Comprehensive Character-building
Classroom
by
Lori Sandford Wiley, Ph.D.
Character, a reliable inner disposition to do what is morally
right, is more important than academic skills. That is what the founders of
Harvard University thought, when they wrote its original mission. Others such as
the Hyde School in Bath Maine echo this belief. Character education, the
teaching of universal values and virtues like honesty, integrity, kindness,
respect and responsibility, is making a comeback in public schools as well. How
is it taught? Kevin Ryan’s five Es (Example, Explanation, Exhortation,
Environment, Experience ) and Tom Lickona’s nine spokes on the wheel, are well
known approaches.
This article describes
another approach , called Comprehensive Character-building.
While everyone teaches character in some way, character education as defined by
the national character education movement of the 1990s, is deliberate,
intentional, planned, and organized. It is not incidental or accidental. It is
not something that “just happens”. Comprehensive character education falls into
the following six categories (LC5): Moral Leadership, Moral Climate, Moral
Community, Moral Correction, Moral Curriculum and Common Projects.
Moral Leadership
In order to teach character, one must have it. Students learn
a great deal from observation and modeling. “Practice what you preach” sums up
the need for educators to have high principles. “Do as I say, not as I do” is an
ineffective way to teach morality. Educators must hold themselves to high moral
standards. They are encouraged to write a personal mission or commitment
statement and code of ethics to share with students and parents. Students can
write their own ethical code. Each school should have a code of ethics which is
posted in prominent places.
Moral Climate
Climate is the “weather”. It is how one feels when entering
the room. It is set visually and auditorially. Room decor can foster character.
Posters, portraits, mottoes, banners, bulletin boards, signs or other visuals
can be used to promote good character. The sounds in the room, (pleasant voice
tones, music, quiet or “on-task” noise) create climate. The teacher creates a
warm climate by establishing positive relationships with students and showing a
caring attitude. Finally, there is often a campaign for character. This campaign
is a deliberate raising of excitement and enthusiasm. Aristotle said that we
want children to passionately fall in love with goodness. Teachers look for ways
to build moral feeling through songs, pledges, mottoes, cheers, commercials, and
other motivational or inspirational approaches.
Moral Community
If it “takes a village to raise a child”, what does it take
to raise a village? The teacher turns the classroom into a village where
students interact, care for each other, and learn self-governance. A sense of
community is built by taking the time to learn each other’s names, get to know
each other, build friendships, and work cooperatively. Empathy and understanding
foster caring and kindness. The teacher arranges name games, getting to know
each other and friendship-building activities, cooperative learning and class
projects. Shared experiences, songs, stories, and rituals draw the class
together into a community. Students are encouraged to take responsibility for
the room: keeping it clean, setting it up, monitoring themselves and solving
social problems. They take turns leading the class, and learn how to make shared
decisions about various aspects of classroom life. Exercises like class meetings
are used for discussion and decision-making. Students learn how to plan, make
choices, and follow through. While the teacher begins with direct instruction,
clear expectations and high standards, the goal is that students will
internalize these, becoming independent and responsible decision-makers.
Moral Correction
Even when there is strong moral leadership, a moral climate
and community, everyone makes mistakes, including young people. Each mistake or
misbehavior becomes an opportunity for character education. Correcting character
flaws is part of our responsibility as human beings. While punishment was the
method of correction for many years, there are other more suitable ways being
used today. The highest level of correction is self-correction or self-control.
Students can learn to identify what they did wrong, predict the consequences of
their actions, set goals to do the right thing, and learn better behavior.
Teachers coach them in self control strategies, problem solving, goal setting,
anger control, and self-evaluation.
Moral Curriculum
Character education is taught both through content and
process. For example, students might learn about Cooperation, what it means and
how to show it. This is content. Or the teacher might arrange projects where
they use it. This is process.
There are four types of moral
curricula used for Character Education. The first is an add-on, where 10 to
20-minute lessons are interjected two or three times a week. There are
commercially-prepared curricula with teachers’ manuals, workbooks, posters,
video tapes and other supplementary materials. Some teachers prefer teaching
concepts like honesty, respect, and responsibility through designated activities
and lessons in a structured time slot.
More often teachers infuse
their regular curriculum. This means they look at the curriculum they are
already teaching, and bring out the moral aspects. There are moral issues in
every subject being studied in literature, science, social studies, physical
education, math, art, music, etc. Using the infusion approach, teachers mine the
curriculum for its moral content. They use a moral lens to bring moral issues
into focus.
Another popular approach is
the integrated approach. Here a character trait is chosen, and, in a web-type
arrangement, all subject matter promotes that trait. If the trait is Kindness,
students do art projects promoting Kindness. They sing songs about it in Music.
They play games promoting kindness in Physical Education. They read books and
poems about it in Reading or English. They look for examples in Science and
Social Studies. They find ways to demonstrate it in Math. It becomes a
cross-curricular theme.
Finally, character education
is taught informally, as situations arise. The teacher watches for the teachable
moment and creates an on-the-spot lesson. Capitalizing on the unexpected
requires great skill and schedule flexibility. For example, if two students come
into the classroom angry with each other, that becomes the character education
curriculum. Because it is not scheduled and planned, documentation is needed to
ensure that character education is happening. Character education is just as
viable a “subject” as any other, and this approach should not be mistaken for
accidental learning.
Common Projects
Students who do things for others as well as themselves, tend
to build good character. The teacher finds ways for students to take
responsibility in caring for the classroom, the school, the community and the
world. The teacher might take the class on a tour of the school and ask,” What
can our class do to make this school a better place?” Students begin reaching
out through environmental clean up, buddy programs, safety patrol, and even
landscaping the outdoor area! This service learning prepares them to branch out
further into the community. Community service learning builds a bridge between
the classroom and community. It has a moral (charity, caring for others,
improving the world, idealism), civic (citizenship, care for one’s community),
vocational (hands-on and authentic learning) and academic (planning,
supervision, evaluation, teaching academic skills) aspect. For example, students
may write letters to the editor, interview World War II veterans, take a field
trip to a historic site, invite community members into the classroom to talk
about moral issues in the work force, or plan an advocacy campaign regarding a
particular social problem. The youngest children can do simple things like visit
a nursing home or donate old toys.
Conclusion
Character education is meant to be comprehensive. Even though
every teacher believes he or she is already teaching it, it is needed more than
ever. Last year’s activities are not comprehensive enough for next year’s class.
Developing character is an awesome and fulfilling part of teaching.
Lori Wiley is a member of the Character Development Foundation, and former
faculty member of Notre Dame College and Rivier College in New Hampshire. She
has conducted many workshops and in-service sessions for teachers. Her recently
published book, Comprehensive Character-building Classroom, can be obtained from
the Character Development Foundation, PO Box 4782, Manchester NH 03108, e-mail:
character@juno.com.
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