North Carolina character education : informational handbook & guide for support and implementation of the Student Citizen Act of 2001 (character and civic education) |
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Character Citizenship Service Informational Handbook & Guide II for Support and Implementation of the Student Citizen Act of 2001 ( Character and Civic Education) “ Intelligence plus character— that is the goal of true education.” — Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Schools of North Carolina State Board of Education Department of Public Instruction Middle Grades Division; School Safety and Climate Section Character Education www. ncpublicschools. org Character Education Character Citizenship Service Character Education Informational Handbook & Guide II for Support and Implementation of the Student Citizen Act of 2001 ( Character and Civic Education) “ Intelligence plus character— that is the goal of true education.” — Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Schools of North Carolina State Board of Education Department of Public Instruction Middle Grades Division; School Safety and Climate Section Character Education www. ncpublicschools. org Character Education Informational Handbook and Guide II Developed and Printed 2006 NCDPI Character Education Consutant: Crystal Reardon Project Coordinator: Charlie Abourjilie, Special Consultant to NCDPI Character Education Project Team: Debra Henzy, Civic Education Consortium Daintry O’Brian, Kids Voting NC Sandy Cook, Newspapers in Education Charlie Abourjilie, Eastern Guilford High School Crystal Reardon, NCDPI Design and layout by Sara Sanders, SHS Design June 20, 2006 Dear Educator: Since passing the Student Citizen Act of 2001, our state legislature and our governor have continued to partner with the Public Schools of North Carolina to support character education. We all realize that schools must be safe, orderly and caring communities where all students have every opportunity to learn and develop strong character. Our local boards of education, our schools, and our communities are continuing the commitment toward preparing our students for full participation in a democratic society. We are proud to make the second edition of the North Carolina Education Informational Handbook & Guide available to you. This handbook has been updated to offer you a renewed look at the Student Citizen Act of 2001 and to serve as a tool for your continued efforts in implementing character education into your school or district. The ideas presented in this book are an outline that you may draw upon, but the real strength of your initiative will come from the collaborative efforts of your school, families and community. We wish you continued success in this effort, and we thank you for all that you do to support the students of North Carolina. Sincerely, Howard N. Lee June St. Clair Atkinson HNL/ JSA/ mcw OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT June St. Clair Atkinson, Ed. D., State Superintendent | jatkinson@ dpi. state. nc. us 6301 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699- 6301 | ( 919) 807- 3430 | Fax ( 919) 807- 3445 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/ AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER . v Overview of this Handbook and Guide “ Intelligence plus character— that is the goal of true education.” — Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. T his handbook, as well as the information provided, is intended for use as an introductory guide to character education for local boards of education, superintendents, character education liaisons/ coordinators, principals, teachers, community members, and anyone influencing the lives of our children through our public schools. In the fall of 2001, the Student Citizen Act of 2001 ( SL 2001- 363) was passed into law by the North Carolina State Legislature. This Act requires every local board of education to develop and implement character education instruction with input from the local community. In addition, the legislation directs the State Board of Education to modify the middle and high school social studies curriculum to include instruction in civic and citizenship education. The Act also calls for local boards of education to adopt reasonable dress codes for students. With the passage of the Student Citizen Act of 2001, the state of North Carolina has affirmed that the development of character in our children is the cornerstone of education. In fact, throughout history, the very foundation of American education has been the preparation of students for life and full participation in a democratic society. Benjamin Franklin said, “ Nothing is more important to the public weal [ well- being] than to form and train up youth in wisdom and virtue.” Today, more than ever, societal needs call for a renewed emphasis on traits such as respect, responsibility, integrity, and citizenship in the public schools. While many teachers and administrators across the state are effectively fostering the development of character in students, there is still much work to do. That is why the NC Department of Public Instruction is now following up to our first Character Education Informational Handbook & Guide ( 2002), with this whole new second edition containing an even stronger focus on service learning and citizenship through the power of student voice. Character education is not new to North Carolina, but it is time for a renewed commitment from our local boards of education and all of our schools, both to meet the requirements of the law and to make progress in priority areas facing our teachers and schools. For example, character education is, or can be, a key component in the following areas: • Improving school and classroom climate • Creating safer ( Safe & Drug Free) and more caring schools • Closing the achievement gap • Helping address teacher recruitment and retention • Academic achievement for all • Academic integrity • Professional ethics • Athletic and extracurricular participation • Health and physical education • Service to others • Community building and commitment But, ABOVE ALL ELSE, this commitment is to and for ALL of our CHILDREN, their PARENTS, and every COMMUNITY in North Carolina. . CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE vii Table of Contents Defining and Understanding Character Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 What Is Character Education? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Definitions and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Components of Character Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 10 More Good Reasons for Character Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 CEP’s Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 The Student Citizen Act of 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Overview of the Student Citizen Act of 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Ideas and Best Practices in Character Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Selections from the North Carolina Character Educator of the Year ( NCCEY) Awards . . . . . . . . .18 sponsored by the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University “ Fridays At Glenwood”/ Exploris Middle School, Raleigh ( 2002 Winner) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 “ What Makes a Good Person?” / West Caldwell High School, Lenoir ( 2002 Winner) . . . . . . . .23 “ Teaching Character Education In Everything You Do”, Hillcrest Elementary School, Burlington ( 1999 Winner) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 “ Building A Better Me”/ Balfour Elementary, Hendersonville ( 1999 Winner) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Lessons from Growing Character by award winning teacher, Deb Austin Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 The Character Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Defining Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Honor Sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 From Work Ethic to Life Ethic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Teacher Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Our Decisions Define Us! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Responsible Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Look for the Lesson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Peer Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Monthly Goal- Setting Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Report Card Goal- Setting Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Character Journals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Success Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Heroes in Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 “ Character is POWER.” — Booker T. Washington viii CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Character in the Workplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Weekly Communication Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Homework in Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Let Your Character Shine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 A+ B= C ( Attitudes + Behavior = Character) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Poetry from Rama Road Elementary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Pat- A- Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Respect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Citizenship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Great Relationship Builders for the Secondary Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Handshake! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 “ Thank You” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Celebrate a Classmate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Smart & Good High Schools; Integrating Excellence and Ethics for Success in School, Work and Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Executive Summary from the national study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Principles of a Smart & Good High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 A Report to the Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 10 Tips in Character Education for Volunteers & Mentors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Kids Voting and Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Service Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 What is Service Learning? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 What is Civic Education? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Benefits of Student Service and Service Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Learn and Serve America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Ten Steps for Bringing Service to Your Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Service Learning in Action at Every Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Service Learning– vs– Service Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Service Experiences in NC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Planning Quality Service Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Service- Learning Curriculum Integration Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Team Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Ways to Reflect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE ix Student Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 What is Student Voice? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 What the Research Says . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 What is a Student Council? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Guidelines and Principles for Student Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Project 540 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 How Administrators Can Support and Enhance Student Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Current Events and Contemporary Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Ideas to get schools started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Other sources of news besides NC newspapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Newspapering--- Print, Broadcast and the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Current Events in Language Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 A Community At Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Social Studies Problem Solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Demonstrating Traits Important in a Democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Glossary of Traits or Dispositions Important in America’s Constitutional Democracy . . . . . . . . .109 Marks of Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 RESOURCES for Service- Learning, Student Voice and Student Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 308 Quotes for the Classroom! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 Ideas on how to use quotes in your classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 The Quotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 “ Great learning and superior abilities will be of little value... unless virtue, truth and integrity are added to them.” — Abigail Adams . defining& understanding Defining and Understanding Character Education 2 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Defining & Understanding Character Education “ Character education is not something new to add to your plate. It is the plate!” — Superintendent John Walko ( NY school) WHAT IS CHARACTER EDUCATION? C haracter Education is a national movement creating schools that foster ethical, responsible, and caring young people by modeling and teaching good character through an emphasis on universal values that we all share. It is the INTENTIONAL, PROACTIVE effort by schools, districts, and states to instill in their students important core, ethical values such as respect for self and others, responsibility, integrity, and self- discipline. It is not a “ quick fix” or silver- bullet cure- all. It provides long- term solutions that address moral, ethical, and academic issues that are of growing concern about our society and the safety of our schools. Character education may address such critical concerns as student absenteeism, discipline problems, drug abuse, gang violence, teen pregnancy and poor academic performance. At its best, character education integrates positive values into every aspect of the school day. Character education... • is taught through modeling, climate, and curriculum. • comes from the HOME, COMMUNITY and the SCHOOLS. • is a proactive way of adapting and using existing educational materials to promote understanding and inspire the development of good character traits among all students in every part of their learning experience. • is learning how to make good decisions and choices. • is learning about positive relationships and their development based upon our development and depth of character. • is grounded in RELATIONSHIPS and school culture. • is a PROCESS, not just a program. • at its best, is comprehensive school reform. • is informed by research, theory and most importantly, teacher and student involvement. • is bringing out the BEST in ALL OF US— students and teachers. “ Effective character education is not adding a program or set of programs to a school. Rather it is a transformation of the culture and life of the school.” — Dr. Marvin Berkowitz CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 3 Definitions and Benefits Character Education is the deliberate effort to help people understand, care about, and act upon core ethical values.* An intentional and comprehensive character education initiative provides a lens through which every aspect of school becomes an opportunity for character development. Benefits: • It promotes character development through the exploration of ethical issues across the curriculum. • It develops a positive and moral climate by engaging the participation of students, teachers and staff, parents, and communities. • It teaches how to solve conflicts fairly, creating safer schools that are freer of intimidation, fear, and violence, and are more conducive to learning. Civic Education consists of both a core curriculum and teaching strategies that give students the knowledge, skills, virtues, and confidence to actively participate in democratic life. Benefits: • It teaches how government, businesses, community groups, and nonprofits work together to create strong communities. • It emphasizes that both individual and group participation is important to the vitality of communities and critical to sustaining our democratic way of life. • It teaches civility and respect for others when deliberating, negotiating, organizing, and advocating for one’s own positions on public issues. Service- Learning is a pedagogy that connects meaningful community service experiences with academic learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility. Service- learning goes beyond extracurricular community service because it involves participants in reading, reflection and analysis; provides students an opportunity to develop a personal connection to what they are learning; and creates a context for the application of concepts introduced in the classroom. Benefits: • It enhances the educational goals of the curriculum through experiential learning and critical reflection. • It helps students develop the skills and virtues required for full participation and leadership in their democratic communities. • It serves the public good by providing a needed service to individuals, organization, schools, or other entities in the community. * Opening sentence taken from The Center For the 4th and 5th Rs ( Respect and Responsibility), Dr. Thomas Lickona, State University of New York at Cortland. Developed by the Governor’s Character Education Advisory Committee 2001 4 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Components of Character Education A fter more than a decade of experience with diverse communities, educators learned that these components are critical to the lasting success of character education: Community participation. Have educators, parents, students, and members of the community invest themselves in a consensus- building process to discover common ground that is essential for long- term success. Character education policy. Make character education a part of your philosophy, goal or mission statement by adopting a formal policy. Don’t just say it— put it in writing. Defined traits. Have a meeting of parents, teachers and community representatives and use consensus to get agreement on which character traits to reinforce and what definitions to use. Formally state what your school means by “ courage” or “ perseverance” before they are discussed with students. ( The suggested traits listed in the Student Citizen Act might be a great place to start.) Integrated curriculum. Make character education integral to the curriculum at all grade levels. Take the traits you have chosen and connect them to classroom lessons, so students see how a trait might figure into a story or be part of a science experiment or how it might affect them. Make these traits a part of every class and every subject. Experiential learning. Allow your students to see the trait in action, experience it and express it. Include community- based, real- world experiences in your curriculum that illustrate character traits ( e. g., service learning, cooperative learning and peer mentoring). Allow time for discussion and reflection. Evaluation. Evaluate character education from two perspectives: ( 1) Is the program affecting positive changes in student behavior, academic achievement and cognitive understanding of the traits? ( 2) Is the implementation process providing the tools and support teachers need? Adult role models. Children “ learn what they live,” so it is important that adults demonstrate positive character traits at home, school and in the community. If adults do not model the behavior they teach, the entire program will fail. Staff development. Provide development and training time for your staff so that they can create and implement character education on an ongoing basis. Include time for discussion and understanding of both the process and the programs, as well as for the creation of lesson plans and curricula. Student involvement. Involve students in age- appropriate activities and allow them to connect character education to their learning, decision- making and personal goals as you integrate the process into their school. Sustaining the program. The character education program is sustained and renewed through implementation of the first nine elements, with particular attention to a high level of commitment from the top: adequate funding; support for district coordination staff; high quality and ongoing professional development; and a networking and support system for teachers who are implementing the program. From Field- tested Resources in Character Education, Cooperating School Districts of Greater St. Louis CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 5 more... 10 More Good Reasons for Character Education I n Thomas Lickona’s Educating for Character, he identified 10 wide- ranging reasons for the need for character education, not only in our schools but also within our society. His splendid work appeals to all of us— parents, educators, neighbors, and community leaders. The following list is in addition to Dr. Lickona’s. This was created in response to the pressure teachers and schools face daily. 1. Purpose. Why did you become a teacher or get into education in the first place? Your answer is your purpose. We all got into education for essentially the same reason— to touch the lives of children. To positively impact the life of a child. We all wanted to, and still want to, make a difference. 2. Focus. The demands and scrutiny on teachers and public education today are higher than ever before. It’s quite easy for teachers to become buried in societal and institutional demands. And yet, we must not lose focus of why we are there in that classroom— for children. We must place our focus on the needs and possibilities of our children. They are our future. 3. Safe Schools. In the wake of recent school tragedies, all too often people were left asking,“ What went wrong with “ those” kids? Where were the parents? Why didn’t the school know this was going to happen? Who else is to blame? Safe schools aren’t about blame and scorn, fancy programs, more money or even improved self- defense. They are about the people inside those buildings and the environment they create. The same can be said of character education. It’s not about pretty posters and motivational quotes. It is about people caring about others. 4. Achievement. When teachers have more time to teach in a civil, respectful environment, and children feel safe, appreciated and respected— then real achievement and learning can take place. It’s called a quality learning environment, and the research shows that how students feel about their learning environment and their opportunity for success are crucial factors in student achievement. The evidence is clear, from New Mexico, to Ohio, to North Carolina and hundreds of places in between, academic achievement can be a powerful byproduct of successful character education efforts. 5. Diversity. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that one day his children would be judged, “ not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” That dream becomes a real possibility when we realize that nearly all cultures, world religions and schools of thought have their most basic tenet in common— TREAT OTHERS THE WAY THAT YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. Many refer to this as the “ Golden Rule.” Words and language may change, in Judaism it is stated as “ What you hate, do not do to anyone” and in Hindu as “ Do nothing to thy neighbors which thou wouldst not have them do to thee,” but they all yield the most common character trait of RESPECT. Appreciating diversity begins with knowing and understanding those things we have most in common. 6. Not the “ Flavor of the Month.” Character education” is nothing new. Discipline, civility, respect for self, others and society, teachers as role models— these things have been a part of education for as long as people have been learning. Character education is simply true, quality teaching. It’s not a program to implement and then set on a shelf until you go on to something else. It’s a process of caring and determination. Strength lies in comprehensive processes, not in new, short lived programs. 6 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 7. “ At- Risk” Students. All children are “ at- risk” at some point in their life. And all children, whether they are labeled “ at- risk” or not, need mentors, role models and caring adults in their lives. They crave nurturing, caring, positive relationships— the essence of character education. All children, labeled or not, want to be successful, appreciated and feel a sense of belonging. There may be no truer statement than the words of James F. Hind, “ You’ve got to REACH them before you can teach them.” 8. Transition. Educators around the world spend countless hours and dollars trying to come up with a solution to making the transition from elementary to middle and middle to high school easier for children, both socially and academically. The process of character education is a pre- K through 12 process that ideally utilizes the same language, high expectations and high regard for relationships, throughout the school life of a child. Common language, similar rules and procedures, and common expectations make for a smoother transition. 9. Work Force Readiness. One major goal of schools in all communities is to prepare our children for the world of work. Much of this preparation focuses on vocational and technical skill and knowledge, as it should. But we can’t forget what employers crave most— quality people with a strong sense of respect for themselves and others and high levels of responsibility, determination and self-discipline. Any and all businesses are going to train new employees to do “ their way,” but they first need and want quality people of character to employ. 10. Teachers and Students. The results of well implemented character education practices is a gift for both teachers and students. Teachers want to teach. They want to make a positive difference by touching lives. Students want to feel accepted and they want to learn. They want limits, structure and guidance. Character education can be those things for both teachers and students. For the teacher, improved classroom climate and student motivation make our jobs much easier. All students will tell you that the teachers who mean the most are the ones who care. Character education is a win- win situation for all involved! Adapted from Developing Character for Classroom Success. Abourjilie 1CHARACTER EDU1 CATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 7 CEP’s Eleven Principles of Effective Character EducationTM By Tom Lickona, Ed. D. Eric Schaps, Ph. D. Catherine Lewis, Ph. D. T here is no single script for effective character education, but there are some important basic principles. The following eleven principles serve as criteria that schools and other groups can use to plan a character education effort and to evaluate available character education programs, books, and curriculum resources. EFFECTIVE CHARACTER EDUCATION: 1. Promotes core ethical values as the basis of good character. Character education holds that widely shared, pivotally important, core ethical values— such as caring, honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect for self and others— form the basis of good character. A school committed to character development stands for these values ( sometimes referred to as “ virtues” or “ character traits”), defines them in terms of behaviors that can be observed in the life of the school, models these values, studies and discusses them, uses them as the basis of human relations in the school, celebrates their manifestations in the school and community, and holds all school members accountable to standards of conduct consistent with the core values. In a school committed to developing character, these core values are treated as a matter of obligation, as having a claim on the conscience of the individual and community. Character education asserts that the validity of these values, and our responsibility to uphold them, derive from the fact that such values affirm our human dignity, promote the development and welfare of the individual person, serve the common good, meet the classical tests of reversibility ( i. e., Would you want to be treated this way?) and universality ( i. e., Would you want all persons to act this way in a similar situation?), and inform our rights and responsibilities in a democratic society. The school makes clear that these basic human values transcend religious and cultural differences, and express our common humanity. © Character Education Partnership, 2003 8 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 2. Defines “ character” comprehensively to include thinking, feeling, and behavior. Good character involves understanding, caring about, and acting upon core ethical values. A holistic approach to character development therefore seeks to develop the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of moral life. Students grow to understand core values by studying and discussing them, observing behavioral models, and resolving problems involving the values. Students learn to care about core values by developing empathy skills, forming caring relationships, helping to create community, hearing illustrative and inspirational stories, and reflecting on life experiences. And they learn to act upon core values by developing prosocial behaviors ( e. g., communicating feelings, active listening, helping skills) and by repeatedly practicing these behaviors, especially in the context of relationships ( e. g., through cross- age tutoring, mediating conflicts, community service). As children grow in character, they develop an increasingly refined understanding of the core values, a deeper commitment to living according to those values, and a stronger capacity and tendency to behave in accordance with them. 3. Uses a comprehensive, intentional, proactive, and effective approach to character development. Schools committed to character development look at themselves through a moral lens to assess how virtually everything that goes on in school affects the character of students. A comprehensive approach uses all aspects of schooling as opportunities for character development. This includes what is sometimes called the hidden curriculum ( e. g., school ceremonies and procedures; the teachers’ example; students’ relationships with teachers, other school staff, and each other; the instructional process; how student diversity is addressed; the assessment of learning; the management of the school environment; the discipline policy); the academic curriculum ( i. e., core subjects, including the health curriculum); and extracurricular programs ( i. e., sports teams, clubs, service projects, after- school care). “ Stand alone” character education programs can be useful first steps or helpful elements of an ongoing effort but are not an adequate substitute for a holistic approach that integrates character development into every aspect of school life. Finally, rather than simply waiting for opportunities to arise, with an intentional and proactive approach, the school staff takes deliberate steps for developing character, drawing wherever possible on practices shown by research to be effective. 