Teacher education, as the cornerstone of teacher workforce development, plays a vital role in cultivating the educator spirit, which is crucial for enhancing teacher competence. As the key medium for delivering teacher education, the curriculum is fundamental to this process. Subject-specific curricula, in particular, serve as the main support for the effective advancement of teacher education. Incorporating the educator spirit into the subject-teacher education curriculum is a critical strategy for fostering this spirit among subject teachers. The integration of educator spirit not only directs the curriculum toward the development of a high-quality professional teaching force but also drives innovation in teacher education theory and facilitates the realization of education equity by promoting balanced resource allocation. The educator spirit forms the essence and driving force behind the construction of the subject-teacher education curriculum. Based on the six key aspects of the educator spirit, and aligned with the three professional development stages of preservice, induction, and in-service training, a “1+X” operational framework for designing subject teacher education curricula is proposed. In this framework, “1” represents the core, unifying value of the educator spirit; while “X” refers to the tailored curriculum components at each developmental stage, specifically: “The First Course” (pre-service), “The Induction Course” (induction training), and “The Lifetime Course” (in-service training), all following a spiraling trajectory of continuous professional growth. To effectively implement this approach, curriculum goals should emphasize the educator spirit, integrate relevant content, adopt teaching methods aligned with this spirit, and establish a comprehensive evaluation system that supports holistic teacher development.