METHODS FOR DEVELOPING SCHOOL-WIDE CHARACTER EDUCATION
1. Develop the moral culture
of the school.
a. Moral leadership from the administrator(s)
principal's vision
principal's involvement
set up steering committee
give public recognition for moral
acts
b. The tone of the school conveys a moral atmosphere of mutual respect, fairness
and cooperation which pervades all relationships--those among the adults in the
school as well as those between adults and students. It shows in little things
like answering of the telephone, "How can I help you?"
c. Peer coaching. Spirit of collaboration: decision-making by consensus.
Empowerment from administrators.
d. Roadblocks to developing character: pressure to get through the curriculum,
the "tyranny of the clock", stress, pressure to perform well on standardized
tests. The more competition, the greater the need to emphasize honesty. (Tanya
Harding) "Human decency" scores are more important. Elevate the importance of
morality by spending school time on moral concerns.
2. School-wide discipline should promote Character Education. Children need
order and discipline. Use rule violation as an occasion for moral growth. The
school should take action every time respect and responsibility are violated.
The best places for teaching character are shared spaces:
playground
cafeteria
halls
bathrooms
buses
library
Meet with teachers/students and brainstorm.
Set clear expectations.
All staff need to be invested and consistent in teaching these expectations.
Teach children how to supervise themselves.
Use Glasser's approach of Reality Therapy:
a. What happened to bring you here?
b. Is that behavior helping you?
c. Do you want to do something about it?
d. What do you do well to gain recognition?
e. What do you plan to do in the future?
f. Make the plan into a contract.
g. Review it after implementation.
3. School projects to develop a sense of community:
a. Keep playground clean. Pick up litter.
b. Wash off graffiti.
c. Wash their own desks.
d. Each class has a School Job. They can bid or choose the job they want. A list
of possibilities is provided by the principal. For example: bathroom pick up,
cafeteria cleaning, helping the secretary, writing a school newspaper, running a
school store, hall clean up and duty.
e. Assemblies: student participation
f. Class buddies, cross age tutoring, Big Brother/Sister, handicapped pairing
g. Community service: weave into curriculum
senior citizens, day care, VA hospital
h. recycling
i. conservation project
j. maintenance of school or outdoor area
k. have a Values Fair where projects by each class are shared
l. teach Justice and Mercy: interest in public affairs and service, caring and
public spirit. Take on international, national or community projects like
homelessness, disease, world hunger, Amnesty International. See Kids Count.
4. Student government: There is a need for increased decision-making by
students, and schools which are more responsive to students. Democratic
self-government. Taking responsibility. Rule making, enforcing, evaluating and
changing.
a. Student Council:
Little
Student Advisory Council (grades 1-3)
Big Student
Advisory Council (grades 4-6)
two
representatives from each class
issues must
be discussed in class meeting and reps bring input from class
meet with
principal over lunch
Student Council inspects classrooms for cleanliness.
b. Town meeting style meeting. Moderator. Warrants, etc.
c. Problem solving lunch with principal. Bring a certain population together:
Fourth grade boys, etc.
d. Student Judicial Board. Elected students preside. A student advocate serves
as the defense.
e. Have a Constitutional Convention where representatives from each classroom
get together to decide on school governance.
5. Parent involvement:
a. Send a survey to parents
b. Parent workshops
c. Grandparent Day: share values
d. Family Science Fair: work together, cooperation
e. Family Homework: send home literature to read together or discussion topic.
Discuss family chores.
f. Start a TV Turn Off program.
6. Have a Value of the Month.
7. Have a School Pride Assembly where awards are given for citizenship. Be
specific about what was done to earn the award.
8. Have students earn points toward a school letter through service. (Secondary
and Middle School)
9. Set up a "bus buddies" system where older children help younger.
10. Find ways to make new students feel welcome. Banner: "Welcome, John Doe."
etc.
11. Instead of "extra-curricular", have a philosophy of "co-curricular". Getting
involved in co-curricular activities affects self-esteem, feeling of community,
and academics.
12. Encourage good sportsmanship. Expect it from coaches, fans and players. Have
students write their own sportsmanship code, which includes how they treat the
referee/umpire. At the end of each game have the officials rate each team on
sportsmanship:
Sportsmanship Rating
Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
Adults
Students
Players
Coach
13. Principal delivers a "homily" on public address system in the morning. "Its
nice to be important but its more important to be nice."
14. Have a Suggestion Box. Students write ideas for improving the school. If
their name is on it and the idea is used, they get a free hot lunch pass or
basketball game ticket, etc.
15. News Bulletin Board or Principal's Board. On it are names of students who
showed good character, and what they did.
16. All members of the school community are encouraged to send Character Grams
to people who did something showing character.
17. Study great documents of government (Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, Bill of
Rights, Constitution). Students write their own.
13. Have a co-curricular Character Club where students take on community service
projects.
14. Put mottos on the walls.
15. Have a Character Chronicle: a newspaper with items addressing character.
Students contribute poems, comic strips, mottos, news items.
16. Arrange "Idea Exchanges" between classes or schools. Students decide on the
topic and invite another group to come discuss it with them.
School-wide Character Education: How to do it
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