4. Creates a caring school community. A school committed to character strives to become a microcosm of a civil, caring, and just society. It does this by creating a community that helps all its members form caring attachments to one another. This involves developing caring relationships among students ( within and across grade levels), among staff, between students and staff, and between staff and families. These caring CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 9 relationships foster both the desire to learn and the desire to be a good person. All children and adolescents have needs for safety, belonging, and the experience of contributing, and they are more likely to internalize the values and expectations of groups that meet these needs. Likewise, if staff members and parents experience mutual respect, fairness, and cooperation in their relationships with each other, they are more likely to develop the capacity to promote those values in students. In a caring school community, the daily life of classrooms and all other parts of the school environment ( e. g., the corridors, cafeteria, playground, school bus, front office, and teachers’ lounge) are imbued with a climate of concern and respect for others. 5. Provides students with opportunities for moral action. In the ethical as in the intellectual domain, students are constructive learners; they learn best by doing. To develop good character, they need many and varied opportunities to apply values such as compassion, responsibility, and fairness in everyday interactions and discussions as well as through community service. By grappling with real- life challenges ( e. g., how to divide the labor in a cooperative learning group, how to reach consensus in a class meeting, how to reduce fights on the playground, how to carry out a service learning project) and reflecting on these experiences, students develop practical understanding of the requirements of cooperating with others and giving of oneself. Through repeated moral experiences, students develop and practice the skills and behavioral habits that make up the action side of character. 6. Includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners, develops their character, and helps them to succeed. When students succeed at the work of school and feel a sense of competence and autonomy, they are more likely to feel valued and cared about as persons. Because students come to school with diverse skills, interests and needs, an academic program that helps all students succeed will be one in which the content and pedagogy are sophisticated enough to engage all learners. This means providing a curriculum that is inherently interesting and meaningful to students. A meaningful curriculum includes active teaching and learning methods such as cooperative learning, problem-solving approaches, and experience- based projects. These approaches increase student autonomy by appealing to students’ interests, providing them with opportunities to think creatively and test their ideas, and fostering a sense of “ voice and choice”— having a say in decisions and plans that affect them. In addition, effective character educators look for the natural intersections between the academic content they wish to teach and the character qualities they wish to develop. These “ character connections” can take many forms, such as addressing current ethical issues in science, debating historical practices and decisions, and discussing character traits and ethical dilemmas in literature. When teachers bring to the fore the 10 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE character dimension of the curriculum, they enhance the relevance of subject matter to students’ natural interests and questions, and in the process, increase student engagement and achievement. 7. Strives to foster students’ self- motivation. Character is often defined as “ doing the right thing when no one is looking.” The best underlying ethical reason for following rules, for example, is respect for the rights and needs of others— not fear of punishment or desire for a reward. Similarly, we want students to be kind to others because of an inner belief that kindness is good and a desire to be a kind person. Growing in self-motivation is a developmental process that schools of character are careful not to undermine by excessive emphasis on extrinsic incentives. When such schools give appropriate social recognition for students’ prosocial actions ( e. g., “ Thank you for holding the door— that was a thoughtful thing to do.”) or celebrate character through special awards ( e. g., for outstanding school or community service), they keep the focus on character. Schools of character work with students to develop their understanding of rules, their awareness of how their behavior affects others, and the character strengths— such as self- control, perspective taking, and conflict resolution skills— needed to act responsibly in the future. Rather than settle for mere compliance, these schools seek to help students benefit from their mistakes by providing meaningful opportunities for reflection, problem solving, and restitution. 8. Engages the school staff as a learning and moral community that shares responsibility for character education and attempts to adhere to the same core values that guide the education of students. All school staff— teachers, administrators, counselors, school psychologists, coaches, secretaries, cafeteria workers, playground aides, bus drivers— need to be involved in learning about, discussing, and taking ownership of the character education effort. First and foremost, staff members assume this responsibility by modeling the core values in their own behavior and taking advantage of other opportunities to influence the students with whom they interact. Second, the same values and norms that govern the life of students serve to govern the collective life of adult members in the school community. Like students, adults grow in character by working collaboratively with each other and participating in decision- making that improves classrooms and school. They also benefit from extended staff development and opportunities to observe colleagues and then apply character development strategies in their own work with students. Third, a school that devotes time to staff reflection on moral matters helps to ensure that it operates with integrity. Through faculty meetings and smaller support groups, a reflective staff regularly asks questions such as: What character building experiences is the school already providing for its students? What negative moral experiences ( e. g., peer cruelty, student cheating, adult disrespect of students, littering of the grounds) is the school currently failing to address? And what important moral experiences ( e. g., CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 11 cooperative learning, school and community service, opportunities to learn about and interact with people from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds) is the school now omitting? What school practices are at odds with its professed core values and desire to develop a caring school community? Reflection of this nature is an indispensable condition for developing the moral life of a school. 9. Fosters shared moral leadership and long- range support of the character education initiative. Schools that are engaged in effective character education have leaders ( e. g., the principal, a lead teacher or counselor, a district administrator, or preferably a small group of such individuals) who champion the effort. At least initially, many schools and districts establish a character education committee— often composed of staff, students, parents, and possibly community members— that takes responsibility for planning, implementation, and support. Over time, the regular governing bodies of the school or district may take on the functions of this committee. The leadership also takes steps to provide for the long- range support ( e. g., adequate staff development, time to plan) of the character education initiative, including, ideally, support at the district and state levels. In addition, within the school students assume developmentally appropriate roles in leading the character education effort through class meetings, student government, peer mediation, cross- age tutoring, service clubs, task forces, and student- led initiatives. 10. Engages families and community members as partners in the character- building effort. Schools that reach out to families and include them in character- building efforts greatly enhance their chances for success with students. They take pains at every stage to communicate with families— via newsletters, e- mails, family nights, and parent conferences— about goals and activities regarding character education. To build greater trust between home and school, parents are represented on the character education committee. These schools also make a special effort to reach out to subgroups of parents who may not feel part of the school community. Finally, schools and families enhance the effectiveness of their partnership by recruiting the help of the wider community ( i. e., businesses, youth organizations, religious institutions, the government, and the media) in promoting character development. 11. Evaluates the character of the school, the school staff’s functioning as character educators, and the extent to which students manifest good character. Effective character education must include an effort to assess progress. Three broad kinds of outcomes merit attention: a. The character of the school: To what extent is the school becoming a more caring community? This can be assessed, for example, with surveys that 11 12 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE ask students to indicate the extent to which they agree with statements such as, “ Students in this school ( classroom) respect and care about each other,” and “ This school ( classroom) is like a family.” b. The school staff’s growth as character educators: To what extent have adult staff— teaching faculty, administrators, and support personnel— developed understandings of what they can do to foster character development? Personal commitment to doing so? Skills to carry it out? Consistent habits of acting upon their developing capacities as character educators? c. Student character: To what extent do students manifest understanding of, commitment to, and action upon the core ethical values? Schools can, for example, gather data on various character- related behaviors: Has student attendance gone up? Fights and suspensions gone down? Vandalism declined? Drug incidents diminished? Schools can also assess the three domains of character ( knowing, feeling, and behaving) through anonymous questionnaires that measure student moral judgment ( for example, “ Is it wrong to cheat on a test?”), moral commitment (“ Would you cheat if you were sure you wouldn’t get caught?”) and self- reported moral behavior (“ How many times have you cheated on a test or major assignment in the past year?”). Such questionnaires can be administered at the beginning of a school’s character initiative to get a baseline and again at later points to assess progress. MORE RESOURCES... Eleven Principles SOURCEBOOK Interested in starting or improving upon a character education initiative in your school or district? The Eleven Principles SOURCEBOOK— composed of 11 guides and an introductory video— provides strategies and resources for putting the principles of effective character education into action. Eleven Principles SOURCEBOOK WORKSHOP In need of cost- effective staff development in character education? This full- day workshop trains educators in how to best use the Eleven Principles SOURCEBOOK in a school or district. Presented by CEP staff, the workshop trains and energizes educators to assume leadership in planning and implementing effective character education initiatives. CEP’s National Schools of Character ™ Is your school a safe and caring community committed to core ethical values? Does your school strive to develop students’ character as well as their academic abilities? Is community service an integral part of your school culture? If so, consider applying for a National Schools of Character award or Promising Practices citation. Each year CEP recognizes schools and districts ( K- 12) from across the country that exemplify the Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education. Award- winners are featured in a book, in the media, and at national education conferences, including the CEP National Forum. CEP Annual National Forum Join thought leaders, policy makers, teachers, and school and district administrators from across the country in learning about the latest strategies, research, and inspirational ideas on character education. For more information, call CEP ( 800- 988- 8081) or see our website at www. character. org/ The Student Citizen Act of 2001 the student citizen act 14 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Overview of the Student Citizen Act of 2001 Civic Education T he Act directs the State Board of Education to modify the high school and middle school social studies curriculum to include instruction in civics and citizenship. The Act encourages the Board to include the following components, at a minimum, in the revised high school curriculum: 1. having students write to an elected official about an issue important to them; 2. instruction on the importance of voting and participating in the democratic process; 3. information about current events and governmental structure; 4. information about the democratic process and how laws are made. The Act encourages the Board to include the following components, at a minimum, in the revised middle school curriculum: 1. a tour of local government facilities such as the local jail, courthouse or town hall; 2. that students analyze a community problem and make policy recommendations to the local officials; 3. information about getting involved in community groups. The State Board of Education must make these modifications to the social studies curriculum by December 15, 2001, and the modified curriculum must be implemented during the 2002- 2003 school year. Character Education The Act directs each local board of education to develop and implement character education instruction with input from the local community. The Act directs local boards to incorporate this instruction into the standard curriculum. Local boards of education must develop character education instruction as directed in this Act by January 1, 2002, and must implement this instruction beginning with the 2002- 2003 school year. If a local board of education determines that it would be an economic hardship to begin to implement character education by the beginning of the 2002- 2003 school year, the board may request an extension of time from the State Board of Education. The local board must submit the request for an extension to the State Board by April 1, 2002. In developing character education instruction, the Act recommends a list of eight traits for inclusion in character education instruction. This list of traits is not new. These traits were included in legislation in 1996, when the General Assembly first allowed local boards of education to adopt character education programs. The eight traits are: CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Courage Having the determination to do the right thing even when others don’t; having the strength to follow your conscience rather than the crowd; attempting difficult things that are worthwhile. Good judgment Choosing worthy goals and setting proper priorities; thinking through the consequences of your actions; and basing decisions on practical wisdom and good sense. Integrity Having the inner strength to be truthful, trustworthy, and honest in all things; acting justly and honorably. Kindness Being considerate, courteous, helpful, and understanding of others; showing care, compassion, friendship, and generosity; and treating others as you would like to be treated. Perseverance Being persistent in the pursuit of worthy objectives in spite of difficulty, opposition, or discouragement; and exhibiting patience and having the fortitude to try again when confronted with delays, mistakes, or failures. Respect Showing high regard for authority, for other people, for self, for property, and for country; and understanding that all people have value as human beings. Responsibility Being dependable in carrying out obligations and duties; showing reliability and consistency in words and conduct; being accountable for your own actions; and being committed to active involvement in your community. Self- discipline Demonstrating hard work and commitment to purpose; regulating yourself for improvement and restraining from inappropriate behaviors; being in proper control of your words, actions, impulses, and desires; choosing abstinence from premarital sex, drugs, alcohol, and other harmful substances and behaviors; and doing your best in all situations. This list was developed by the Wake County Character Education Task Force in 1994, on behalf of the Wake County Public Schools System. It was selected to be used in the 1996 legislation. 1 234 5 67 8 15 16 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE In addition to the above list of traits, the Act encourages local boards of education to include instruction in the following: 1. Respect for school personnel— holding teachers, administrators, and all school personnel in high esteem and demonstrating in words and deeds that all school personnel deserve to be treated with courtesy and proper deference. 2. Responsibility for school safety— helping to create a harmonious school atmosphere that is free from threats, weapons, and violent or disruptive behavior; cultivating an orderly learning environment in which students and school personnel feel safe and secure; and encouraging the resolution of conflicts and disagreements through peaceful means including peer mediation. 3. Service to others— engaging in meaningful service to their schools and communities. Schools may teach service- learning by ( i) incorporating it into their standard curriculum or ( ii) involving a classroom or other group of students in hands- on community service projects. 4. Good citizenship— obeying the laws of the nation and state; abiding by school rules; and understanding the rights and responsibilities of a member of a republic. Dress Codes The Act directs local boards of education to include a reasonable dress code for students among its policies governing the conduct of students. For full text of the Student Citizen Act 2001, go to www. ncga. state. nc. us, look up House Bill 195 ( HB 195), General Assembly of North Carolina Session 2001, ratified bills. ideas and best practices Ideas and Best Practices In Character Education 18 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Award- winning Selections from the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University NC Character Educators of the Year ( NCCEY) Awards Leah Perry- Lawless 2002 First- Place Middle School Winner Exploris Middle School, Raleigh, NC “ FRIDAYS AT GLENWOOD” L eah Perry- Lawless has been teaching for eleven years, first working with very young children and now at Exploris Middle School. Leah is a motivating force in service learning for the school, and Exploris has been nominated by the Department of Public Instruction as a Leadership School, a service- learning role model for other schools. For over a year before “ Fridays at Glenwood” began, Exploris students had regularly visited Glenwood Towers, a subsidized senior housing development in downtown Raleigh. But Leah believed that the students were missing a key element, a point of real connection with the residents. In addition, students had little extended knowledge of or interest in the greater community beyond their own individual, isolated experience. Leah felt that her students needed to understand that they could play a role in the greater world. With Sarah Turner, the manager of Glenwood Towers, fellow teachers Shannon Hardy and Jenne Scherer, and several parent volunteers, Leah worked out a more intensive and broadening experience for the students. Every Friday throughout the school year, 56 students traveled by bus to Glenwood Towers to meet in groups of two or three students with a “ buddy” resident of the Towers. By the end of the year, the students’ regular interactions with 28 senior “ buddies” had been transformed into a photo exhibit at Exploris Museum and a 61- page book created and published by the students entitled Fridays at Glenwood. A grant from Learn and Serve of NC provided funding for the book and exhibit. The project’s success at Glenwood Towers set a standard for service at Exploris Middle School. Now all three grades ( sixth, seventh, and eighth) have developed service- learning programs for all of the students. In Leah’s own words: “ Because of their [ students’] heightened respect for these [ senior citizens], they have also begun to see the value of all people in a more positive way.... What the children understand now is that they received as much as they gave during this wonderful sharing of generations, hopes and dreams.” CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 19 “ FRIDAYS AT GLENWOOD” LESSON PLAN: THE INTERVIEW LESSON Grade Level: 7th or 8th Subject: English Language Arts Character Traits: Respect, Responsibility, Good Judgment, Kindness and Perseverance Time Needed: Four to six one- hour visits with the residents to conduct the interviews and fine-tune written products and approximately four one- hour writing and editing sessions to create the written products. ( Additional visits are needed throughout the year to build the relationships between students and residents.) This general time- line can be expanded or contracted depending on the nature of the project. Goals • The learner will listen and ask probing questions to help the residents gain clarity in their stories. • The learner will write the residents’ stories in the residents’ own words ( oral histories), as personal narratives or as poems. • The learner will understand the importance of personal stories in understanding the past. Objective Students will interview their elderly partners and will use written language to express their partners’ individual perspectives in response to personal, social, cultural, and historical issues. Procedures/ Activities INTRODUCTION: In this lesson, students prepare for their interviews, conduct the interviews with their classmates, and then create their written products. To help students prepare for their experience interviewing their elderly partners, read Tuesdays with Morrie aloud over a series of classes. Discuss with the students what the author’s experience might have been as he interviewed Morrie. Ask what they think it was like for Morrie. Having explained to the students that they will be interviewing their partners, ask them what their questions or concerns are. As a group, try to answer all questions and concerns. PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW: Before conducting the interviews, give the students a list of potential conversation starters that will help break the ice with their elderly partners. Students should practice introductions and initial conversations through role- plays in the classroom. Explain that some partners may feel that they have no “ important” or “ interesting” stories to share. A useful technique is for students to share stories from their own lives with their partners. Most partners will then respond by sharing similar stories from their own childhoods. Explain that the class will meet after the initial conversational attempts with the partners to build on and share what did and did not work. CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW: In teams of two or three, students interview their partners, using the techniques practiced in the classroom, over the course of several visits. Students will find it helpful to use a tape recorder so that they can give their full attention to their partner. Students should ask their partner’s permission before taping. If tape recorders are not available, one student can take notes while the other student( s) listens carefully and records the conversation. Materials Needed Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom Paper, pencils Tape recorders ( with the residents’ permission) 20 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE After the first interviews have been conducted, meet together as a class to discuss what did and did not work. Students can share best practices with each other, and talk about their experiences. After a few weeks of sharing stories and conducting interviews, students choose the story they think best represents their partner’s life experience. Student teams next draft an account of the story they’ve chosen using their notes and audiotapes to guide them. In follow- up interview sessions, students should ask their partners clarifying questions and fill in additional information as needed. DEVELOPING AND EDITING THE WRITTEN PRODUCT: Using the following process, students write their written products: zero draft, first draft, peer edit, third draft, teacher edit, and final copy. Students may choose to write an oral history, personal narrative or poem. In the course of the editing sessions, students should read their narratives and poems out loud to each other. This will help students identify any missing pieces of information or areas for clarification. CLOSING: Having finished the first step of the project, students are ready to research the historical context of their partner’s oral histories. If you choose to end the project here, it is important to share the final histories, narratives and poems with the students’ partners. Assessment Students are assessed by the technical merit of the writing, and by their ability to clearly convey their partners’ oral histories. In a written product or through oral conversation, students also will be able to express their understanding that “ history” is made up of individuals’ life stories. LESSON PLAN: THE HISTORICAL SIDEBAR LESSON Grade Level: 8th or 9th Subject: English Language Arts and Social Studies Character Traits: Responsibility, Self- Discipline, Good Judgment and Perseverance Time Needed: Two or three one- hour visits to the North Carolina archives, state library or any library or courthouse that stores primary source materials such as birth certificates and newspaper archives. Three one- hour peer- editing sessions also are needed. Goals • The learner will learn how to find information in the library. • The learner will use research skills with local and state documents and archives. • The learner will learn the historical context for his/ her residential partner’s life. • The learner will gain a better understanding of his/ her partner’s life stories by learning about the local and statewide events that took place in the partner’s youth. • The learner will understand that history is comprised of individuals’ personal experiences. Objective Students will research the historical context of their partners’ lives. Students will then use written language to inform the reader of key historical events/ trends that directly impacted their partners’ lives. Materials Needed Paper, pencils List of relevant dates ( a partner’s birth year, the year he or she was 12 or 13, etc.) CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 21 These written historical sidebars will be displayed or published alongside the students’ write- ups of their partners’ lives. Procedures/ Activities INTRODUCTION: In the previous lesson students focused on their partners’ personal lives. Students now will focus on learning more about the historical context in which their partners spent their youth. In this lesson, students will use community institutions and archives to research the local and statewide events that correlate with their partners’ life stories. RESEARCH: Using their partners’ birth dates as a starting point, students estimate the span of years that their partners would have been in middle school/ junior high ( i. e., a person born in 1930 would have been in middle school/ junior high around 1941- 1943). To begin, students go back to their first written products based on their partners’ life stories. Looking for key aspects of their partners’ lives throughout the “ middle school years,” students create a list of significant elements such as places, hobbies, specific schools or churches, major events, etc. Examples of local events/ history that correlate with oral histories might include town population figures, history of a workplace such as a mill or inn, history of a resident’s hero or favorite musician/ film star/ sport, history of a favorite meeting place such as a church or general store, local history of a major set of events such as the civil rights movement, history of a school, history of a family’s vocation such as farming, or information on a disease that impacted a resident’s life. Students begin their search for historical evidence of their partners’ oral histories by researching the “ middle school years” dates through primary source materials such as old newspapers, magazines, and town records. Students might also conduct research at a local museum, at the county courthouse, or at any other local institution that houses historical records. Additional research may be conducted using secondary source materials such as encyclopedias or the World Wide Web. Students keep notes on major local and statewide events, statistics, histories of buildings, etc. relevant to their partners’ “ middle school years.” In conducting the research, students should take note of facts or specific words that might be foreign to a contemporary reader. Students should research the background of these facts or words and should include a contemporary explanation in their written products. WRITING: Students are now ready to write their historical sidebars to be displayed or published alongside their partners’ life stories. Working together, students use their notes to choose one or two events/ histories/ historical facts relevant to the life stories written in the first lesson. Students use the following process to create their historical sidebars: zero draft, first draft, peer edit, third draft, teacher edit, and final copy. In getting feedback from peers and teachers, students should pay specific attention to whether or not the historical sidebar gives clarity to important aspects of their partners’ stories. CLOSING: The life stories and historical sidebars are now ready for display and/ or publication. To bring the project full circle, it is important to include the elder partners in the final publishing celebration. The class might hold a publishing tea party at the partners’ home or invite partners in to the school to celebrate their life stories and the students’ work. Assessment Students are assessed by the technical merit of the writing and by the clarity of correlation between the topics of the sidebar to the life story. In a written product or through oral conversation, students will be able to express the connection between their partners’ personal lives and local and statewide history. Student will also be able to express their understanding that “ history” is made up of individuals’ life stories. 