Este artigo discute o êthos docente de professores formadores referenciais de prática, buscando analisar as influências na sua constituição profissional e os saberes explícitos e/ou tácitos presentes e mobilizados em sua docência. Com base em Shulman, Gauthier, Tardif, e Polanyi, foram realizadas entrevistas e observação de aulas de três professores indicados como referenciais pelos seus alunos, no contexto de um curso de Pedagogia de uma universidade pública. Os dados revelam convergências entre as práticas dos investigados e gravitam em torno de uma didática de prerrogativas intelectivas, morais, afetivas e comportamentais.The present article discusses the teaching ethos of professors who are recognized for their good practice as trainers. The aim of our study is to analyze the influencesof such professors’ professional constitution, as well as the explicit and/or tacit teaching knowledge they mobilize in their teaching practices. Based on Shulman, Gauthier, Tardif and Polanyi, we conducted interviews with three professors described by their students as reference. They were also observed in their classes, in the context of an undergraduate program in pedagogy at a public university. Data show similarities between the practices of the investigated professors, as well as a consistent description of their didactics, which is marked by intellective, moral, emotional and behavioral features.