FOR CHARACTER
creating schools and community for character!
May/June 2002
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Making Sure Character Counts! - Gary Smit
Now, For Character is more than just an electronic newsletter sent out every other month. It is also the name of a newly created web site, www.forcharacter.com. If you go to this link, you can find more ideas about how to implement a character education initiative for your school and community.
I’m often asked at the conclusion of a training session, “What can be done to increase awareness about character education and how can it be integrated into the life of our school?” I respond by saying that we need to be intentional about what we are already doing to promote consensus values associated with the qualities and traits of good character. Here are two strategies that can be implemented with minimal effort.
· Have a school staff tell stories of where they have seen character in action. A number of schools now begin every faculty meeting by sharing a story of character. In schools, we readily know when students are in trouble or when ethical values have been violated. But do we let others know of the times when students make good choices? Everyday in schools, students choose to put the core values of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship above non-ethical values. Choices are made to be honest instead of dishonest, respectful and not disrespectful, responsible rather than being irresponsible. Take time to let others know about the good choices students make.
· Host 3-4 sharing sessions on character education during the school year. Have teacher representatives from each school get together to share their ideas and activities on how character education is being integrated into their class or school. Providing an opportunity for teachers to meet and talk about what they are doing is an effective strategy to use in considering how to expand a character education initiative. By taking notes of the sharing sessions and distributing copies to other schools, you will soon develop a listing of best practices that will be of help to teachers.
I hope you will find the information included in this newsletter to be useful in making sure character counts. Again, please do not hesitate to contact me or to check out the web site, www.forcharacter.com for additional ideas and strategies.
Gary Smit
School District 44
630-827-4400
IN THIS ISSUE:
· Characteristics of an effective program
· Ideas you can use
· Character education quality standards
· Upcoming trainings
CHARACTER COUNTS! identifies six characteristics of an effective character education initiative. A character development program for schools and/or communities must be:
IDEAS YOU CAN USE:
If your school, district or community is looking for an outstanding speaker, here it is. Take my word on this, Dr. Mike is the best with his message incorporating character development. He speaks to adults as well as kids. In fact, our district has used Dr. Mike and many occasions. He has presented to parents, teachers and at school assembly programs. http://www.drmikethomson.com/
A partnership has been created between Alliance Publishing and CHARACTER COUNTS! to produce school agendas for elementary, middle/jr.high and high school. Through definitions, diverse biographies of people of character and exercises built into the weekly assignment page layout, this concise format provides the planning framework for teachers to implement the six pillars of CHARACTER COUNTS! in a classroom setting.
1-800-518-5176 or www.ccschoolagendas.com
Firms should look at character, not resume, career experts say. Employees who exhibit strength of character generally make better decisions and will be more successful in the long run.
http://sfgate.com/cgibin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/01/27/AW118623.DTL
Adolescence is characterized by rapid change. For many youth, this is a time of painful struggle, with mixed messages and conflicting demands. Here is an amazing list of 40 critical factors for youth growth and development.
http://www.search-institute.org/assets/
Reading aloud may be one of the most important contributions that parents can make toward developing good character in their children. Stories have the potential to build authentic communities of shared meaning and values.
http://www.teachingvalues.com/samplestoryintro.html
Here are some of the RAK celebrations from this year:
A school in New Jersey made a Kindness chain from card stock, with each link representing a kind act done by a student. This elementary school had 1,080 links in the chain! Students stood around the gym during a RAK assembly and held the colorful chain up high as they "wrapped the gym in Kindness." This school also posts "Wanted:
Caught Being Kind" notices with a student's photo on each one and a description of the kind act the student did.
A youth group hung banners and encouraged members to keep a daily journal of kind acts they had done or witnessed. At their RAK party, youth traced their hands and shared their RAK stories. Members who had done one RAK per day received a certificate. At the end of the party, they placed their traced hands in a circle on the wall with the RAK stories in the middle. They also made thank-you cards and hand-delivered them to businesses as part of their community outreach program.