22 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Lora M. W. Austin 2002 First- Place High School Winner West Caldwell High School, Lenoir, NC “ WHAT MAKES A GOOD PERSON?” L ora Austin began her teaching career in Caldwell County at Gamewell Middle School. Now in her sixth year of teaching and her second year at West Caldwell High School, she teaches English to ninth, tenth and twelfth graders. Lora and her husband Chuck live with their two young daughters in a log cabin they built themselves in the Collettsville community. In the Caldwell County school system where she works, Lora says she feels “ very supported in my efforts to implement character education within my English classroom,” as she tries to help her students answer the age- old question, “ What makes a good person?” During a three- week unit combining literature and classroom experience, “ What Makes a Good Person?” focuses on Elie Wiesel’s autobiographical novel Night, coupled with a “ Brown Eyes/ Blue Eyes” activity first used in 1968 to expose students to the effects of discrimination. Night recounts a young boy’s first- hand experiences of the atrocities in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Using the book as a springboard for discussion, writing and other activities, students considered and reflected on the ideas of empathy, kindness, tolerance, and respect. Experiencing discrimination, even within the safe parameters of a class project, and feeling what it is to be treated unfairly brought a richness to students’ understanding that their reading alone could not. Class discussions were designed to connect the ideas of the past ( the novel Night) with the present ( students’ Brown Eyes/ Blue Eyes classroom experience) in a manner respectful of one another’s ideas. Questionnaires— one completed while the students were being “ discriminated” against and the other completed the next day— and writing assignments explored even further the depth of what was felt and learned. Using expressions of the Golden Rule from various religions and cultures throughout history, students worked in small groups to come up with a way to explain to an audience of second graders the meaning of the Golden Rule in a variety of cultures. In Lora’s own words: “ Character Education cannot be a separate curriculum. In teaching literature, often the themes... are just extensions of the basic Golden Rule, which incorporates respect, kindness, tolerance, and empathy— those qualities that answer the question, ‘ What makes a good person?’” CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 23 “ WHAT MAKES A GOOD PERSON?” LESSON PLAN A Grade Level: 10 Subject: English Character Traits: Empathy, Kindness, Respect, Tolerance Time Needed: Two days Goals • The learner will react to and reflect upon print and non- print text and personal experiences by examining situations from both subjective and objective perspectives. • The learner will critically interpret and evaluate experiences, literature, language and ideas. Objectives • Respond reflectively ( through small group discussion, class discussion, journal entry, essay, letter, dialogue) to written and visual texts by relating personal knowledge to textual information or class discussion. ( 1.2) • Interpret a real- world event in a way that makes generalizations about the event supported by specific references. ( 4.1) • Analyze thematic connections among literary works by showing an understanding of cultural context to show how a theme is universal. ( 4.2) Procedures/ Activities DAY ONE: Students will by now have read the novel Night. At the beginning of the class period, divide students based on eye color, with brown being the superior color. Give all “ Brownies” a letter written to them and place them in the front of the classroom. Make all the “ Others” sit in the back and go over the rules they are to follow. Place one “ Other” in charge of the others. Every time one of the “ Others” violates a rule, then the head “ Other” must pay a fine in writing. While reading the Butterfly poems written by children of the concentration camps, have students summarize the themes present in the poems. The Brownies all receive one cookie and the others get one cookie to share among all of them. Then, show a video about the Holocaust and have students write a summary of what they view. The Brownies are dismissed from class early, with Questionnaire # 1 as homework. ( If early dismissal is not possible, then have some other huge reward for the Brownies.) The “ Others” remain in class to do more work and are given Questionnaire # 1 as homework due the next day. DAY TWO: Students are assembled in the same seating arrangements as the day before, with Brownies in the front and “ Others” in the back. Students are then given the chance to share their results to Questionnaire # 1 with the entire class. After class discussion of Questionnaire # 1, distribute Questionnaire # 2. Students complete the second questionnaire as the teacher guides them through making connections between their experiences and those in the novel. Materials Needed Classroom set of Night by Elie Wiesel Book, I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children’s Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942- 1944 by Hana Volavkova Letter to the Beautiful Brownies Rules for the “ Others” Cookies Questionnaires 1 & 2 24 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Assess student responses and answer any misunderstandings from the previous day. Review the meanings that the class devised for the character traits. Assessment 1. During the discussion, do all students get a chance to respond and share their feelings with the entire class? 2. Read students’ responses to the second questionnaire to make sure that they seem to understand the character traits and have some idea of lessons that they learned that can be seen as themes in Night. 3. Do the students seem to have enough schemata to proceed with the next lesson, where they must write an essay? These questions and steps must be completed in order for the teacher to be sure that students have made the necessary connections between their own experiences and those of Elie in Night. Once the students have mastered their own themes and understand the meaning of the character traits, this unit may continue on its quest of answering the question, “ What makes a good person?” LESSON PLAN B Grade Level: 10 Subject: English Character Traits: Empathy, Kindness, Respect, Tolerance Time Needed: Two days, following Lesson Plan A. To be taught on days 3 and 4. After completing the questionnaires in Lesson Plan A, students write an essay, plan a quilt square, and write a poem. Goals • The learner will react to and reflect upon print and non- print text and personal experiences by examining situations from both subjective and objective perspectives. • The learner will critically interpret and evaluate experiences, literature, language and ideas. • The learner will demonstrate understanding of selected world literature through interpretation and analysis. Objectives • Respond reflectively to written and visual texts by relating personal knowledge to textual information or class discussions. exhibiting an awareness of culture in which text is set or in which text was written. • Interpret a real- world event in a way that makes generalizations about the event supported by specific references. distinguishes fact from fiction and recognizes personal bias. Materials Needed White, flat sheet torn into even squares Markers Paper for poems Copies of writing prompt I Never Saw Another Butterfly ( see Lesson Plan A for full book citation) NC rubric for scoring English II essays CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 25 • Analyze the ideas of others by identifying the ways in which writers choose and incorporate significant, supporting and relevant details. • Read and analyze selected works of world literature by analyzing themes in world literature. understanding the importance of cultural and historical impact on literary texts. Procedures/ Activities The day before, the class has read and discussed the anthology I Never Saw Another Butterfly and completed the “ Brownie/ Other” experiment. BEFORE 1. Students use their completed questionnaires to help them write an essay combining their own experiences and those depicted in Night. 2. Students choose one scene from Night that most vividly signifies intolerance to them and discuss intolerance. 3. Students write a poem, similar in tone and mood to the Butterfly poems, based on their own experiences. 4. Students discuss tolerance based on examples from their own experience and create individual quilt squares depicting acts of kindness and tolerance. DURING 1. Students receive feedback on their first drafts of the essay. 2. Students revise essay for “ publication.” 3. Students make a published copy of their poem to mail to Elie Wiesel. AFTER 1. Students receive a grade on their essay based on the English II writing score rubric. 2. Assemble the quilt to hang in the hallway outside the classroom. Assessment • Was the student’s example of intolerance true to the text? • Does the student show increasing mastery of the essay format in addressing and proving all parts of the prompt? Asking these questions allows the teacher to see very quickly whether a student understood and connected with the important themes in Night. The quilt serves as a constant reminder to students and faculty of what can happen when empathy is not applied in all circumstances. 26 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Carol Cates 1999 Elementary School Winner Hillcrest Elementary School, Burlington, NC “ TEACHING CHARACTER EDUCATION IN EVERYTHING YOU DO” T wenty- four years experience in early childhood education ( with eleven of those years in first grade) has taught Carol Cates firsthand that first grade is a mountain climbing year as young children become readers, writers, and emerging mathematicians. Working at Hillcrest Elementary School in Burlington, with a class of twenty- two, Carol’s character education efforts indeed are in everything she does. In her self- contained classroom, Carol reads literature to her students that is organized by character trait; in science, she emphasizes social living and harmony in the lives of bees and ants; her students play games and work in cooperative groups for math; and when studying cultures and countries, works with her young ones to accept differences and eliminate words of prejudice. Character education is part of each day’s expectations, academic and problem- solving skills, and classroom behaviors as her children learn to interact with other students, staff, and the world around them. Beyond her classroom, Carol organized a puppet team to model and share traits of character with the entire school through skits. By writing the material and working with fifth- grade teachers, the school counselor, and the administration, Carol used puppet technique to emphasize positive values for kids at assemblies throughout the year. The Hillcrest Hornet TV News and the Kids for Character Club, are two ways that students have to develop character skills and to get involved in modeling good character. In Carol’s own words: “ Character development is an on- going process and is woven into all of our basic curriculum activities. When teachers expect and stress values in their classrooms, students understand what character means and they know how good one feels when they have the opportunity to share gifts of character with others.” nccey CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 27 “ TEACHING CHARACTER EDUCATION IN EVERYTHING YOU DO” LESSON PLAN: OWL PREDATOR FEEDING GAME Grade Level: 1st Subject: Science, Math, Language Arts Character Traits: Responsibility, Perseverance Time Needed: 2 Lesson Periods Goals • The learner will understand event sequencing. • The learner will understand the meaning of habitats, survival skills, and predators. • The learner will add 2 and 3 numbers, use touch points, set up math sentences. • The learner will practice writing skills. Objectives • To understand that owls must work consistently to keep their babies fed and to protect them from harm • To observe that it is the owl parent’s responsibility to feel and protect the babies • To realize that sometimes owls have handicaps and predators • To relate that there is a limited time for the owls to gather food and to feed their young • To see through math sentences that some of the babies will receive more food than other babies • To begin to understand that if there are more owl families, there is often less food available • To realize that if an owl family has more babies then they must work harder to feed the babies • To see real life situations can be applied to math sentences • To be able to relate this lesson to character skills they have learned ( respect, responsibility, caring, taking turns) • To understand more about the word perseverance • To understand the importance of responsibilities in animal families • To be able to write 3 facts they have learned from the game • To see math sentences written with 2 and 3 facts • To understand how using touch points can assist in getting the answer Procedures/ Activities INTRODUCTION: Help the class recall the recent story that they read entitled Owl Babies by Martin Waddell. Using the owl puppets ( mother and owlets), review bird facts the children now know about owls. Explain that today they are going to play a game in which they will become like the owl parents and babies and learn the skills and responsibilities parents face when they care for their young. Review the procedures for the game and model this with several of the students. Explain the expectations of good citizenship. Students who are not role playing the parts of the owls will be bird watchers at the edge of the “ woods.” Opportunities will be given to be both owls and bird watchers. Materials Needed Owl mother and owlet puppets Pom Poms Forks Paper for students’ follow- up activity 28 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE GAME DIRECTIONS: Owl family groups are formed. Some families will have both a male and female parent. Some only will have one parent. One parent may even be handicapped. Numbers of owlets will vary from group to group. PLAYING THE GAME: Each family grouping must stay together to protect themselves from predators, and Mama and Papa must go out in search of food. Only one mouse at a time can be carried back to the family on the fork that is provided. If a mouse falls off the fork, it must be left on the floor. The owl parents must seek a new mouse. Time for gathering food is limited. It is important to move quickly, but carefully. Assessment Before the game, ask the children questions that they will be able to answer after they vicariously have had owl roles in the simulated situation. • What responsibilities do the owl parents have? • Which families do you think will have more of the food? • Will a handicapped parent be able to feed all of the babies? • What character traits/ skills will you learn from being owls and bird watchers? • If a family has two parents feeding the babies, will it make it easier on the parents and babies to get this task done? • Do you think any of the babies will not get enough food to eat? Play the game, and then have the students answer these questions. Set up the math problems on the board for the students to observe the math sentences and to count using touch points. Help the children to compare the answers and to observe how this situation might affect owls in real life. Then play the game again using different students as owls and bird watchers, as well as, changing the family groups and adding a predator— a hawk. Share that if the hawk comes, the babies are to go with him. At the conclusion of this game, help the students review what they observed again by asking questions. Write the math sentences on the board and compare with the last time. Indicate if the group has one or more parents. Follow- up Activity Students will draw a real life forest scene, and then write facts they have learned about the lesson. Have students include character traits they think the owls displayed. As the students begin to draw their pictures, rove and encourage them to include more than one tree and also to provide rodents ( food) for the owls to find. Help students with writing words on the board that they may need for their sentences. Guide students in using the word wall, and the list of character and bird words. Give students assistance with sounding out words they may want displayed on the board. Review the sequence of events with students to be sure they understand the procedures. Provide for special needs students. Turn desks for those who get easily distracted or move them to work tables. Provide partners for at- risk students. Pass out cereal to munch on as the children begin their drawings. Play audio tape on Song Bird Serenade to provide atmosphere while the children are drawing. Review the game the next day. Put the children’s drawings up in the hall along with their story sheets and book display on Owl Babies. Provide directions to the game for a family take- home activity. Suggest to parents ways they can help their child apply these lessons to everyday experiences, such as following through with responsibilities to feed the family pet or staying with the family group on an outing for safety purposes. CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 29 LESSON PLAN: LITTLE RED HEN Grade Level: 1st Subject: Language Arts, Science Character Traits: Responsibility, Kindness, Determination Objectives • To continue learning the classic stories in children’s literature • To provide opportunities for children to understand the beginning, middle and end of a familiar story • To be able to identify the problem and solution in a story • To be able to name the characters and setting and share if the story is fact or fiction • To provide opportunities to retell the story in a writing activity • To learn the character skills that are stressed in this story— determination, responsibility, kindness • To be able to describe the character traits and how they can be applied to our lives ( In class: always do your best, finish your work, etc.) • To understand the sequence of events that occur and review the steps used from the previous lessons when we made bread and biscuits • To compare similarities and differences in other versions of Little Red Hen • To be able to relate this story to other stories or personal experiences Procedures/ Activities INTRODUCTION: Use dialogue with the puppets to introduce the story to the class. Hen: “ My goodness I found some seeds. I wonder what we could do with this. Oh, I could plant it and grow wheat. But, that’s a lot of work. I wonder who will help me.” Have you heard this story before? Have students share what they know about the story. List the sequence of events together. Do a picture walk with one of the Little Red Hen books. Then, read the story to the class. Discuss: • Where did this story take place? • Was this a factual story or fiction? • What happened at the beginning of the story? Middle? End? • What was your favorite part of the book? • Who thinks they can tell the class what the main problem was in this story? • What is the solution to this story? • What character skills do you think Little Red Hen demonstrated? • What about the skills her barnyard friends demonstrated? • How did Little Red Hen learn these skills? • What prevented the other animals from learning these important character traits? • Do you think Little Red Hen was fair by not sharing the bread? • Would you have acted this way or differently? • If you could tell someone else what the story’s lesson shares, what would you say? • Does anyone know of another story that is like this one, or perhaps you have had a real life situation similar to the Little Red Hen? ( The Tortoise and the Hare also stresses perseverance.) Materials Needed Little Red Hen books Puppets: hen, chick, dog, cat, pig Student story sheet 30 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE WRITTEN ACTIVITY: Students will write two to three sentences about the character skills or lack of character skills demonstrated in this story. They also should illustrate a scene that focuses on that situation. Tell students: “ You have been working on a book about the character stories we have read since October. Today you will add The Little Red Hen to your book. Write character skills you think this story shares, or you may want to write about character skills the barnyard friends need to show, then draw a picture to illustrate this scene. Help me list words on the board that you may need in writing your sentences.” Write lists of words, having the children assist you in sounding them out. If a child can spell the character words, have them write these on the board. Have a separate list written that is clear for students to read and use. Refer students to the word wall for other words they may need help spelling. Assessment During the lesson, ask questions to see if the children are relating to the theme of the story and the concepts being taught. Call on students to recall the basic sequence of events of the story. Provide time for questions about the seatwork task. Once the students are at their desks, rove and check on their progress. Encourage their efforts and assist them in understanding the types of sentences they may want to write. Provide time for students who have special needs such as a desk turned away from the group, a timer to keep a student on task, a buddy to help a child get started, or small group work for at- risk students. Remind students that they now have the opportunity to act like the Little Red Hen in their everyday life. Ask if a child can relate to the class how this can be done. Guide students to think about these ideas: They have a task to do and our class rules say we all need to finish our work. Perseverance means that we stick to the tasks until they are finished, even though the tasks may be hard sometimes, or we wish we could do something else. If Little Red Hen can do the task and finish, then on- task first graders can do the same. DISPLAY: Display the story sheet at the next circle time to review the lesson and to encourage the children’s efforts in writing and following directions. FOLLOW- UP ACTIVITY: Have the students write their own Little Red Hen scripts and act them out with the puppets. Have a child choose a character in this story and provide a different viewpoint of the story. ( The dog may regret that he did not help and now he sees that working hard everyday makes him feel more positive about himself. The pig might share how she now keeps a tidy home and tends her garden because she has seen Little Red Hen be so successful.) Centers • Make a poster with a picture of the Little Red Hen, and have the children write their observations about the story and list character skills that Little Red Hen demonstrated. • Provide cartoon sequencing sheets for individuals to use in drawing the story and writing their own version. • Have books on The Little Red Hen for the children to read. CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 31 Michelene Rhodes 1999 Elementary School Winner Balfour Elementary, Hendersonville, NC “ BUILDING A BETTER ME” A kindergarten through fifth- grade counselor at Balfour Elementary in Hendersonville, Michelene Rhodes, with the help of the Character Education Team, has guided a school- wide focus on character education through a guidance curriculum. Character Education at Balfour Elementary emphasizes climate, curriculum, and community with “ Building a Better Me by Knowing the Good, Loving the Good, and Doing the Good.” Educating for character has initiated changes in school climate and student awareness by system- wide attention to moral character and leadership. This team approach has encouraged teachers in reading, language arts, and drama to talk about the virtues of the characters students read and write about. In physical education, traits of character displayed by students are recognized along with their physical skills. In math classes, students are motivated to be as mindful about their attitude as their calculations. The guidance curriculum emphasis on behavior, socialization, increased self- concept and , contributes to creating an environment where students recognize that WHO they are is as significant as what they can do or produce. This is evidenced by the responses of the first graders who were asked what kind of person their Class President should be... “ someone who shows respect, has good manners, is courteous, and is responsible” were the remarkable answers of those six- year- olds! In Michelene’s own words: “ In our community, parents, teachers, and community business leaders alike are seeing the advantages of educating for character. As a result of this project, our standards for student behavior are higher and more explicit. Behavioral expectations are stated in classroom rules and the rules are practiced and reinforced. When teachers teach, character is infused in every subject.” 