and they answered questions about relationships, contexts, and solutions to the dilemmas. Researchers visited the teachers in their schools, observed the reported situations, and interviewed students. This paper highlights one case in which a teacher had to handle a smoking-related dilemma (students and teachers smoking in school even through it was against the law). Her interpretations of the rules and principles were the most important source of standards guiding her professional practice. She needed different ethical perspectives to inform her decision making. She felt that all possible solutions led to even further problems with colleagues and students, but she felt some action had to be taken. In the end, when she could not find the right solution, she justified doing nothing in order to avoid further harm. (Contains 46 references.) (SM)