A teacher in at an inner city school in Minnesota told her students that they needed to do one act of Kindness to enter her classroom each day. Every student was ready to share an act of Kindness the next morning. Weeks later, without her urging, they are still doing kind acts as the "entry ticket" into her classroom! She is trying to teach them that although they sometimes can't control what happens to them, they can control how they respond to their circumstances.
Do you already have a character education program? You may want to check out what the Character Education Partnership (CEP) has developed that is believe is very helpful for schools to use in evaluating their program.
The Character Education Quality Standards outline key components of effective character education and let schools and districts evaluate their efforts in relation to these criteria. This document provides a means for educators, administrators, and community members to reflect on current practices, identify short- and long-term objectives, and better organize strategic plans. This instrument is based on CEP's Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education.™ It was originally designed in collaboration with the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character (CAEC) at Boston University and the 1999 National Schools of Character Blue Ribbon Panel to assess applicants for CEP's National Schools of Character Awards, and continues to be used for that purpose.
http://www.character.org/schools/index.cgi?detail:quality_intro
Now Available: CEP's Character Education Resource Guide (30 pp., $3.50 per copy)
CEP's Character Education Resource Guide provides an overview of 36 widely-used character education programs and dozens of helpful resources including books, videos, and assessment instruments. To help educators and administrators choose the most appropriate materials, the Guide includes CEP's new Program Review Checklist for assessing programs and curricula, and "evidence of effectiveness" summaries for each of the represented character education organizations. To order a copy, please contact CEP at (800) 988-8081; or fax (202) 296-7779; or e-mail: geninfo@character.org.
UPCOMING TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS:
I will be conducting the following trainings in May and June. For more information, please contact me.
May 3 St.Cloud, MN one-day community training
May 11 St. Louis, MO half-day community training
May 13 Burr Ridge, IL evening meeting on coalition building
May 16 Lake Havasu and Parker, AZ one-day community and school training
June 13 Carol Stream, IL one-day community training
June 15 Wood Dale, IL one-day community training
June 17 Illinois Quality Academy, Chicago, IL one-hour workshop
June 19 Carol Stream, IL one-day community training
June 25 SE Regional Character Conference, Chattanooga, TN, breakout session
QUOTES:
"A coach must remember that he is a teacher and teachers also learn from listening to others. You must be more interested in finding the best way than in having your own way. Almost as much can be learned by listening to those under our supervision as from your peers and from those whose supervision you are under. We learn from listening, not speaking." John Wooden
“ Character development is the great, if not the sole, aim of education.” O’Shea
“ Intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character – that is the true goal of education.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Parents should expect schools to be allies in the moral education of children. The lessons of home must be reinforced by the standards of the schools – standards of safety discipline and decency.” George W. Bush
THE GARDEN - A Michael Josephson radio commentary
A listener sent me another of those poems with an unknown source called "The Garden." I liked the idea so I rewrote it. Here's my version of a lifetime garden to nourish your life:
First, plant six rows of squash.
1. Squash dishonesty in all its forms.
2. Squash prejudice.
3. Squash fear.
4. Squash negativism.
5. Squash gossip.
6. Squash apathy.
Then, plant five rows of lettuce:
1. Lettuce be kind.
2. Lettuce respect each other.
3. Lettuce be grateful.
4. Lettuce be patient.
5. Lettuce be faithful to our beliefs.
Add four rows of turnips:
1. Turnip to do your share.
2. Turnip to vote.
3. Turnip to help others.
4. Turnip to worship.
For spice, plant three rows of thyme:
1. Thyme to teach and play with your children
2. Thyme to learn and grow wise
3. Thyme to think about who you are and why you're here
Finally, finish off the garden with two rows of peas:
1. Peas of mind and
2. Peas in your relationships
It may be corny, but if you care for this garden it will produce all you need to live a happy and rewarding life.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.