32 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE “ BUILDING A BETTER ME” LESSON PLAN: INTEGRITY Grade Level: 3rd– 5th Subject: Guidance Character Trait: Integrity Time Needed: Several lessons Goal The learner will understand the importance of making good choices Objective To demonstrate integrity Procedures/ Activities Students who have demonstrated integrity have their names placed in a jar and can then be selected as “ President for the day.” Daily drawings allow winners to make classroom “ presidential decisions” and wear the “ presidential button.” • Parent letter • A. M. announcements using readings from people of integrity and stories of integrity. • Students set nine- week goals for themselves. • Martin Luther King, Jr. readings, writings, and activities. • Service Project: Decorate a nature tree • Classroom lesson on integrity • Assembly on honesty • Each child composes and shares an “ integrity” poem Assessment Each student will demonstrate his/ her understanding of integrity by writing an acrostic poem. Materials Needed Teacher resource packet: presidents, writing exercises about Martin Luther King, Jr. Incentives: popsicles, candy hearts, peanut butter birdseed, pine cones, Tootsie rolls Classroom guidance lesson Presidential buttons Organize integrity poem sharing CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 33 LESSON PLAN: BUILDING A BETTER ME Grade Level: 2nd– 5th Subject: Guidance Character Traits: Respect, Gratitude Time Needed: 50 minutes Goal The learner will increase self awareness and socialization skills Objectives • To encourage contentment in children ( valuing what they have) • To demonstrate respect ( valuing other people) • To practice writing skills Procedures/ Activities Use the classroom guidance lesson “ Pat on the Back.” Read the story Grumpy the Grumbler. Discuss and brainstorm things that one says to show gratitude. Students then write a compliment on each of their two hand cut outs to give to other students. ( Make sure students are assigned at least one person to write about so that all students receive “ a hand.”) Students give away their “ pats” to the appropriate persons. Discuss how students feel as a result of the compliments they have received. Also use any of the following activities: • Send parent letters home to encourage family involvement and practice gratitude via a canned food drive. Children are encouraged via stickers to participate. • Have children make a list of things and people at school for which they are grateful. • Have children write a thank you note to someone at school • Have children develop “ coupons” to give to family members. These are things they will do to show appreciation. • Have students tell other students what they are grateful for over the intercom, in drawings, etc. • Have students make a paper chain of all the things for which they are grateful. Assessment Analyze students’ understanding of the concepts from the discussions and activities. Materials Needed Teacher resource packet, including gratitude list, thank you notes, coupons for home Posters for stickers used for canned food drive Parent letter Guidance lesson for each class ( copy hands) Grumpy the Grumbler book 34 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Building Curriculum from Growing Character by Deb Brown THE CHARACTER STANDARD A s a teacher, you have high expectations for your students. You love them and want to be sure that none slip through the cracks. An important strategy is to show your students those high expectations and to weave them into the life of your classroom. I call it the Character Standard. It is the highest expectation for students, the highest calling. By calling your students to personal and academic excellence, they will come to realize more of their true potential. The Character Standard will remind them of all that they can be and all that they can become! Students will learn to challenge themselves to do their best. They will begin their travels on the road from mediocrity to excellence. Once they have had a taste of excellence and the intrinsic reward that it brings, they will work even harder to achieve the character standard! By holding your students to high expectations, you will naturally refuse to accept anything except their best. Students will come to respect you for the fact that you accept no late assignments, no unexcused absences or tardies, and no excuses for substandard work and behavior. If a paper is messy and unfinished, you do not even take the time to grade it. When students come in late for class without a reason, they do not get the opportunity to make up missing assignments. When students neglect to do homework, you simply record a zero in the grade book. These responses must be consistent for each and every student, each and every day of the school year. Then it becomes a fair practice that encourages excellence. When students know that they cannot make excuses in your classroom, they will come to accept the challenge of personal as well as academic growth. They will feel better about their effort, and their self- respect will soar. Then the sky really will be the limit. DEFINING CHARACTER C reating an awareness of the many good character traits that we can develop in life is always a wonderful first step! But we cannot always assume that our students know what each of these traits mean or how they can be exemplified in their lives. That is where intentional teaching comes into play. One strategy that works well is to have students go on the prowl for the definitions of these words. They can look the words up in the dictionary, study the lives of famous people who exemplify these traits, ask their family and friends what the words mean to them and watch for the traits lived out in their everyday environment. Once the research is done, the next step is to give the matter some serious thought and study. I always tell my students that studying means to read, research and think in order to learn. Reflection is almost a lost art in today’s world. The same might be said for thinking. Many students take the easy way out. They look for shortcuts in regard to their studies and the result is a substandard education. Very “ The classroom is structured so that certain things are likely to occur.” — Dorothy Strickland The Egyptian use of the word character means “ to shape, to form, to build.” CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 35 rarely do students realize that they are the only ones getting cheated in the process. It is important to teach children how to study and how to learn. Once they have mastered that, the world really begins to open up for them! After some thought- time, have your students pick up their pencils and start writing. When their working definitions are complete, have the students bring them to class. Discussions will go a long way in helping them to edit and refine their thinking. And once each student has settled in on his final draft of the definition, encourage him to get to work incorporating that trait into his own character. Below are some kid- examples that I have collected from students at the elementary school level. Respect • treating others the way I would like to be treated • showing kindness at every turn • letting people’s feelings count Trustworthiness • when you are honest • when you tell the whole truth • when you do what you say you will do • when you keep promises Responsibility • doing your homework all of the time • doing your chores without being asked • taking care of your belongings • taking care of the earth Fairness • taking turns • sharing with others • treating all as equals Caring • showing kindness • showing respect to everyone • being nice, and never cruel • saying nice words or none at all Citizenship • letting everyone have a vote • taking your duties seriously • caring about your country • caring about the people in your school • reusing and recycling • taking care of the earth Accountability • stepping up to the plate • saying “ I did it” when asked • telling the truth about what happened • accepting responsibility for mistakes Integrity • being able to be trusted • showing good character when no one is looking • when people can count on you • knowing what you stand for 36 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE HONOR SENTENCES O ne of the most important academic considerations is the honor and integrity of the learner. Doing your own work, giving an assignment your best effort and taking responsibility for your studies are all crucial to the development of a good student. In an effort to promote honesty and integrity, I have students write an Honor Sentence on each test and special project paper. At the end of the test, students write sentences that explain their effort and the amount of study time given to the assignment. Below are actual Honor Sentences that have shown up on my students’ papers. These illustrate the depth of learning about integrity and accountability. This is my own work. I studied for twenty minutes each night for three nights. I passed this test with an A+ because I studied really long and hard. I went the extra mile! I put things off this week and studied only fifteen minutes. I know I failed the test— but at least it is my own work. I did not cheat. I didn’t study at all for this test. I promise to try harder next time. I studied my brains out, and I feel really good on this one! I studied two hours, and my mom helped. I think I did really well! This is not my own work. I’m sorry, can I talk to you about it? I took this test seriously. I gave it a lot of study time. I’m sure I got an A! I studied each night this week. It was worth it! One thing I like about using this practice is that it develops accountability. The students know that they will have to disclose the amount of study time devoted to their assignments. There is no escaping it. They also know that there will be consequences when they choose not to study and rewards when they do. A nice thing about this practice is that it becomes second nature for students. They develop the habit of writing their sentence without being reminded. One time that I was absent from school, I forgot to tell my substitute about it in my lesson plans. She left me a note and commented on how the students reminded her— and each other— about the Honor Sentence. She thought it was a good idea. Perhaps what I like best about this activity is that students eventually come to understand that their grades are most often earned in direct proportion to the amount of time and effort put forth in study. Writing this sentence takes only a moment, but goes a long way in helping students to develop a work ethic that translates into academic achievement! FROM WORK ETHIC TO LIFE ETHIC H elping your students to develop a positive work ethic just may be one of the most important things you can do! A child’s work ethic begins in his first year of schooling and continues on throughout life. Each decision a child makes either adds to that positive work ethic or detracts from it. I believe that it is a teacher’s calling to help children learn to make more deposits in their work ethic account and fewer withdrawals. It is that calling to personal excellence that will translate into academic success. And of course, both personal and academic excellence will translate into a work ethic that transcends the school experience. I believe that a child’s work ethic in school will become his life ethic. So from school climate to curriculum to the world of work, a positive work ethic is a grand goal for all of us. “ Learning about good character helps you try harder than ever to reach your goal of earning a spot on the A Honor Roll. Then you feel good about yourself that you can achieve excellence!” — Samara, age 11 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 37 TEACHER MODELING T here is no doubt about it, kids watch our every move. From the way we dress, to the way we talk, to the way we treat others, kids pay attention! They watch for discrepancies in our message and our modeling. They don’t miss a trick. Therefore, we must know and understand that the walk is more powerful than the talk. Students don’t just watch our every move in the classroom. They watch how we treat and interact with the other teachers on the staff. They watch our day- to- day words and actions, our facial expressions and our body language. They look to see if we are demonstrating the traits of good character that we espouse. They also watch to see if we take our own education seriously. After all, if we don’t, why should they? It makes an important impression when they hear on the morning announcements that the graduate class will meet each Tuesday or that the staff development session this month will be on reading strategies. They are interested in the books we read and the classes we take. They need to know that learning is a lifelong process, and that the hard work involved in the pursuit of furthering our education is worthwhile. Often I will bring a book to school that I am reading and just lay it on my desk. It is a great conversation starter at break time or before and after school. Kids will respect your teachings more if they know that there is something of substance behind all that you do. In fact, I always remind them of a comment that Michelangelo made shortly before his death: I am still learning! OUR DECISIONS DEFINE US! I n fact, these very words are written on the wall. This is such an important teaching message for me and my students that this sentence runs along the top of one of my classroom walls. In large, colorful letters, the message is spelled out in a big way. I don’t believe that there is a day that I haven’t referred to it in some way. Our decisions to be kind or cruel, sympathetic or unfeeling, respectful or disrespectful will help to determine the kind of person we become. Our decisions to do our homework or not, to listen in class or not, to try our best or not, will help to determine what kind of student we become. Each decision we make— large or small— will add or detract from our total being. So for building an academic climate in your classroom and school, remind your students of this powerful and life- changing lesson: Our decisions define us! RESPONSIBLE STUDENTS E very school in our district must have some kind of written plan for promoting student behavior and responsibility. The plan must address discipline as well as academics. It’s a good safeguard for assuring that student behavior will not distract from the academic learning opportunities in the school. Each year, the plan is revised along with the School Improvement Plan. Our staff sits down and discusses the school year. We bring up all of the problems as well as all of the successes. We make suggestions on how we can make next year’s plan better for students to follow and for parents to understand. Something that has helped strengthen our Responsible Students Plan in recent years has been the weaving of character education into that plan. Teaching character gives the plan substance, as well as strength. The expectations are posted in every room of the school, and a list of rules is given to each student to take home to their parents. They are reprinted for you here so you can see exactly what I am referring to. As you read through the list, take time to notice how character is woven into the plan. 38 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE The plan is built with student rewards and consequences. Consistency, of course, is the key to the plan’s success. Remember that kids will try you at every turn. It’s sad to say, but often parents will do the same. They will ask you to make an exception, just this once. If the entire staff is consistent and fair, the plan works wonderfully well. Remember, you are in the driver’s seat on this one. Red... respect! • Listen • Show respect • Use good manners • Work cooperatively • Follow classroom rules • Follow school rules Blue... responsibility! • Come prepared for class • Work independently • Complete assignments • Turn in homework • Return permission slips promptly • Return office communications • Return library books • Organize materials and workspace • Organize self and belongings Green... quiet times! • In school hallways • In line • During fire drills • During shelter- in- place • During intercom announcements • When a visitor enters the room • During a test • During silent reading Purple... cafeteria! • Get supplies on your way through the line • Use a soft and respectful voice • Show proper table manners • Stay in your seat at all times • Be respectful of others at your table • Clean up... pick up! Guidelines... for rewards and consequences! • 3 violations of the same color in one month = counseling referral slip • 6 violations in one month = parent notification slip • 9 monthly violations allowed per student • 10 monthly violations = no C. A. R. E. S. reward plus a discipline slip • 15 monthly violations = suspension or parent spending the day with student Discipline Slips... given for these behaviors! • Disrespectful behavior • Cafeteria problem • Disruptive conduct • Inappropriate language • Failure to obey authority • Inappropriate dress • Failure to work to full potential Weimer C. A. R. E. S. Respect and Responsibilities CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 39 LOOK FOR THE LESSON N o matter what the subject matter, no matter what the lesson of the day— students will come to learn more about the character message when it is woven into all that you do. Calling your students’ attention to the lesson within the lesson is a powerful way to show that life’s greatest lessons can be found within our studies at school. In fact, if we learn to pay attention, they can be found just about anywhere! Examples of lessons from different areas of the curriculum are illustrated below. LESSON THE CHARACTER LESSON WITHIN Martin Luther King, Jr. Respect, fairness, citizenship The Making of the American Flag Citizenship George Washington, Abe Lincoln Honesty, bravery Louis Slotkin Accountability, integrity, respect The Tortoise and the Hare Perseverance The Schooling of Afghanistan Children Fairness, respect Ruby Bridges Respect, fairness, bravery, citizenship Math: coins, money Honesty Aristotle Virtue, character, work ethic World Cultures and Religions Respect Thomas Edison and Electricity Perseverance Mother Teresa Respect, caring, compassion, service Aesop’s Fables Every character trait is represented PEER TUTORING W hen high school students from Service Learning Class come to help at your school, let them get involved in a peer- tutoring program. High school students can be a wonderful asset in helping your elementary kids practice and master basic skills. Extra help and practice with math, spelling, and reading skills, or even difficult science concepts, can go a long way in helping younger students meet with success. Sometimes just the companionship and closeness of an older student reading a story to a younger child or listening to the younger child read is motivation for extra effort in skill development. And the older student also benefits! High school students learn to be positive role models for younger kids and learn to give back to the communities of which they are a part. The teamwork and camaraderie built will help both the elementary school and high school grow strong. Sometimes, just the companionship and closeness of an older student reading a story to a younger child or listening to the younger child read is motivation for extra effort in skill development. 40 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE MONTHLY GOAL- SETTING SESSIONS R emember the research from Chapter One about the power of setting goals and writing them down? I’ll review: 87% of people do not have goals, 10% have goals, and 3% commit their goals in writing. Those who write down their goals achieve 50– 100 times more than those who simply think about and talk about their goals. We want our students to become members of The 3% Club! And remember, with 90– 95% of what we do each day attributed to habit, we want for our kids to develop good habits. Setting goals and working towards them is one way to get there! In my monthly goal setting sessions with students, I help them work on several kinds of goals: academic goals, personal goals, and social goals. I want for them to become well- rounded people. Academic goals will help them with their studies and grades, personal goals will help them to become all that they can be, and social goals will help them in their interactions with others. Each month, we choose a new goal in each area to work on. We write down the goals and commit them to memory. During the month, we pull out our goal lists and see how we are doing. We chart our progress, we make adjustments. We resolve to work harder. The first month of school, we post our goals in the classroom near the door. That makes it a little easier for students to see them on a daily basis. It helps them stay focused. Whether your students keep their goal lists in their notebooks, lockers, and backpacks or on display in the classroom is not important. What is important is that they take the time to set goals, write them down and keep check on their progress. That’s what growing in goodness is all about! Over the years while teaching the Character Class for my K- 6 students, I have kept copies of their goal lists. I have selected a sample to include in this book. Perhaps these will help you to see what kinds of thing students have chosen to work on over the course of the school year. Remember that there are two kinds of goals: long- term goals and short- term goals. Kids need to learn to set both kinds. And remember to teach students to be specific when setting their goals. The more specific students are in setting goals, the better chance they will have of reaching them. In the list above, one student did that quite well. He not only wants to go to college and play basketball; he has chosen the school, the University of North Carolina. Student Academic Goals • To stay on task �� To be a better listener • To do my homework • To be a better reader • To improve my handwriting • To be responsible for my assignments • To have a better report card • To get straight A’s • To make the Honor Roll • To get in a good college • To get a job that I like • To follow directions • To learn math facts • To follow school rules • To try my best Student Social Goals • To be nice to my sister • To change my attitude • To make new friends • To be a better teammate in basketball • To follow the Golden Rule • To be respectful with my parents • To tell the truth all the time • To control my temper • To listen when my friends are talking • To be helpful • To take turns • To share with others • To be kind to everyone Student Personal Goals • To learn to do a handspring • To complete a 500- piece puzzle • To play basketball for UNC • To be a cartoonist • To learn to play an instrument • To learn sign language • To dive off of the high dive • To eat healthy • To be more lovable • To do more good deeds • To watch less television • To start saving money • To spend more time with my family • To have a good time without being bad CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 41 REPORT CARD GOAL- SETTING SESSIONS S tudents need to see that their schoolwork and goals are connected. This practice will help students to focus on their studies and to work towards academic success. On the day that students will be receiving their report cards, I hand out the Goal Setting Session worksheets. Each student writes his name and the date on the top of the sheet. The first section of the worksheet is for predicting what grades the students think they earned for this grading period. Notice that I am careful to use the word earned, rather than the word got. The language here is quite important. I want my students to understand that I don’t give grades. I simply record the grades that they earn. The second section of the worksheet is for recording the grades that students earned during the previous grading period. The reason for this section is so that a comparison can be made. Then I pass out the student report cards. They open them up and look them over. They then move on to the third section of the worksheet. It is in this spot that they record their newly earned grades. Question number four is simple: Did your grades go up or down? Then comes the part where students have to dig deeply for answers: Give the reasons for any changes in your grades. Students now have to face the music. There is no room for excuses. We are developing accountability for our decisions of the last nine weeks. As a teacher, it is interesting to observe. Students become excited when they see that their grades have improved, and they come to understand that extra study time and effort were the reasons for the change. It is sad to see those who have not measured up. But there is hope! Students are enlightened when they begin admitting that poor study habits, laziness, and irresponsibility have been contributing factors to their failures. I remind them that it is never too late to change. The logical next step is planning for the future. We take a few minutes to think about our habits— really think! We develop Goal- Setting Session End of the Nine- Week Grading Period Name ________________________ Date_________________________ 1. Predict what grades you think you earned this grading period: Reading ______ Social Studies ______ English ______ Science ______ Spelling ______ Health ______ Math ______ Citizenship ______ 2. Record what grades you earned last nine weeks in these subjects: Reading ______ Social Studies ______ English ______ Science ______ Spelling ______ Health ______ Math ______ Citizenship ______ 3. Write down the new grades you earned for this grading period: Reading ______ Social Studies ______ English ______ Science ______ Spelling ______ Health ______ Math ______ Citizenship ______ 4. Did your grades go up or down? __________________________________________________________ 5. Give the reasons for the changes in your grades: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 6. Write down five goals for improving your work ethic and grades: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 42 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE goals for the coming grading period. These goals will be helpful in improving our work ethic and our grades. We set to work. All in all, this is about a twenty- minute activity. Yes, it does take time out of our instructional day. But the way I see it, this is part of the most important instruction of all. Students come to see the direct correlation between work ethic and academic success. Plus you get the added incentive of knowing that it is never too late to wipe the slate clean and change your ways. I have seen students go from D’s to B’s and stay there! CHARACTER JOURNALS I have been doing Character Journals for years, and they are my very favorite character- building practice of all. Considering the amount of time they take, and the difference they make, you’ve just got to try them! It’s easy. We use those black- and- white composition books, but any kind of a notebook will do. Each morning I have a character quote on the chalkboard when students arrive. I always write down the same one that I put on the morning announcements for the day. Writing down the quote of the day simply becomes part of the morning routine: go to your locker, get your books and supplies for the day, graph in for attendance and lunch, put your homework in the basket, and write in your Character Journal. It’s as simple as that. Writing down the quote takes all of one minute. And all of this happens before the tardy bell even rings. But don’t stop there. Use that quote throughout the day. Repeat it during the transition times of the day: when lining up to go to gym class, lunch, or the library or when packing backpacks at the end of the day. As Aristotle taught us, repetition is the mother of skill. Another great idea is to have the older kids write a reflection paragraph about the quote on days when there is time. Students can write about what the quote means and how they might put the wisdom to work in their own life. This extension activity takes a few minutes more, but is worth the time and effort that it takes. Since students are writing, this activity can be woven in with the language arts lesson of the day. Character quotes are just one of the things that students put in their journals. Whenever I find a good story that can be typed up on one page, I run copies for my class. The students staple them in and write a paragraph of reflection about the story. Copies of good editorial cartoons and stories from the newspaper are also good journal entries. I have also been known to include the heroes column from The Reader’s Digest and other uplifting stories. Articles showcasing good character from your local newspaper are also good to copy and pass out to students. By the end of the year, I usually have about 180 good character quotes, ten good stories, twelve teaching cartoons, nine hero stories, and dozens of pages of written reflections. When students leave at the end of the school year, they have a wonderful book of wisdom to take with them. Parents and students both cherish that collection. It is my favorite thing to send with them as they walk off into their futures! SUCCESS LIBRARY R eading is so important! Because I believe that children become better readers by actually reading, I keep lots of books on hand in the classroom. I bring books from home and I write grants to buy even more. What kind of books do I keep in the collection? Success books! Books that I call success books are ones that build character. These are books that help you, guide you, and point you in the direction of achieving personal, academic, and professional success. They CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 43 are the books that are found in the self- help and psychology sections of bookstores. They are also the little life- lesson books found in gift shops. Books on confidence, character, and courage. Books on determination and desire. Books that include the wisdom of the generations. Books that inspire and motivate you to be the best person that you can be. In my opinion, we don’t read enough of them! Start building a collection for your class. For a first step, I just got a big basket and filled it with books from home. I was amazed at how the kids enjoyed reading them. And because they were my personal books, the students were extra careful and respectful of them. They grabbed a book for some success reading whenever there was a free moment, whenever they had finished their class work and even during recess on a rainy day. Reading positive and uplifting books supports students on their journey to goodness! Here are a few titles to help get you started. The Book of Virtues William Bennett The Children’s Book of Virtues Willia
Object Description
Description
Title | North Carolina character education : informational handbook & guide for support and implementation of the Student Citizen Act of 2001 (character and civic education) |
Other Title | NC character education; Character education : informational handbook & guide |
Date | 2006 |
Description | v. 2 |
Digital Characteristics-A | 1158 KB; 150 p. |
Digital Format |
application/pdf |
Full Text | Character Citizenship Service Informational Handbook & Guide II for Support and Implementation of the Student Citizen Act of 2001 ( Character and Civic Education) “ Intelligence plus character— that is the goal of true education.” — Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Schools of North Carolina State Board of Education Department of Public Instruction Middle Grades Division; School Safety and Climate Section Character Education www. ncpublicschools. org Character Education Character Citizenship Service Character Education Informational Handbook & Guide II for Support and Implementation of the Student Citizen Act of 2001 ( Character and Civic Education) “ Intelligence plus character— that is the goal of true education.” — Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Schools of North Carolina State Board of Education Department of Public Instruction Middle Grades Division; School Safety and Climate Section Character Education www. ncpublicschools. org Character Education Informational Handbook and Guide II Developed and Printed 2006 NCDPI Character Education Consutant: Crystal Reardon Project Coordinator: Charlie Abourjilie, Special Consultant to NCDPI Character Education Project Team: Debra Henzy, Civic Education Consortium Daintry O’Brian, Kids Voting NC Sandy Cook, Newspapers in Education Charlie Abourjilie, Eastern Guilford High School Crystal Reardon, NCDPI Design and layout by Sara Sanders, SHS Design June 20, 2006 Dear Educator: Since passing the Student Citizen Act of 2001, our state legislature and our governor have continued to partner with the Public Schools of North Carolina to support character education. We all realize that schools must be safe, orderly and caring communities where all students have every opportunity to learn and develop strong character. Our local boards of education, our schools, and our communities are continuing the commitment toward preparing our students for full participation in a democratic society. We are proud to make the second edition of the North Carolina Education Informational Handbook & Guide available to you. This handbook has been updated to offer you a renewed look at the Student Citizen Act of 2001 and to serve as a tool for your continued efforts in implementing character education into your school or district. The ideas presented in this book are an outline that you may draw upon, but the real strength of your initiative will come from the collaborative efforts of your school, families and community. We wish you continued success in this effort, and we thank you for all that you do to support the students of North Carolina. Sincerely, Howard N. Lee June St. Clair Atkinson HNL/ JSA/ mcw OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT June St. Clair Atkinson, Ed. D., State Superintendent | jatkinson@ dpi. state. nc. us 6301 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699- 6301 | ( 919) 807- 3430 | Fax ( 919) 807- 3445 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/ AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER . v Overview of this Handbook and Guide “ Intelligence plus character— that is the goal of true education.” — Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. T his handbook, as well as the information provided, is intended for use as an introductory guide to character education for local boards of education, superintendents, character education liaisons/ coordinators, principals, teachers, community members, and anyone influencing the lives of our children through our public schools. In the fall of 2001, the Student Citizen Act of 2001 ( SL 2001- 363) was passed into law by the North Carolina State Legislature. This Act requires every local board of education to develop and implement character education instruction with input from the local community. In addition, the legislation directs the State Board of Education to modify the middle and high school social studies curriculum to include instruction in civic and citizenship education. The Act also calls for local boards of education to adopt reasonable dress codes for students. With the passage of the Student Citizen Act of 2001, the state of North Carolina has affirmed that the development of character in our children is the cornerstone of education. In fact, throughout history, the very foundation of American education has been the preparation of students for life and full participation in a democratic society. Benjamin Franklin said, “ Nothing is more important to the public weal [ well- being] than to form and train up youth in wisdom and virtue.” Today, more than ever, societal needs call for a renewed emphasis on traits such as respect, responsibility, integrity, and citizenship in the public schools. While many teachers and administrators across the state are effectively fostering the development of character in students, there is still much work to do. That is why the NC Department of Public Instruction is now following up to our first Character Education Informational Handbook & Guide ( 2002), with this whole new second edition containing an even stronger focus on service learning and citizenship through the power of student voice. Character education is not new to North Carolina, but it is time for a renewed commitment from our local boards of education and all of our schools, both to meet the requirements of the law and to make progress in priority areas facing our teachers and schools. For example, character education is, or can be, a key component in the following areas: • Improving school and classroom climate • Creating safer ( Safe & Drug Free) and more caring schools • Closing the achievement gap • Helping address teacher recruitment and retention • Academic achievement for all • Academic integrity • Professional ethics • Athletic and extracurricular participation • Health and physical education • Service to others • Community building and commitment But, ABOVE ALL ELSE, this commitment is to and for ALL of our CHILDREN, their PARENTS, and every COMMUNITY in North Carolina. . CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE vii Table of Contents Defining and Understanding Character Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 What Is Character Education? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Definitions and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Components of Character Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 10 More Good Reasons for Character Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 CEP’s Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 The Student Citizen Act of 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Overview of the Student Citizen Act of 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Ideas and Best Practices in Character Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Selections from the North Carolina Character Educator of the Year ( NCCEY) Awards . . . . . . . . .18 sponsored by the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University “ Fridays At Glenwood”/ Exploris Middle School, Raleigh ( 2002 Winner) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 “ What Makes a Good Person?” / West Caldwell High School, Lenoir ( 2002 Winner) . . . . . . . .23 “ Teaching Character Education In Everything You Do”, Hillcrest Elementary School, Burlington ( 1999 Winner) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 “ Building A Better Me”/ Balfour Elementary, Hendersonville ( 1999 Winner) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Lessons from Growing Character by award winning teacher, Deb Austin Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 The Character Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Defining Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Honor Sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 From Work Ethic to Life Ethic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Teacher Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Our Decisions Define Us! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Responsible Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Look for the Lesson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Peer Tutoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Monthly Goal- Setting Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Report Card Goal- Setting Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Character Journals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Success Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Heroes in Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 “ Character is POWER.” — Booker T. Washington viii CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Character in the Workplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Weekly Communication Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Homework in Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Let Your Character Shine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 A+ B= C ( Attitudes + Behavior = Character) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Poetry from Rama Road Elementary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Pat- A- Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Respect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Citizenship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Great Relationship Builders for the Secondary Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Handshake! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 “ Thank You” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Celebrate a Classmate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Smart & Good High Schools; Integrating Excellence and Ethics for Success in School, Work and Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Executive Summary from the national study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Principles of a Smart & Good High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 A Report to the Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 10 Tips in Character Education for Volunteers & Mentors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Kids Voting and Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Service Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 What is Service Learning? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 What is Civic Education? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Benefits of Student Service and Service Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Learn and Serve America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Ten Steps for Bringing Service to Your Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Service Learning in Action at Every Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Service Learning– vs– Service Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Service Experiences in NC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Planning Quality Service Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Service- Learning Curriculum Integration Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Team Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Ways to Reflect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE ix Student Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 What is Student Voice? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 What the Research Says . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 What is a Student Council? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Guidelines and Principles for Student Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Project 540 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 How Administrators Can Support and Enhance Student Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Current Events and Contemporary Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Ideas to get schools started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Other sources of news besides NC newspapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Newspapering--- Print, Broadcast and the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Current Events in Language Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 A Community At Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Social Studies Problem Solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Demonstrating Traits Important in a Democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Glossary of Traits or Dispositions Important in America’s Constitutional Democracy . . . . . . . . .109 Marks of Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 RESOURCES for Service- Learning, Student Voice and Student Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 308 Quotes for the Classroom! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 Ideas on how to use quotes in your classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 The Quotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 “ Great learning and superior abilities will be of little value... unless virtue, truth and integrity are added to them.” — Abigail Adams . defining& understanding Defining and Understanding Character Education 2 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Defining & Understanding Character Education “ Character education is not something new to add to your plate. It is the plate!” — Superintendent John Walko ( NY school) WHAT IS CHARACTER EDUCATION? C haracter Education is a national movement creating schools that foster ethical, responsible, and caring young people by modeling and teaching good character through an emphasis on universal values that we all share. It is the INTENTIONAL, PROACTIVE effort by schools, districts, and states to instill in their students important core, ethical values such as respect for self and others, responsibility, integrity, and self- discipline. It is not a “ quick fix” or silver- bullet cure- all. It provides long- term solutions that address moral, ethical, and academic issues that are of growing concern about our society and the safety of our schools. Character education may address such critical concerns as student absenteeism, discipline problems, drug abuse, gang violence, teen pregnancy and poor academic performance. At its best, character education integrates positive values into every aspect of the school day. Character education... • is taught through modeling, climate, and curriculum. • comes from the HOME, COMMUNITY and the SCHOOLS. • is a proactive way of adapting and using existing educational materials to promote understanding and inspire the development of good character traits among all students in every part of their learning experience. • is learning how to make good decisions and choices. • is learning about positive relationships and their development based upon our development and depth of character. • is grounded in RELATIONSHIPS and school culture. • is a PROCESS, not just a program. • at its best, is comprehensive school reform. • is informed by research, theory and most importantly, teacher and student involvement. • is bringing out the BEST in ALL OF US— students and teachers. “ Effective character education is not adding a program or set of programs to a school. Rather it is a transformation of the culture and life of the school.” — Dr. Marvin Berkowitz CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 3 Definitions and Benefits Character Education is the deliberate effort to help people understand, care about, and act upon core ethical values.* An intentional and comprehensive character education initiative provides a lens through which every aspect of school becomes an opportunity for character development. Benefits: • It promotes character development through the exploration of ethical issues across the curriculum. • It develops a positive and moral climate by engaging the participation of students, teachers and staff, parents, and communities. • It teaches how to solve conflicts fairly, creating safer schools that are freer of intimidation, fear, and violence, and are more conducive to learning. Civic Education consists of both a core curriculum and teaching strategies that give students the knowledge, skills, virtues, and confidence to actively participate in democratic life. Benefits: • It teaches how government, businesses, community groups, and nonprofits work together to create strong communities. • It emphasizes that both individual and group participation is important to the vitality of communities and critical to sustaining our democratic way of life. • It teaches civility and respect for others when deliberating, negotiating, organizing, and advocating for one’s own positions on public issues. Service- Learning is a pedagogy that connects meaningful community service experiences with academic learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility. Service- learning goes beyond extracurricular community service because it involves participants in reading, reflection and analysis; provides students an opportunity to develop a personal connection to what they are learning; and creates a context for the application of concepts introduced in the classroom. Benefits: • It enhances the educational goals of the curriculum through experiential learning and critical reflection. • It helps students develop the skills and virtues required for full participation and leadership in their democratic communities. • It serves the public good by providing a needed service to individuals, organization, schools, or other entities in the community. * Opening sentence taken from The Center For the 4th and 5th Rs ( Respect and Responsibility), Dr. Thomas Lickona, State University of New York at Cortland. Developed by the Governor’s Character Education Advisory Committee 2001 4 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Components of Character Education A fter more than a decade of experience with diverse communities, educators learned that these components are critical to the lasting success of character education: Community participation. Have educators, parents, students, and members of the community invest themselves in a consensus- building process to discover common ground that is essential for long- term success. Character education policy. Make character education a part of your philosophy, goal or mission statement by adopting a formal policy. Don’t just say it— put it in writing. Defined traits. Have a meeting of parents, teachers and community representatives and use consensus to get agreement on which character traits to reinforce and what definitions to use. Formally state what your school means by “ courage” or “ perseverance” before they are discussed with students. ( The suggested traits listed in the Student Citizen Act might be a great place to start.) Integrated curriculum. Make character education integral to the curriculum at all grade levels. Take the traits you have chosen and connect them to classroom lessons, so students see how a trait might figure into a story or be part of a science experiment or how it might affect them. Make these traits a part of every class and every subject. Experiential learning. Allow your students to see the trait in action, experience it and express it. Include community- based, real- world experiences in your curriculum that illustrate character traits ( e. g., service learning, cooperative learning and peer mentoring). Allow time for discussion and reflection. Evaluation. Evaluate character education from two perspectives: ( 1) Is the program affecting positive changes in student behavior, academic achievement and cognitive understanding of the traits? ( 2) Is the implementation process providing the tools and support teachers need? Adult role models. Children “ learn what they live,” so it is important that adults demonstrate positive character traits at home, school and in the community. If adults do not model the behavior they teach, the entire program will fail. Staff development. Provide development and training time for your staff so that they can create and implement character education on an ongoing basis. Include time for discussion and understanding of both the process and the programs, as well as for the creation of lesson plans and curricula. Student involvement. Involve students in age- appropriate activities and allow them to connect character education to their learning, decision- making and personal goals as you integrate the process into their school. Sustaining the program. The character education program is sustained and renewed through implementation of the first nine elements, with particular attention to a high level of commitment from the top: adequate funding; support for district coordination staff; high quality and ongoing professional development; and a networking and support system for teachers who are implementing the program. From Field- tested Resources in Character Education, Cooperating School Districts of Greater St. Louis CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 5 more... 10 More Good Reasons for Character Education I n Thomas Lickona’s Educating for Character, he identified 10 wide- ranging reasons for the need for character education, not only in our schools but also within our society. His splendid work appeals to all of us— parents, educators, neighbors, and community leaders. The following list is in addition to Dr. Lickona’s. This was created in response to the pressure teachers and schools face daily. 1. Purpose. Why did you become a teacher or get into education in the first place? Your answer is your purpose. We all got into education for essentially the same reason— to touch the lives of children. To positively impact the life of a child. We all wanted to, and still want to, make a difference. 2. Focus. The demands and scrutiny on teachers and public education today are higher than ever before. It’s quite easy for teachers to become buried in societal and institutional demands. And yet, we must not lose focus of why we are there in that classroom— for children. We must place our focus on the needs and possibilities of our children. They are our future. 3. Safe Schools. In the wake of recent school tragedies, all too often people were left asking,“ What went wrong with “ those” kids? Where were the parents? Why didn’t the school know this was going to happen? Who else is to blame? Safe schools aren’t about blame and scorn, fancy programs, more money or even improved self- defense. They are about the people inside those buildings and the environment they create. The same can be said of character education. It’s not about pretty posters and motivational quotes. It is about people caring about others. 4. Achievement. When teachers have more time to teach in a civil, respectful environment, and children feel safe, appreciated and respected— then real achievement and learning can take place. It’s called a quality learning environment, and the research shows that how students feel about their learning environment and their opportunity for success are crucial factors in student achievement. The evidence is clear, from New Mexico, to Ohio, to North Carolina and hundreds of places in between, academic achievement can be a powerful byproduct of successful character education efforts. 5. Diversity. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that one day his children would be judged, “ not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” That dream becomes a real possibility when we realize that nearly all cultures, world religions and schools of thought have their most basic tenet in common— TREAT OTHERS THE WAY THAT YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. Many refer to this as the “ Golden Rule.” Words and language may change, in Judaism it is stated as “ What you hate, do not do to anyone” and in Hindu as “ Do nothing to thy neighbors which thou wouldst not have them do to thee,” but they all yield the most common character trait of RESPECT. Appreciating diversity begins with knowing and understanding those things we have most in common. 6. Not the “ Flavor of the Month.” Character education” is nothing new. Discipline, civility, respect for self, others and society, teachers as role models— these things have been a part of education for as long as people have been learning. Character education is simply true, quality teaching. It’s not a program to implement and then set on a shelf until you go on to something else. It’s a process of caring and determination. Strength lies in comprehensive processes, not in new, short lived programs. 6 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 7. “ At- Risk” Students. All children are “ at- risk” at some point in their life. And all children, whether they are labeled “ at- risk” or not, need mentors, role models and caring adults in their lives. They crave nurturing, caring, positive relationships— the essence of character education. All children, labeled or not, want to be successful, appreciated and feel a sense of belonging. There may be no truer statement than the words of James F. Hind, “ You’ve got to REACH them before you can teach them.” 8. Transition. Educators around the world spend countless hours and dollars trying to come up with a solution to making the transition from elementary to middle and middle to high school easier for children, both socially and academically. The process of character education is a pre- K through 12 process that ideally utilizes the same language, high expectations and high regard for relationships, throughout the school life of a child. Common language, similar rules and procedures, and common expectations make for a smoother transition. 9. Work Force Readiness. One major goal of schools in all communities is to prepare our children for the world of work. Much of this preparation focuses on vocational and technical skill and knowledge, as it should. But we can’t forget what employers crave most— quality people with a strong sense of respect for themselves and others and high levels of responsibility, determination and self-discipline. Any and all businesses are going to train new employees to do “ their way,” but they first need and want quality people of character to employ. 10. Teachers and Students. The results of well implemented character education practices is a gift for both teachers and students. Teachers want to teach. They want to make a positive difference by touching lives. Students want to feel accepted and they want to learn. They want limits, structure and guidance. Character education can be those things for both teachers and students. For the teacher, improved classroom climate and student motivation make our jobs much easier. All students will tell you that the teachers who mean the most are the ones who care. Character education is a win- win situation for all involved! Adapted from Developing Character for Classroom Success. Abourjilie 1CHARACTER EDU1 CATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 7 CEP’s Eleven Principles of Effective Character EducationTM By Tom Lickona, Ed. D. Eric Schaps, Ph. D. Catherine Lewis, Ph. D. T here is no single script for effective character education, but there are some important basic principles. The following eleven principles serve as criteria that schools and other groups can use to plan a character education effort and to evaluate available character education programs, books, and curriculum resources. EFFECTIVE CHARACTER EDUCATION: 1. Promotes core ethical values as the basis of good character. Character education holds that widely shared, pivotally important, core ethical values— such as caring, honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect for self and others— form the basis of good character. A school committed to character development stands for these values ( sometimes referred to as “ virtues” or “ character traits”), defines them in terms of behaviors that can be observed in the life of the school, models these values, studies and discusses them, uses them as the basis of human relations in the school, celebrates their manifestations in the school and community, and holds all school members accountable to standards of conduct consistent with the core values. In a school committed to developing character, these core values are treated as a matter of obligation, as having a claim on the conscience of the individual and community. Character education asserts that the validity of these values, and our responsibility to uphold them, derive from the fact that such values affirm our human dignity, promote the development and welfare of the individual person, serve the common good, meet the classical tests of reversibility ( i. e., Would you want to be treated this way?) and universality ( i. e., Would you want all persons to act this way in a similar situation?), and inform our rights and responsibilities in a democratic society. The school makes clear that these basic human values transcend religious and cultural differences, and express our common humanity. © Character Education Partnership, 2003 8 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 2. Defines “ character” comprehensively to include thinking, feeling, and behavior. Good character involves understanding, caring about, and acting upon core ethical values. A holistic approach to character development therefore seeks to develop the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of moral life. Students grow to understand core values by studying and discussing them, observing behavioral models, and resolving problems involving the values. Students learn to care about core values by developing empathy skills, forming caring relationships, helping to create community, hearing illustrative and inspirational stories, and reflecting on life experiences. And they learn to act upon core values by developing prosocial behaviors ( e. g., communicating feelings, active listening, helping skills) and by repeatedly practicing these behaviors, especially in the context of relationships ( e. g., through cross- age tutoring, mediating conflicts, community service). As children grow in character, they develop an increasingly refined understanding of the core values, a deeper commitment to living according to those values, and a stronger capacity and tendency to behave in accordance with them. 3. Uses a comprehensive, intentional, proactive, and effective approach to character development. Schools committed to character development look at themselves through a moral lens to assess how virtually everything that goes on in school affects the character of students. A comprehensive approach uses all aspects of schooling as opportunities for character development. This includes what is sometimes called the hidden curriculum ( e. g., school ceremonies and procedures; the teachers’ example; students’ relationships with teachers, other school staff, and each other; the instructional process; how student diversity is addressed; the assessment of learning; the management of the school environment; the discipline policy); the academic curriculum ( i. e., core subjects, including the health curriculum); and extracurricular programs ( i. e., sports teams, clubs, service projects, after- school care). “ Stand alone” character education programs can be useful first steps or helpful elements of an ongoing effort but are not an adequate substitute for a holistic approach that integrates character development into every aspect of school life. Finally, rather than simply waiting for opportunities to arise, with an intentional and proactive approach, the school staff takes deliberate steps for developing character, drawing wherever possible on practices shown by research to be effective. 4. Creates a caring school community. A school committed to character strives to become a microcosm of a civil, caring, and just society. It does this by creating a community that helps all its members form caring attachments to one another. This involves developing caring relationships among students ( within and across grade levels), among staff, between students and staff, and between staff and families. These caring CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 9 relationships foster both the desire to learn and the desire to be a good person. All children and adolescents have needs for safety, belonging, and the experience of contributing, and they are more likely to internalize the values and expectations of groups that meet these needs. Likewise, if staff members and parents experience mutual respect, fairness, and cooperation in their relationships with each other, they are more likely to develop the capacity to promote those values in students. In a caring school community, the daily life of classrooms and all other parts of the school environment ( e. g., the corridors, cafeteria, playground, school bus, front office, and teachers’ lounge) are imbued with a climate of concern and respect for others. 5. Provides students with opportunities for moral action. In the ethical as in the intellectual domain, students are constructive learners; they learn best by doing. To develop good character, they need many and varied opportunities to apply values such as compassion, responsibility, and fairness in everyday interactions and discussions as well as through community service. By grappling with real- life challenges ( e. g., how to divide the labor in a cooperative learning group, how to reach consensus in a class meeting, how to reduce fights on the playground, how to carry out a service learning project) and reflecting on these experiences, students develop practical understanding of the requirements of cooperating with others and giving of oneself. Through repeated moral experiences, students develop and practice the skills and behavioral habits that make up the action side of character. 6. Includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners, develops their character, and helps them to succeed. When students succeed at the work of school and feel a sense of competence and autonomy, they are more likely to feel valued and cared about as persons. Because students come to school with diverse skills, interests and needs, an academic program that helps all students succeed will be one in which the content and pedagogy are sophisticated enough to engage all learners. This means providing a curriculum that is inherently interesting and meaningful to students. A meaningful curriculum includes active teaching and learning methods such as cooperative learning, problem-solving approaches, and experience- based projects. These approaches increase student autonomy by appealing to students’ interests, providing them with opportunities to think creatively and test their ideas, and fostering a sense of “ voice and choice”— having a say in decisions and plans that affect them. In addition, effective character educators look for the natural intersections between the academic content they wish to teach and the character qualities they wish to develop. These “ character connections” can take many forms, such as addressing current ethical issues in science, debating historical practices and decisions, and discussing character traits and ethical dilemmas in literature. When teachers bring to the fore the 10 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE character dimension of the curriculum, they enhance the relevance of subject matter to students’ natural interests and questions, and in the process, increase student engagement and achievement. 7. Strives to foster students’ self- motivation. Character is often defined as “ doing the right thing when no one is looking.” The best underlying ethical reason for following rules, for example, is respect for the rights and needs of others— not fear of punishment or desire for a reward. Similarly, we want students to be kind to others because of an inner belief that kindness is good and a desire to be a kind person. Growing in self-motivation is a developmental process that schools of character are careful not to undermine by excessive emphasis on extrinsic incentives. When such schools give appropriate social recognition for students’ prosocial actions ( e. g., “ Thank you for holding the door— that was a thoughtful thing to do.”) or celebrate character through special awards ( e. g., for outstanding school or community service), they keep the focus on character. Schools of character work with students to develop their understanding of rules, their awareness of how their behavior affects others, and the character strengths— such as self- control, perspective taking, and conflict resolution skills— needed to act responsibly in the future. Rather than settle for mere compliance, these schools seek to help students benefit from their mistakes by providing meaningful opportunities for reflection, problem solving, and restitution. 8. Engages the school staff as a learning and moral community that shares responsibility for character education and attempts to adhere to the same core values that guide the education of students. All school staff— teachers, administrators, counselors, school psychologists, coaches, secretaries, cafeteria workers, playground aides, bus drivers— need to be involved in learning about, discussing, and taking ownership of the character education effort. First and foremost, staff members assume this responsibility by modeling the core values in their own behavior and taking advantage of other opportunities to influence the students with whom they interact. Second, the same values and norms that govern the life of students serve to govern the collective life of adult members in the school community. Like students, adults grow in character by working collaboratively with each other and participating in decision- making that improves classrooms and school. They also benefit from extended staff development and opportunities to observe colleagues and then apply character development strategies in their own work with students. Third, a school that devotes time to staff reflection on moral matters helps to ensure that it operates with integrity. Through faculty meetings and smaller support groups, a reflective staff regularly asks questions such as: What character building experiences is the school already providing for its students? What negative moral experiences ( e. g., peer cruelty, student cheating, adult disrespect of students, littering of the grounds) is the school currently failing to address? And what important moral experiences ( e. g., CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 11 cooperative learning, school and community service, opportunities to learn about and interact with people from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds) is the school now omitting? What school practices are at odds with its professed core values and desire to develop a caring school community? Reflection of this nature is an indispensable condition for developing the moral life of a school. 9. Fosters shared moral leadership and long- range support of the character education initiative. Schools that are engaged in effective character education have leaders ( e. g., the principal, a lead teacher or counselor, a district administrator, or preferably a small group of such individuals) who champion the effort. At least initially, many schools and districts establish a character education committee— often composed of staff, students, parents, and possibly community members— that takes responsibility for planning, implementation, and support. Over time, the regular governing bodies of the school or district may take on the functions of this committee. The leadership also takes steps to provide for the long- range support ( e. g., adequate staff development, time to plan) of the character education initiative, including, ideally, support at the district and state levels. In addition, within the school students assume developmentally appropriate roles in leading the character education effort through class meetings, student government, peer mediation, cross- age tutoring, service clubs, task forces, and student- led initiatives. 10. Engages families and community members as partners in the character- building effort. Schools that reach out to families and include them in character- building efforts greatly enhance their chances for success with students. They take pains at every stage to communicate with families— via newsletters, e- mails, family nights, and parent conferences— about goals and activities regarding character education. To build greater trust between home and school, parents are represented on the character education committee. These schools also make a special effort to reach out to subgroups of parents who may not feel part of the school community. Finally, schools and families enhance the effectiveness of their partnership by recruiting the help of the wider community ( i. e., businesses, youth organizations, religious institutions, the government, and the media) in promoting character development. 11. Evaluates the character of the school, the school staff’s functioning as character educators, and the extent to which students manifest good character. Effective character education must include an effort to assess progress. Three broad kinds of outcomes merit attention: a. The character of the school: To what extent is the school becoming a more caring community? This can be assessed, for example, with surveys that 11 12 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE ask students to indicate the extent to which they agree with statements such as, “ Students in this school ( classroom) respect and care about each other,” and “ This school ( classroom) is like a family.” b. The school staff’s growth as character educators: To what extent have adult staff— teaching faculty, administrators, and support personnel— developed understandings of what they can do to foster character development? Personal commitment to doing so? Skills to carry it out? Consistent habits of acting upon their developing capacities as character educators? c. Student character: To what extent do students manifest understanding of, commitment to, and action upon the core ethical values? Schools can, for example, gather data on various character- related behaviors: Has student attendance gone up? Fights and suspensions gone down? Vandalism declined? Drug incidents diminished? Schools can also assess the three domains of character ( knowing, feeling, and behaving) through anonymous questionnaires that measure student moral judgment ( for example, “ Is it wrong to cheat on a test?”), moral commitment (“ Would you cheat if you were sure you wouldn’t get caught?”) and self- reported moral behavior (“ How many times have you cheated on a test or major assignment in the past year?”). Such questionnaires can be administered at the beginning of a school’s character initiative to get a baseline and again at later points to assess progress. MORE RESOURCES... Eleven Principles SOURCEBOOK Interested in starting or improving upon a character education initiative in your school or district? The Eleven Principles SOURCEBOOK— composed of 11 guides and an introductory video— provides strategies and resources for putting the principles of effective character education into action. Eleven Principles SOURCEBOOK WORKSHOP In need of cost- effective staff development in character education? This full- day workshop trains educators in how to best use the Eleven Principles SOURCEBOOK in a school or district. Presented by CEP staff, the workshop trains and energizes educators to assume leadership in planning and implementing effective character education initiatives. CEP’s National Schools of Character ™ Is your school a safe and caring community committed to core ethical values? Does your school strive to develop students’ character as well as their academic abilities? Is community service an integral part of your school culture? If so, consider applying for a National Schools of Character award or Promising Practices citation. Each year CEP recognizes schools and districts ( K- 12) from across the country that exemplify the Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education. Award- winners are featured in a book, in the media, and at national education conferences, including the CEP National Forum. CEP Annual National Forum Join thought leaders, policy makers, teachers, and school and district administrators from across the country in learning about the latest strategies, research, and inspirational ideas on character education. For more information, call CEP ( 800- 988- 8081) or see our website at www. character. org/ The Student Citizen Act of 2001 the student citizen act 14 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Overview of the Student Citizen Act of 2001 Civic Education T he Act directs the State Board of Education to modify the high school and middle school social studies curriculum to include instruction in civics and citizenship. The Act encourages the Board to include the following components, at a minimum, in the revised high school curriculum: 1. having students write to an elected official about an issue important to them; 2. instruction on the importance of voting and participating in the democratic process; 3. information about current events and governmental structure; 4. information about the democratic process and how laws are made. The Act encourages the Board to include the following components, at a minimum, in the revised middle school curriculum: 1. a tour of local government facilities such as the local jail, courthouse or town hall; 2. that students analyze a community problem and make policy recommendations to the local officials; 3. information about getting involved in community groups. The State Board of Education must make these modifications to the social studies curriculum by December 15, 2001, and the modified curriculum must be implemented during the 2002- 2003 school year. Character Education The Act directs each local board of education to develop and implement character education instruction with input from the local community. The Act directs local boards to incorporate this instruction into the standard curriculum. Local boards of education must develop character education instruction as directed in this Act by January 1, 2002, and must implement this instruction beginning with the 2002- 2003 school year. If a local board of education determines that it would be an economic hardship to begin to implement character education by the beginning of the 2002- 2003 school year, the board may request an extension of time from the State Board of Education. The local board must submit the request for an extension to the State Board by April 1, 2002. In developing character education instruction, the Act recommends a list of eight traits for inclusion in character education instruction. This list of traits is not new. These traits were included in legislation in 1996, when the General Assembly first allowed local boards of education to adopt character education programs. The eight traits are: CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Courage Having the determination to do the right thing even when others don’t; having the strength to follow your conscience rather than the crowd; attempting difficult things that are worthwhile. Good judgment Choosing worthy goals and setting proper priorities; thinking through the consequences of your actions; and basing decisions on practical wisdom and good sense. Integrity Having the inner strength to be truthful, trustworthy, and honest in all things; acting justly and honorably. Kindness Being considerate, courteous, helpful, and understanding of others; showing care, compassion, friendship, and generosity; and treating others as you would like to be treated. Perseverance Being persistent in the pursuit of worthy objectives in spite of difficulty, opposition, or discouragement; and exhibiting patience and having the fortitude to try again when confronted with delays, mistakes, or failures. Respect Showing high regard for authority, for other people, for self, for property, and for country; and understanding that all people have value as human beings. Responsibility Being dependable in carrying out obligations and duties; showing reliability and consistency in words and conduct; being accountable for your own actions; and being committed to active involvement in your community. Self- discipline Demonstrating hard work and commitment to purpose; regulating yourself for improvement and restraining from inappropriate behaviors; being in proper control of your words, actions, impulses, and desires; choosing abstinence from premarital sex, drugs, alcohol, and other harmful substances and behaviors; and doing your best in all situations. This list was developed by the Wake County Character Education Task Force in 1994, on behalf of the Wake County Public Schools System. It was selected to be used in the 1996 legislation. 1 234 5 67 8 15 16 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE In addition to the above list of traits, the Act encourages local boards of education to include instruction in the following: 1. Respect for school personnel— holding teachers, administrators, and all school personnel in high esteem and demonstrating in words and deeds that all school personnel deserve to be treated with courtesy and proper deference. 2. Responsibility for school safety— helping to create a harmonious school atmosphere that is free from threats, weapons, and violent or disruptive behavior; cultivating an orderly learning environment in which students and school personnel feel safe and secure; and encouraging the resolution of conflicts and disagreements through peaceful means including peer mediation. 3. Service to others— engaging in meaningful service to their schools and communities. Schools may teach service- learning by ( i) incorporating it into their standard curriculum or ( ii) involving a classroom or other group of students in hands- on community service projects. 4. Good citizenship— obeying the laws of the nation and state; abiding by school rules; and understanding the rights and responsibilities of a member of a republic. Dress Codes The Act directs local boards of education to include a reasonable dress code for students among its policies governing the conduct of students. For full text of the Student Citizen Act 2001, go to www. ncga. state. nc. us, look up House Bill 195 ( HB 195), General Assembly of North Carolina Session 2001, ratified bills. ideas and best practices Ideas and Best Practices In Character Education 18 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Award- winning Selections from the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University NC Character Educators of the Year ( NCCEY) Awards Leah Perry- Lawless 2002 First- Place Middle School Winner Exploris Middle School, Raleigh, NC “ FRIDAYS AT GLENWOOD” L eah Perry- Lawless has been teaching for eleven years, first working with very young children and now at Exploris Middle School. Leah is a motivating force in service learning for the school, and Exploris has been nominated by the Department of Public Instruction as a Leadership School, a service- learning role model for other schools. For over a year before “ Fridays at Glenwood” began, Exploris students had regularly visited Glenwood Towers, a subsidized senior housing development in downtown Raleigh. But Leah believed that the students were missing a key element, a point of real connection with the residents. In addition, students had little extended knowledge of or interest in the greater community beyond their own individual, isolated experience. Leah felt that her students needed to understand that they could play a role in the greater world. With Sarah Turner, the manager of Glenwood Towers, fellow teachers Shannon Hardy and Jenne Scherer, and several parent volunteers, Leah worked out a more intensive and broadening experience for the students. Every Friday throughout the school year, 56 students traveled by bus to Glenwood Towers to meet in groups of two or three students with a “ buddy” resident of the Towers. By the end of the year, the students’ regular interactions with 28 senior “ buddies” had been transformed into a photo exhibit at Exploris Museum and a 61- page book created and published by the students entitled Fridays at Glenwood. A grant from Learn and Serve of NC provided funding for the book and exhibit. The project’s success at Glenwood Towers set a standard for service at Exploris Middle School. Now all three grades ( sixth, seventh, and eighth) have developed service- learning programs for all of the students. In Leah’s own words: “ Because of their [ students’] heightened respect for these [ senior citizens], they have also begun to see the value of all people in a more positive way.... What the children understand now is that they received as much as they gave during this wonderful sharing of generations, hopes and dreams.” CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 19 “ FRIDAYS AT GLENWOOD” LESSON PLAN: THE INTERVIEW LESSON Grade Level: 7th or 8th Subject: English Language Arts Character Traits: Respect, Responsibility, Good Judgment, Kindness and Perseverance Time Needed: Four to six one- hour visits with the residents to conduct the interviews and fine-tune written products and approximately four one- hour writing and editing sessions to create the written products. ( Additional visits are needed throughout the year to build the relationships between students and residents.) This general time- line can be expanded or contracted depending on the nature of the project. Goals • The learner will listen and ask probing questions to help the residents gain clarity in their stories. • The learner will write the residents’ stories in the residents’ own words ( oral histories), as personal narratives or as poems. • The learner will understand the importance of personal stories in understanding the past. Objective Students will interview their elderly partners and will use written language to express their partners’ individual perspectives in response to personal, social, cultural, and historical issues. Procedures/ Activities INTRODUCTION: In this lesson, students prepare for their interviews, conduct the interviews with their classmates, and then create their written products. To help students prepare for their experience interviewing their elderly partners, read Tuesdays with Morrie aloud over a series of classes. Discuss with the students what the author’s experience might have been as he interviewed Morrie. Ask what they think it was like for Morrie. Having explained to the students that they will be interviewing their partners, ask them what their questions or concerns are. As a group, try to answer all questions and concerns. PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW: Before conducting the interviews, give the students a list of potential conversation starters that will help break the ice with their elderly partners. Students should practice introductions and initial conversations through role- plays in the classroom. Explain that some partners may feel that they have no “ important” or “ interesting” stories to share. A useful technique is for students to share stories from their own lives with their partners. Most partners will then respond by sharing similar stories from their own childhoods. Explain that the class will meet after the initial conversational attempts with the partners to build on and share what did and did not work. CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW: In teams of two or three, students interview their partners, using the techniques practiced in the classroom, over the course of several visits. Students will find it helpful to use a tape recorder so that they can give their full attention to their partner. Students should ask their partner’s permission before taping. If tape recorders are not available, one student can take notes while the other student( s) listens carefully and records the conversation. Materials Needed Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom Paper, pencils Tape recorders ( with the residents’ permission) 20 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE After the first interviews have been conducted, meet together as a class to discuss what did and did not work. Students can share best practices with each other, and talk about their experiences. After a few weeks of sharing stories and conducting interviews, students choose the story they think best represents their partner’s life experience. Student teams next draft an account of the story they’ve chosen using their notes and audiotapes to guide them. In follow- up interview sessions, students should ask their partners clarifying questions and fill in additional information as needed. DEVELOPING AND EDITING THE WRITTEN PRODUCT: Using the following process, students write their written products: zero draft, first draft, peer edit, third draft, teacher edit, and final copy. Students may choose to write an oral history, personal narrative or poem. In the course of the editing sessions, students should read their narratives and poems out loud to each other. This will help students identify any missing pieces of information or areas for clarification. CLOSING: Having finished the first step of the project, students are ready to research the historical context of their partner’s oral histories. If you choose to end the project here, it is important to share the final histories, narratives and poems with the students’ partners. Assessment Students are assessed by the technical merit of the writing, and by their ability to clearly convey their partners’ oral histories. In a written product or through oral conversation, students also will be able to express their understanding that “ history” is made up of individuals’ life stories. LESSON PLAN: THE HISTORICAL SIDEBAR LESSON Grade Level: 8th or 9th Subject: English Language Arts and Social Studies Character Traits: Responsibility, Self- Discipline, Good Judgment and Perseverance Time Needed: Two or three one- hour visits to the North Carolina archives, state library or any library or courthouse that stores primary source materials such as birth certificates and newspaper archives. Three one- hour peer- editing sessions also are needed. Goals • The learner will learn how to find information in the library. • The learner will use research skills with local and state documents and archives. • The learner will learn the historical context for his/ her residential partner’s life. • The learner will gain a better understanding of his/ her partner’s life stories by learning about the local and statewide events that took place in the partner’s youth. • The learner will understand that history is comprised of individuals’ personal experiences. Objective Students will research the historical context of their partners’ lives. Students will then use written language to inform the reader of key historical events/ trends that directly impacted their partners’ lives. Materials Needed Paper, pencils List of relevant dates ( a partner’s birth year, the year he or she was 12 or 13, etc.) CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 21 These written historical sidebars will be displayed or published alongside the students’ write- ups of their partners’ lives. Procedures/ Activities INTRODUCTION: In the previous lesson students focused on their partners’ personal lives. Students now will focus on learning more about the historical context in which their partners spent their youth. In this lesson, students will use community institutions and archives to research the local and statewide events that correlate with their partners’ life stories. RESEARCH: Using their partners’ birth dates as a starting point, students estimate the span of years that their partners would have been in middle school/ junior high ( i. e., a person born in 1930 would have been in middle school/ junior high around 1941- 1943). To begin, students go back to their first written products based on their partners’ life stories. Looking for key aspects of their partners’ lives throughout the “ middle school years,” students create a list of significant elements such as places, hobbies, specific schools or churches, major events, etc. Examples of local events/ history that correlate with oral histories might include town population figures, history of a workplace such as a mill or inn, history of a resident’s hero or favorite musician/ film star/ sport, history of a favorite meeting place such as a church or general store, local history of a major set of events such as the civil rights movement, history of a school, history of a family’s vocation such as farming, or information on a disease that impacted a resident’s life. Students begin their search for historical evidence of their partners’ oral histories by researching the “ middle school years” dates through primary source materials such as old newspapers, magazines, and town records. Students might also conduct research at a local museum, at the county courthouse, or at any other local institution that houses historical records. Additional research may be conducted using secondary source materials such as encyclopedias or the World Wide Web. Students keep notes on major local and statewide events, statistics, histories of buildings, etc. relevant to their partners’ “ middle school years.” In conducting the research, students should take note of facts or specific words that might be foreign to a contemporary reader. Students should research the background of these facts or words and should include a contemporary explanation in their written products. WRITING: Students are now ready to write their historical sidebars to be displayed or published alongside their partners’ life stories. Working together, students use their notes to choose one or two events/ histories/ historical facts relevant to the life stories written in the first lesson. Students use the following process to create their historical sidebars: zero draft, first draft, peer edit, third draft, teacher edit, and final copy. In getting feedback from peers and teachers, students should pay specific attention to whether or not the historical sidebar gives clarity to important aspects of their partners’ stories. CLOSING: The life stories and historical sidebars are now ready for display and/ or publication. To bring the project full circle, it is important to include the elder partners in the final publishing celebration. The class might hold a publishing tea party at the partners’ home or invite partners in to the school to celebrate their life stories and the students’ work. Assessment Students are assessed by the technical merit of the writing and by the clarity of correlation between the topics of the sidebar to the life story. In a written product or through oral conversation, students will be able to express the connection between their partners’ personal lives and local and statewide history. Student will also be able to express their understanding that “ history” is made up of individuals’ life stories. 22 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Lora M. W. Austin 2002 First- Place High School Winner West Caldwell High School, Lenoir, NC “ WHAT MAKES A GOOD PERSON?” L ora Austin began her teaching career in Caldwell County at Gamewell Middle School. Now in her sixth year of teaching and her second year at West Caldwell High School, she teaches English to ninth, tenth and twelfth graders. Lora and her husband Chuck live with their two young daughters in a log cabin they built themselves in the Collettsville community. In the Caldwell County school system where she works, Lora says she feels “ very supported in my efforts to implement character education within my English classroom,” as she tries to help her students answer the age- old question, “ What makes a good person?” During a three- week unit combining literature and classroom experience, “ What Makes a Good Person?” focuses on Elie Wiesel’s autobiographical novel Night, coupled with a “ Brown Eyes/ Blue Eyes” activity first used in 1968 to expose students to the effects of discrimination. Night recounts a young boy’s first- hand experiences of the atrocities in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Using the book as a springboard for discussion, writing and other activities, students considered and reflected on the ideas of empathy, kindness, tolerance, and respect. Experiencing discrimination, even within the safe parameters of a class project, and feeling what it is to be treated unfairly brought a richness to students’ understanding that their reading alone could not. Class discussions were designed to connect the ideas of the past ( the novel Night) with the present ( students’ Brown Eyes/ Blue Eyes classroom experience) in a manner respectful of one another’s ideas. Questionnaires— one completed while the students were being “ discriminated” against and the other completed the next day— and writing assignments explored even further the depth of what was felt and learned. Using expressions of the Golden Rule from various religions and cultures throughout history, students worked in small groups to come up with a way to explain to an audience of second graders the meaning of the Golden Rule in a variety of cultures. In Lora’s own words: “ Character Education cannot be a separate curriculum. In teaching literature, often the themes... are just extensions of the basic Golden Rule, which incorporates respect, kindness, tolerance, and empathy— those qualities that answer the question, ‘ What makes a good person?’” CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 23 “ WHAT MAKES A GOOD PERSON?” LESSON PLAN A Grade Level: 10 Subject: English Character Traits: Empathy, Kindness, Respect, Tolerance Time Needed: Two days Goals • The learner will react to and reflect upon print and non- print text and personal experiences by examining situations from both subjective and objective perspectives. • The learner will critically interpret and evaluate experiences, literature, language and ideas. Objectives • Respond reflectively ( through small group discussion, class discussion, journal entry, essay, letter, dialogue) to written and visual texts by relating personal knowledge to textual information or class discussion. ( 1.2) • Interpret a real- world event in a way that makes generalizations about the event supported by specific references. ( 4.1) • Analyze thematic connections among literary works by showing an understanding of cultural context to show how a theme is universal. ( 4.2) Procedures/ Activities DAY ONE: Students will by now have read the novel Night. At the beginning of the class period, divide students based on eye color, with brown being the superior color. Give all “ Brownies” a letter written to them and place them in the front of the classroom. Make all the “ Others” sit in the back and go over the rules they are to follow. Place one “ Other” in charge of the others. Every time one of the “ Others” violates a rule, then the head “ Other” must pay a fine in writing. While reading the Butterfly poems written by children of the concentration camps, have students summarize the themes present in the poems. The Brownies all receive one cookie and the others get one cookie to share among all of them. Then, show a video about the Holocaust and have students write a summary of what they view. The Brownies are dismissed from class early, with Questionnaire # 1 as homework. ( If early dismissal is not possible, then have some other huge reward for the Brownies.) The “ Others” remain in class to do more work and are given Questionnaire # 1 as homework due the next day. DAY TWO: Students are assembled in the same seating arrangements as the day before, with Brownies in the front and “ Others” in the back. Students are then given the chance to share their results to Questionnaire # 1 with the entire class. After class discussion of Questionnaire # 1, distribute Questionnaire # 2. Students complete the second questionnaire as the teacher guides them through making connections between their experiences and those in the novel. Materials Needed Classroom set of Night by Elie Wiesel Book, I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children’s Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942- 1944 by Hana Volavkova Letter to the Beautiful Brownies Rules for the “ Others” Cookies Questionnaires 1 & 2 24 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Assess student responses and answer any misunderstandings from the previous day. Review the meanings that the class devised for the character traits. Assessment 1. During the discussion, do all students get a chance to respond and share their feelings with the entire class? 2. Read students’ responses to the second questionnaire to make sure that they seem to understand the character traits and have some idea of lessons that they learned that can be seen as themes in Night. 3. Do the students seem to have enough schemata to proceed with the next lesson, where they must write an essay? These questions and steps must be completed in order for the teacher to be sure that students have made the necessary connections between their own experiences and those of Elie in Night. Once the students have mastered their own themes and understand the meaning of the character traits, this unit may continue on its quest of answering the question, “ What makes a good person?” LESSON PLAN B Grade Level: 10 Subject: English Character Traits: Empathy, Kindness, Respect, Tolerance Time Needed: Two days, following Lesson Plan A. To be taught on days 3 and 4. After completing the questionnaires in Lesson Plan A, students write an essay, plan a quilt square, and write a poem. Goals • The learner will react to and reflect upon print and non- print text and personal experiences by examining situations from both subjective and objective perspectives. • The learner will critically interpret and evaluate experiences, literature, language and ideas. • The learner will demonstrate understanding of selected world literature through interpretation and analysis. Objectives • Respond reflectively to written and visual texts by relating personal knowledge to textual information or class discussions. exhibiting an awareness of culture in which text is set or in which text was written. • Interpret a real- world event in a way that makes generalizations about the event supported by specific references. distinguishes fact from fiction and recognizes personal bias. Materials Needed White, flat sheet torn into even squares Markers Paper for poems Copies of writing prompt I Never Saw Another Butterfly ( see Lesson Plan A for full book citation) NC rubric for scoring English II essays CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 25 • Analyze the ideas of others by identifying the ways in which writers choose and incorporate significant, supporting and relevant details. • Read and analyze selected works of world literature by analyzing themes in world literature. understanding the importance of cultural and historical impact on literary texts. Procedures/ Activities The day before, the class has read and discussed the anthology I Never Saw Another Butterfly and completed the “ Brownie/ Other” experiment. BEFORE 1. Students use their completed questionnaires to help them write an essay combining their own experiences and those depicted in Night. 2. Students choose one scene from Night that most vividly signifies intolerance to them and discuss intolerance. 3. Students write a poem, similar in tone and mood to the Butterfly poems, based on their own experiences. 4. Students discuss tolerance based on examples from their own experience and create individual quilt squares depicting acts of kindness and tolerance. DURING 1. Students receive feedback on their first drafts of the essay. 2. Students revise essay for “ publication.” 3. Students make a published copy of their poem to mail to Elie Wiesel. AFTER 1. Students receive a grade on their essay based on the English II writing score rubric. 2. Assemble the quilt to hang in the hallway outside the classroom. Assessment • Was the student’s example of intolerance true to the text? • Does the student show increasing mastery of the essay format in addressing and proving all parts of the prompt? Asking these questions allows the teacher to see very quickly whether a student understood and connected with the important themes in Night. The quilt serves as a constant reminder to students and faculty of what can happen when empathy is not applied in all circumstances. 26 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Carol Cates 1999 Elementary School Winner Hillcrest Elementary School, Burlington, NC “ TEACHING CHARACTER EDUCATION IN EVERYTHING YOU DO” T wenty- four years experience in early childhood education ( with eleven of those years in first grade) has taught Carol Cates firsthand that first grade is a mountain climbing year as young children become readers, writers, and emerging mathematicians. Working at Hillcrest Elementary School in Burlington, with a class of twenty- two, Carol’s character education efforts indeed are in everything she does. In her self- contained classroom, Carol reads literature to her students that is organized by character trait; in science, she emphasizes social living and harmony in the lives of bees and ants; her students play games and work in cooperative groups for math; and when studying cultures and countries, works with her young ones to accept differences and eliminate words of prejudice. Character education is part of each day’s expectations, academic and problem- solving skills, and classroom behaviors as her children learn to interact with other students, staff, and the world around them. Beyond her classroom, Carol organized a puppet team to model and share traits of character with the entire school through skits. By writing the material and working with fifth- grade teachers, the school counselor, and the administration, Carol used puppet technique to emphasize positive values for kids at assemblies throughout the year. The Hillcrest Hornet TV News and the Kids for Character Club, are two ways that students have to develop character skills and to get involved in modeling good character. In Carol’s own words: “ Character development is an on- going process and is woven into all of our basic curriculum activities. When teachers expect and stress values in their classrooms, students understand what character means and they know how good one feels when they have the opportunity to share gifts of character with others.” nccey CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 27 “ TEACHING CHARACTER EDUCATION IN EVERYTHING YOU DO” LESSON PLAN: OWL PREDATOR FEEDING GAME Grade Level: 1st Subject: Science, Math, Language Arts Character Traits: Responsibility, Perseverance Time Needed: 2 Lesson Periods Goals • The learner will understand event sequencing. • The learner will understand the meaning of habitats, survival skills, and predators. • The learner will add 2 and 3 numbers, use touch points, set up math sentences. • The learner will practice writing skills. Objectives • To understand that owls must work consistently to keep their babies fed and to protect them from harm • To observe that it is the owl parent’s responsibility to feel and protect the babies • To realize that sometimes owls have handicaps and predators • To relate that there is a limited time for the owls to gather food and to feed their young • To see through math sentences that some of the babies will receive more food than other babies • To begin to understand that if there are more owl families, there is often less food available • To realize that if an owl family has more babies then they must work harder to feed the babies • To see real life situations can be applied to math sentences • To be able to relate this lesson to character skills they have learned ( respect, responsibility, caring, taking turns) • To understand more about the word perseverance • To understand the importance of responsibilities in animal families • To be able to write 3 facts they have learned from the game • To see math sentences written with 2 and 3 facts • To understand how using touch points can assist in getting the answer Procedures/ Activities INTRODUCTION: Help the class recall the recent story that they read entitled Owl Babies by Martin Waddell. Using the owl puppets ( mother and owlets), review bird facts the children now know about owls. Explain that today they are going to play a game in which they will become like the owl parents and babies and learn the skills and responsibilities parents face when they care for their young. Review the procedures for the game and model this with several of the students. Explain the expectations of good citizenship. Students who are not role playing the parts of the owls will be bird watchers at the edge of the “ woods.” Opportunities will be given to be both owls and bird watchers. Materials Needed Owl mother and owlet puppets Pom Poms Forks Paper for students’ follow- up activity 28 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE GAME DIRECTIONS: Owl family groups are formed. Some families will have both a male and female parent. Some only will have one parent. One parent may even be handicapped. Numbers of owlets will vary from group to group. PLAYING THE GAME: Each family grouping must stay together to protect themselves from predators, and Mama and Papa must go out in search of food. Only one mouse at a time can be carried back to the family on the fork that is provided. If a mouse falls off the fork, it must be left on the floor. The owl parents must seek a new mouse. Time for gathering food is limited. It is important to move quickly, but carefully. Assessment Before the game, ask the children questions that they will be able to answer after they vicariously have had owl roles in the simulated situation. • What responsibilities do the owl parents have? • Which families do you think will have more of the food? • Will a handicapped parent be able to feed all of the babies? • What character traits/ skills will you learn from being owls and bird watchers? • If a family has two parents feeding the babies, will it make it easier on the parents and babies to get this task done? • Do you think any of the babies will not get enough food to eat? Play the game, and then have the students answer these questions. Set up the math problems on the board for the students to observe the math sentences and to count using touch points. Help the children to compare the answers and to observe how this situation might affect owls in real life. Then play the game again using different students as owls and bird watchers, as well as, changing the family groups and adding a predator— a hawk. Share that if the hawk comes, the babies are to go with him. At the conclusion of this game, help the students review what they observed again by asking questions. Write the math sentences on the board and compare with the last time. Indicate if the group has one or more parents. Follow- up Activity Students will draw a real life forest scene, and then write facts they have learned about the lesson. Have students include character traits they think the owls displayed. As the students begin to draw their pictures, rove and encourage them to include more than one tree and also to provide rodents ( food) for the owls to find. Help students with writing words on the board that they may need for their sentences. Guide students in using the word wall, and the list of character and bird words. Give students assistance with sounding out words they may want displayed on the board. Review the sequence of events with students to be sure they understand the procedures. Provide for special needs students. Turn desks for those who get easily distracted or move them to work tables. Provide partners for at- risk students. Pass out cereal to munch on as the children begin their drawings. Play audio tape on Song Bird Serenade to provide atmosphere while the children are drawing. Review the game the next day. Put the children’s drawings up in the hall along with their story sheets and book display on Owl Babies. Provide directions to the game for a family take- home activity. Suggest to parents ways they can help their child apply these lessons to everyday experiences, such as following through with responsibilities to feed the family pet or staying with the family group on an outing for safety purposes. CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 29 LESSON PLAN: LITTLE RED HEN Grade Level: 1st Subject: Language Arts, Science Character Traits: Responsibility, Kindness, Determination Objectives • To continue learning the classic stories in children’s literature • To provide opportunities for children to understand the beginning, middle and end of a familiar story • To be able to identify the problem and solution in a story • To be able to name the characters and setting and share if the story is fact or fiction • To provide opportunities to retell the story in a writing activity • To learn the character skills that are stressed in this story— determination, responsibility, kindness • To be able to describe the character traits and how they can be applied to our lives ( In class: always do your best, finish your work, etc.) • To understand the sequence of events that occur and review the steps used from the previous lessons when we made bread and biscuits • To compare similarities and differences in other versions of Little Red Hen • To be able to relate this story to other stories or personal experiences Procedures/ Activities INTRODUCTION: Use dialogue with the puppets to introduce the story to the class. Hen: “ My goodness I found some seeds. I wonder what we could do with this. Oh, I could plant it and grow wheat. But, that’s a lot of work. I wonder who will help me.” Have you heard this story before? Have students share what they know about the story. List the sequence of events together. Do a picture walk with one of the Little Red Hen books. Then, read the story to the class. Discuss: • Where did this story take place? • Was this a factual story or fiction? • What happened at the beginning of the story? Middle? End? • What was your favorite part of the book? • Who thinks they can tell the class what the main problem was in this story? • What is the solution to this story? • What character skills do you think Little Red Hen demonstrated? • What about the skills her barnyard friends demonstrated? • How did Little Red Hen learn these skills? • What prevented the other animals from learning these important character traits? • Do you think Little Red Hen was fair by not sharing the bread? • Would you have acted this way or differently? • If you could tell someone else what the story’s lesson shares, what would you say? • Does anyone know of another story that is like this one, or perhaps you have had a real life situation similar to the Little Red Hen? ( The Tortoise and the Hare also stresses perseverance.) Materials Needed Little Red Hen books Puppets: hen, chick, dog, cat, pig Student story sheet 30 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE WRITTEN ACTIVITY: Students will write two to three sentences about the character skills or lack of character skills demonstrated in this story. They also should illustrate a scene that focuses on that situation. Tell students: “ You have been working on a book about the character stories we have read since October. Today you will add The Little Red Hen to your book. Write character skills you think this story shares, or you may want to write about character skills the barnyard friends need to show, then draw a picture to illustrate this scene. Help me list words on the board that you may need in writing your sentences.” Write lists of words, having the children assist you in sounding them out. If a child can spell the character words, have them write these on the board. Have a separate list written that is clear for students to read and use. Refer students to the word wall for other words they may need help spelling. Assessment During the lesson, ask questions to see if the children are relating to the theme of the story and the concepts being taught. Call on students to recall the basic sequence of events of the story. Provide time for questions about the seatwork task. Once the students are at their desks, rove and check on their progress. Encourage their efforts and assist them in understanding the types of sentences they may want to write. Provide time for students who have special needs such as a desk turned away from the group, a timer to keep a student on task, a buddy to help a child get started, or small group work for at- risk students. Remind students that they now have the opportunity to act like the Little Red Hen in their everyday life. Ask if a child can relate to the class how this can be done. Guide students to think about these ideas: They have a task to do and our class rules say we all need to finish our work. Perseverance means that we stick to the tasks until they are finished, even though the tasks may be hard sometimes, or we wish we could do something else. If Little Red Hen can do the task and finish, then on- task first graders can do the same. DISPLAY: Display the story sheet at the next circle time to review the lesson and to encourage the children’s efforts in writing and following directions. FOLLOW- UP ACTIVITY: Have the students write their own Little Red Hen scripts and act them out with the puppets. Have a child choose a character in this story and provide a different viewpoint of the story. ( The dog may regret that he did not help and now he sees that working hard everyday makes him feel more positive about himself. The pig might share how she now keeps a tidy home and tends her garden because she has seen Little Red Hen be so successful.) Centers • Make a poster with a picture of the Little Red Hen, and have the children write their observations about the story and list character skills that Little Red Hen demonstrated. • Provide cartoon sequencing sheets for individuals to use in drawing the story and writing their own version. • Have books on The Little Red Hen for the children to read. CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 31 Michelene Rhodes 1999 Elementary School Winner Balfour Elementary, Hendersonville, NC “ BUILDING A BETTER ME” A kindergarten through fifth- grade counselor at Balfour Elementary in Hendersonville, Michelene Rhodes, with the help of the Character Education Team, has guided a school- wide focus on character education through a guidance curriculum. Character Education at Balfour Elementary emphasizes climate, curriculum, and community with “ Building a Better Me by Knowing the Good, Loving the Good, and Doing the Good.” Educating for character has initiated changes in school climate and student awareness by system- wide attention to moral character and leadership. This team approach has encouraged teachers in reading, language arts, and drama to talk about the virtues of the characters students read and write about. In physical education, traits of character displayed by students are recognized along with their physical skills. In math classes, students are motivated to be as mindful about their attitude as their calculations. The guidance curriculum emphasis on behavior, socialization, increased self- concept and , contributes to creating an environment where students recognize that WHO they are is as significant as what they can do or produce. This is evidenced by the responses of the first graders who were asked what kind of person their Class President should be... “ someone who shows respect, has good manners, is courteous, and is responsible” were the remarkable answers of those six- year- olds! In Michelene’s own words: “ In our community, parents, teachers, and community business leaders alike are seeing the advantages of educating for character. As a result of this project, our standards for student behavior are higher and more explicit. Behavioral expectations are stated in classroom rules and the rules are practiced and reinforced. When teachers teach, character is infused in every subject.” 32 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE “ BUILDING A BETTER ME” LESSON PLAN: INTEGRITY Grade Level: 3rd– 5th Subject: Guidance Character Trait: Integrity Time Needed: Several lessons Goal The learner will understand the importance of making good choices Objective To demonstrate integrity Procedures/ Activities Students who have demonstrated integrity have their names placed in a jar and can then be selected as “ President for the day.” Daily drawings allow winners to make classroom “ presidential decisions” and wear the “ presidential button.” • Parent letter • A. M. announcements using readings from people of integrity and stories of integrity. • Students set nine- week goals for themselves. • Martin Luther King, Jr. readings, writings, and activities. • Service Project: Decorate a nature tree • Classroom lesson on integrity • Assembly on honesty • Each child composes and shares an “ integrity” poem Assessment Each student will demonstrate his/ her understanding of integrity by writing an acrostic poem. Materials Needed Teacher resource packet: presidents, writing exercises about Martin Luther King, Jr. Incentives: popsicles, candy hearts, peanut butter birdseed, pine cones, Tootsie rolls Classroom guidance lesson Presidential buttons Organize integrity poem sharing CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 33 LESSON PLAN: BUILDING A BETTER ME Grade Level: 2nd– 5th Subject: Guidance Character Traits: Respect, Gratitude Time Needed: 50 minutes Goal The learner will increase self awareness and socialization skills Objectives • To encourage contentment in children ( valuing what they have) • To demonstrate respect ( valuing other people) • To practice writing skills Procedures/ Activities Use the classroom guidance lesson “ Pat on the Back.” Read the story Grumpy the Grumbler. Discuss and brainstorm things that one says to show gratitude. Students then write a compliment on each of their two hand cut outs to give to other students. ( Make sure students are assigned at least one person to write about so that all students receive “ a hand.”) Students give away their “ pats” to the appropriate persons. Discuss how students feel as a result of the compliments they have received. Also use any of the following activities: • Send parent letters home to encourage family involvement and practice gratitude via a canned food drive. Children are encouraged via stickers to participate. • Have children make a list of things and people at school for which they are grateful. • Have children write a thank you note to someone at school • Have children develop “ coupons” to give to family members. These are things they will do to show appreciation. • Have students tell other students what they are grateful for over the intercom, in drawings, etc. • Have students make a paper chain of all the things for which they are grateful. Assessment Analyze students’ understanding of the concepts from the discussions and activities. Materials Needed Teacher resource packet, including gratitude list, thank you notes, coupons for home Posters for stickers used for canned food drive Parent letter Guidance lesson for each class ( copy hands) Grumpy the Grumbler book 34 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE Building Curriculum from Growing Character by Deb Brown THE CHARACTER STANDARD A s a teacher, you have high expectations for your students. You love them and want to be sure that none slip through the cracks. An important strategy is to show your students those high expectations and to weave them into the life of your classroom. I call it the Character Standard. It is the highest expectation for students, the highest calling. By calling your students to personal and academic excellence, they will come to realize more of their true potential. The Character Standard will remind them of all that they can be and all that they can become! Students will learn to challenge themselves to do their best. They will begin their travels on the road from mediocrity to excellence. Once they have had a taste of excellence and the intrinsic reward that it brings, they will work even harder to achieve the character standard! By holding your students to high expectations, you will naturally refuse to accept anything except their best. Students will come to respect you for the fact that you accept no late assignments, no unexcused absences or tardies, and no excuses for substandard work and behavior. If a paper is messy and unfinished, you do not even take the time to grade it. When students come in late for class without a reason, they do not get the opportunity to make up missing assignments. When students neglect to do homework, you simply record a zero in the grade book. These responses must be consistent for each and every student, each and every day of the school year. Then it becomes a fair practice that encourages excellence. When students know that they cannot make excuses in your classroom, they will come to accept the challenge of personal as well as academic growth. They will feel better about their effort, and their self- respect will soar. Then the sky really will be the limit. DEFINING CHARACTER C reating an awareness of the many good character traits that we can develop in life is always a wonderful first step! But we cannot always assume that our students know what each of these traits mean or how they can be exemplified in their lives. That is where intentional teaching comes into play. One strategy that works well is to have students go on the prowl for the definitions of these words. They can look the words up in the dictionary, study the lives of famous people who exemplify these traits, ask their family and friends what the words mean to them and watch for the traits lived out in their everyday environment. Once the research is done, the next step is to give the matter some serious thought and study. I always tell my students that studying means to read, research and think in order to learn. Reflection is almost a lost art in today’s world. The same might be said for thinking. Many students take the easy way out. They look for shortcuts in regard to their studies and the result is a substandard education. Very “ The classroom is structured so that certain things are likely to occur.” — Dorothy Strickland The Egyptian use of the word character means “ to shape, to form, to build.” CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 35 rarely do students realize that they are the only ones getting cheated in the process. It is important to teach children how to study and how to learn. Once they have mastered that, the world really begins to open up for them! After some thought- time, have your students pick up their pencils and start writing. When their working definitions are complete, have the students bring them to class. Discussions will go a long way in helping them to edit and refine their thinking. And once each student has settled in on his final draft of the definition, encourage him to get to work incorporating that trait into his own character. Below are some kid- examples that I have collected from students at the elementary school level. Respect • treating others the way I would like to be treated • showing kindness at every turn • letting people’s feelings count Trustworthiness • when you are honest • when you tell the whole truth • when you do what you say you will do • when you keep promises Responsibility • doing your homework all of the time • doing your chores without being asked • taking care of your belongings • taking care of the earth Fairness • taking turns • sharing with others • treating all as equals Caring • showing kindness • showing respect to everyone • being nice, and never cruel • saying nice words or none at all Citizenship • letting everyone have a vote • taking your duties seriously • caring about your country • caring about the people in your school • reusing and recycling • taking care of the earth Accountability • stepping up to the plate • saying “ I did it” when asked • telling the truth about what happened • accepting responsibility for mistakes Integrity • being able to be trusted • showing good character when no one is looking • when people can count on you • knowing what you stand for 36 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE HONOR SENTENCES O ne of the most important academic considerations is the honor and integrity of the learner. Doing your own work, giving an assignment your best effort and taking responsibility for your studies are all crucial to the development of a good student. In an effort to promote honesty and integrity, I have students write an Honor Sentence on each test and special project paper. At the end of the test, students write sentences that explain their effort and the amount of study time given to the assignment. Below are actual Honor Sentences that have shown up on my students’ papers. These illustrate the depth of learning about integrity and accountability. This is my own work. I studied for twenty minutes each night for three nights. I passed this test with an A+ because I studied really long and hard. I went the extra mile! I put things off this week and studied only fifteen minutes. I know I failed the test— but at least it is my own work. I did not cheat. I didn’t study at all for this test. I promise to try harder next time. I studied my brains out, and I feel really good on this one! I studied two hours, and my mom helped. I think I did really well! This is not my own work. I’m sorry, can I talk to you about it? I took this test seriously. I gave it a lot of study time. I’m sure I got an A! I studied each night this week. It was worth it! One thing I like about using this practice is that it develops accountability. The students know that they will have to disclose the amount of study time devoted to their assignments. There is no escaping it. They also know that there will be consequences when they choose not to study and rewards when they do. A nice thing about this practice is that it becomes second nature for students. They develop the habit of writing their sentence without being reminded. One time that I was absent from school, I forgot to tell my substitute about it in my lesson plans. She left me a note and commented on how the students reminded her— and each other— about the Honor Sentence. She thought it was a good idea. Perhaps what I like best about this activity is that students eventually come to understand that their grades are most often earned in direct proportion to the amount of time and effort put forth in study. Writing this sentence takes only a moment, but goes a long way in helping students to develop a work ethic that translates into academic achievement! FROM WORK ETHIC TO LIFE ETHIC H elping your students to develop a positive work ethic just may be one of the most important things you can do! A child’s work ethic begins in his first year of schooling and continues on throughout life. Each decision a child makes either adds to that positive work ethic or detracts from it. I believe that it is a teacher’s calling to help children learn to make more deposits in their work ethic account and fewer withdrawals. It is that calling to personal excellence that will translate into academic success. And of course, both personal and academic excellence will translate into a work ethic that transcends the school experience. I believe that a child’s work ethic in school will become his life ethic. So from school climate to curriculum to the world of work, a positive work ethic is a grand goal for all of us. “ Learning about good character helps you try harder than ever to reach your goal of earning a spot on the A Honor Roll. Then you feel good about yourself that you can achieve excellence!” — Samara, age 11 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 37 TEACHER MODELING T here is no doubt about it, kids watch our every move. From the way we dress, to the way we talk, to the way we treat others, kids pay attention! They watch for discrepancies in our message and our modeling. They don’t miss a trick. Therefore, we must know and understand that the walk is more powerful than the talk. Students don’t just watch our every move in the classroom. They watch how we treat and interact with the other teachers on the staff. They watch our day- to- day words and actions, our facial expressions and our body language. They look to see if we are demonstrating the traits of good character that we espouse. They also watch to see if we take our own education seriously. After all, if we don’t, why should they? It makes an important impression when they hear on the morning announcements that the graduate class will meet each Tuesday or that the staff development session this month will be on reading strategies. They are interested in the books we read and the classes we take. They need to know that learning is a lifelong process, and that the hard work involved in the pursuit of furthering our education is worthwhile. Often I will bring a book to school that I am reading and just lay it on my desk. It is a great conversation starter at break time or before and after school. Kids will respect your teachings more if they know that there is something of substance behind all that you do. In fact, I always remind them of a comment that Michelangelo made shortly before his death: I am still learning! OUR DECISIONS DEFINE US! I n fact, these very words are written on the wall. This is such an important teaching message for me and my students that this sentence runs along the top of one of my classroom walls. In large, colorful letters, the message is spelled out in a big way. I don’t believe that there is a day that I haven’t referred to it in some way. Our decisions to be kind or cruel, sympathetic or unfeeling, respectful or disrespectful will help to determine the kind of person we become. Our decisions to do our homework or not, to listen in class or not, to try our best or not, will help to determine what kind of student we become. Each decision we make— large or small— will add or detract from our total being. So for building an academic climate in your classroom and school, remind your students of this powerful and life- changing lesson: Our decisions define us! RESPONSIBLE STUDENTS E very school in our district must have some kind of written plan for promoting student behavior and responsibility. The plan must address discipline as well as academics. It’s a good safeguard for assuring that student behavior will not distract from the academic learning opportunities in the school. Each year, the plan is revised along with the School Improvement Plan. Our staff sits down and discusses the school year. We bring up all of the problems as well as all of the successes. We make suggestions on how we can make next year’s plan better for students to follow and for parents to understand. Something that has helped strengthen our Responsible Students Plan in recent years has been the weaving of character education into that plan. Teaching character gives the plan substance, as well as strength. The expectations are posted in every room of the school, and a list of rules is given to each student to take home to their parents. They are reprinted for you here so you can see exactly what I am referring to. As you read through the list, take time to notice how character is woven into the plan. 38 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE The plan is built with student rewards and consequences. Consistency, of course, is the key to the plan’s success. Remember that kids will try you at every turn. It’s sad to say, but often parents will do the same. They will ask you to make an exception, just this once. If the entire staff is consistent and fair, the plan works wonderfully well. Remember, you are in the driver’s seat on this one. Red... respect! • Listen • Show respect • Use good manners • Work cooperatively • Follow classroom rules • Follow school rules Blue... responsibility! • Come prepared for class • Work independently • Complete assignments • Turn in homework • Return permission slips promptly • Return office communications • Return library books • Organize materials and workspace • Organize self and belongings Green... quiet times! • In school hallways • In line • During fire drills • During shelter- in- place • During intercom announcements • When a visitor enters the room • During a test • During silent reading Purple... cafeteria! • Get supplies on your way through the line • Use a soft and respectful voice • Show proper table manners • Stay in your seat at all times • Be respectful of others at your table • Clean up... pick up! Guidelines... for rewards and consequences! • 3 violations of the same color in one month = counseling referral slip • 6 violations in one month = parent notification slip • 9 monthly violations allowed per student • 10 monthly violations = no C. A. R. E. S. reward plus a discipline slip • 15 monthly violations = suspension or parent spending the day with student Discipline Slips... given for these behaviors! • Disrespectful behavior • Cafeteria problem • Disruptive conduct • Inappropriate language • Failure to obey authority • Inappropriate dress • Failure to work to full potential Weimer C. A. R. E. S. Respect and Responsibilities CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 39 LOOK FOR THE LESSON N o matter what the subject matter, no matter what the lesson of the day— students will come to learn more about the character message when it is woven into all that you do. Calling your students’ attention to the lesson within the lesson is a powerful way to show that life’s greatest lessons can be found within our studies at school. In fact, if we learn to pay attention, they can be found just about anywhere! Examples of lessons from different areas of the curriculum are illustrated below. LESSON THE CHARACTER LESSON WITHIN Martin Luther King, Jr. Respect, fairness, citizenship The Making of the American Flag Citizenship George Washington, Abe Lincoln Honesty, bravery Louis Slotkin Accountability, integrity, respect The Tortoise and the Hare Perseverance The Schooling of Afghanistan Children Fairness, respect Ruby Bridges Respect, fairness, bravery, citizenship Math: coins, money Honesty Aristotle Virtue, character, work ethic World Cultures and Religions Respect Thomas Edison and Electricity Perseverance Mother Teresa Respect, caring, compassion, service Aesop’s Fables Every character trait is represented PEER TUTORING W hen high school students from Service Learning Class come to help at your school, let them get involved in a peer- tutoring program. High school students can be a wonderful asset in helping your elementary kids practice and master basic skills. Extra help and practice with math, spelling, and reading skills, or even difficult science concepts, can go a long way in helping younger students meet with success. Sometimes just the companionship and closeness of an older student reading a story to a younger child or listening to the younger child read is motivation for extra effort in skill development. And the older student also benefits! High school students learn to be positive role models for younger kids and learn to give back to the communities of which they are a part. The teamwork and camaraderie built will help both the elementary school and high school grow strong. Sometimes, just the companionship and closeness of an older student reading a story to a younger child or listening to the younger child read is motivation for extra effort in skill development. 40 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE MONTHLY GOAL- SETTING SESSIONS R emember the research from Chapter One about the power of setting goals and writing them down? I’ll review: 87% of people do not have goals, 10% have goals, and 3% commit their goals in writing. Those who write down their goals achieve 50– 100 times more than those who simply think about and talk about their goals. We want our students to become members of The 3% Club! And remember, with 90– 95% of what we do each day attributed to habit, we want for our kids to develop good habits. Setting goals and working towards them is one way to get there! In my monthly goal setting sessions with students, I help them work on several kinds of goals: academic goals, personal goals, and social goals. I want for them to become well- rounded people. Academic goals will help them with their studies and grades, personal goals will help them to become all that they can be, and social goals will help them in their interactions with others. Each month, we choose a new goal in each area to work on. We write down the goals and commit them to memory. During the month, we pull out our goal lists and see how we are doing. We chart our progress, we make adjustments. We resolve to work harder. The first month of school, we post our goals in the classroom near the door. That makes it a little easier for students to see them on a daily basis. It helps them stay focused. Whether your students keep their goal lists in their notebooks, lockers, and backpacks or on display in the classroom is not important. What is important is that they take the time to set goals, write them down and keep check on their progress. That’s what growing in goodness is all about! Over the years while teaching the Character Class for my K- 6 students, I have kept copies of their goal lists. I have selected a sample to include in this book. Perhaps these will help you to see what kinds of thing students have chosen to work on over the course of the school year. Remember that there are two kinds of goals: long- term goals and short- term goals. Kids need to learn to set both kinds. And remember to teach students to be specific when setting their goals. The more specific students are in setting goals, the better chance they will have of reaching them. In the list above, one student did that quite well. He not only wants to go to college and play basketball; he has chosen the school, the University of North Carolina. Student Academic Goals • To stay on task �� To be a better listener • To do my homework • To be a better reader • To improve my handwriting • To be responsible for my assignments • To have a better report card • To get straight A’s • To make the Honor Roll • To get in a good college • To get a job that I like • To follow directions • To learn math facts • To follow school rules • To try my best Student Social Goals • To be nice to my sister • To change my attitude • To make new friends • To be a better teammate in basketball • To follow the Golden Rule • To be respectful with my parents • To tell the truth all the time • To control my temper • To listen when my friends are talking • To be helpful • To take turns • To share with others • To be kind to everyone Student Personal Goals • To learn to do a handspring • To complete a 500- piece puzzle • To play basketball for UNC • To be a cartoonist • To learn to play an instrument • To learn sign language • To dive off of the high dive • To eat healthy • To be more lovable • To do more good deeds • To watch less television • To start saving money • To spend more time with my family • To have a good time without being bad CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 41 REPORT CARD GOAL- SETTING SESSIONS S tudents need to see that their schoolwork and goals are connected. This practice will help students to focus on their studies and to work towards academic success. On the day that students will be receiving their report cards, I hand out the Goal Setting Session worksheets. Each student writes his name and the date on the top of the sheet. The first section of the worksheet is for predicting what grades the students think they earned for this grading period. Notice that I am careful to use the word earned, rather than the word got. The language here is quite important. I want my students to understand that I don’t give grades. I simply record the grades that they earn. The second section of the worksheet is for recording the grades that students earned during the previous grading period. The reason for this section is so that a comparison can be made. Then I pass out the student report cards. They open them up and look them over. They then move on to the third section of the worksheet. It is in this spot that they record their newly earned grades. Question number four is simple: Did your grades go up or down? Then comes the part where students have to dig deeply for answers: Give the reasons for any changes in your grades. Students now have to face the music. There is no room for excuses. We are developing accountability for our decisions of the last nine weeks. As a teacher, it is interesting to observe. Students become excited when they see that their grades have improved, and they come to understand that extra study time and effort were the reasons for the change. It is sad to see those who have not measured up. But there is hope! Students are enlightened when they begin admitting that poor study habits, laziness, and irresponsibility have been contributing factors to their failures. I remind them that it is never too late to change. The logical next step is planning for the future. We take a few minutes to think about our habits— really think! We develop Goal- Setting Session End of the Nine- Week Grading Period Name ________________________ Date_________________________ 1. Predict what grades you think you earned this grading period: Reading ______ Social Studies ______ English ______ Science ______ Spelling ______ Health ______ Math ______ Citizenship ______ 2. Record what grades you earned last nine weeks in these subjects: Reading ______ Social Studies ______ English ______ Science ______ Spelling ______ Health ______ Math ______ Citizenship ______ 3. Write down the new grades you earned for this grading period: Reading ______ Social Studies ______ English ______ Science ______ Spelling ______ Health ______ Math ______ Citizenship ______ 4. Did your grades go up or down? __________________________________________________________ 5. Give the reasons for the changes in your grades: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 6. Write down five goals for improving your work ethic and grades: __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 42 CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE goals for the coming grading period. These goals will be helpful in improving our work ethic and our grades. We set to work. All in all, this is about a twenty- minute activity. Yes, it does take time out of our instructional day. But the way I see it, this is part of the most important instruction of all. Students come to see the direct correlation between work ethic and academic success. Plus you get the added incentive of knowing that it is never too late to wipe the slate clean and change your ways. I have seen students go from D’s to B’s and stay there! CHARACTER JOURNALS I have been doing Character Journals for years, and they are my very favorite character- building practice of all. Considering the amount of time they take, and the difference they make, you’ve just got to try them! It’s easy. We use those black- and- white composition books, but any kind of a notebook will do. Each morning I have a character quote on the chalkboard when students arrive. I always write down the same one that I put on the morning announcements for the day. Writing down the quote of the day simply becomes part of the morning routine: go to your locker, get your books and supplies for the day, graph in for attendance and lunch, put your homework in the basket, and write in your Character Journal. It’s as simple as that. Writing down the quote takes all of one minute. And all of this happens before the tardy bell even rings. But don’t stop there. Use that quote throughout the day. Repeat it during the transition times of the day: when lining up to go to gym class, lunch, or the library or when packing backpacks at the end of the day. As Aristotle taught us, repetition is the mother of skill. Another great idea is to have the older kids write a reflection paragraph about the quote on days when there is time. Students can write about what the quote means and how they might put the wisdom to work in their own life. This extension activity takes a few minutes more, but is worth the time and effort that it takes. Since students are writing, this activity can be woven in with the language arts lesson of the day. Character quotes are just one of the things that students put in their journals. Whenever I find a good story that can be typed up on one page, I run copies for my class. The students staple them in and write a paragraph of reflection about the story. Copies of good editorial cartoons and stories from the newspaper are also good journal entries. I have also been known to include the heroes column from The Reader’s Digest and other uplifting stories. Articles showcasing good character from your local newspaper are also good to copy and pass out to students. By the end of the year, I usually have about 180 good character quotes, ten good stories, twelve teaching cartoons, nine hero stories, and dozens of pages of written reflections. When students leave at the end of the school year, they have a wonderful book of wisdom to take with them. Parents and students both cherish that collection. It is my favorite thing to send with them as they walk off into their futures! SUCCESS LIBRARY R eading is so important! Because I believe that children become better readers by actually reading, I keep lots of books on hand in the classroom. I bring books from home and I write grants to buy even more. What kind of books do I keep in the collection? Success books! Books that I call success books are ones that build character. These are books that help you, guide you, and point you in the direction of achieving personal, academic, and professional success. They CHARACTER EDUCATION INFORMATIONAL HANDBOOK & GUIDE 43 are the books that are found in the self- help and psychology sections of bookstores. They are also the little life- lesson books found in gift shops. Books on confidence, character, and courage. Books on determination and desire. Books that include the wisdom of the generations. Books that inspire and motivate you to be the best person that you can be. In my opinion, we don’t read enough of them! Start building a collection for your class. For a first step, I just got a big basket and filled it with books from home. I was amazed at how the kids enjoyed reading them. And because they were my personal books, the students were extra careful and respectful of them. They grabbed a book for some success reading whenever there was a free moment, whenever they had finished their class work and even during recess on a rainy day. Reading positive and uplifting books supports students on their journey to goodness! Here are a few titles to help get you started. The Book of Virtues William Bennett The Children’s Book of Virtues Willia |
OCLC number | 54983279 |