SDCOE

CHARACTER

EDUCATIO

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AGENDA:I. What is Character? Why does it

matter to my school or program?

II.How can Character Education help?

III.Vista High School Model

IV.Implementation: How do we do this?

V.Creating an action plan

VI.Question/Answer session

OBJECTIVES:*Identify why Character matters to

your school or program.

*Leave with an action plan for Character integration into your program.

SOURCES:*Character Counts/Josephson

Institute of Ethics

*Dr. Thomas Lickona

*Dr. David Brooks

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. --Martin Luther King, Jr.

WHAT IS CHARACTER?What a person is like on the inside,

how he/she responds to life.Good character refers to positive,

admirable ethical traits (i.e. respect, trustworthiness, caring, etc.)

Everyone has character, but not everyone has good character. (Mother Teresa vs. Hitler)

Character is our profile of habits and virtues, our habitual way of behaving and responding to life.

“

“Character is Power!” -Booker T. Washington

CHARACTER AND REPUTATION

Our reputation is what other people think we are.

Our character is what we really are.

WHAT DOES GOOD CHARACTER LOOK LIKE?

True character is shown by:Our normal and consistent attitudes and

behaviorHow we treat people who can’t help or hurt

us

CHARACTER IS REVEALED BY HOW YOU BEHAVE WHEN YOU THINK NO ONE’S

LOOKING!

WHY IS CHARACTER AN ISSUE FOR YOUR PROGRAM OR SCHOOL?????What is the problem at schools

today???

TEENS AND ETHICS TODAY (FROM THE JOSEPHSON INSTITUTE’S 2008 NATIONAL

ETHICS SURVEY 30 percent overall — admitted stealing from a store

within the past year.

More than two of five (42 percent) said that they sometimes lie to save money.

A substantial majority (64 percent) cheated on a test during the past year (38 percent did so two or more times), up from 60 percent and 35 percent, respectively, in 2006.

Despite these high levels of dishonesty, 93 percent said they were satisfied with their personal ethics and character and 77 percent said that when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know.

HOW CAN CHARACTER EDUCATION HELP???

*Help create a safe, caring, and inclusive learning environment.

*Supports academic development.

*Fosters qualities that enable students to be successful as citizens, in the workplace, in relationships, and with academic curriculum.

*The common denominator that helps students be successful in all school-wide goals.

*Character Education is not an “extra” on your plate. It IS the plate!

At all levels, students who have experienced quality character education outperform comparison groups, not only on measures of social behavior, but also on measures of academic performance.

-Journal of Research in Character Education (2003)

“The goal in life is to make the effort to do the best you are capable of doing—in marriage, at your job, in your community, for your country.”

-John Wooden

COMMON LANGUAGE IS CRITICAL!Six Pillars of Character from Character

Counts!*Trustworthiness*Respect*Responsibility*Fairness*Caring*CitizenshipNon-controversial, agreeable across religious,

political, cultural, socio-economic lines.

SIX PILLARS OF CHARACTER POSTER WALK

What you want to see more of in your program/on your campus??? Also, see Pg. 82.

VISTA HIGH SCHOOL MODEL:

1) Infuse Character throughout the campus community:

Comprehensive and passionate integration. Staff must walk the walk of good characterBased on developing relationships“Change Yourself, Change the World!” Self-empowerment: recognizing your potential to make positive change (starfish story)Administration (District and site)TeachersStudentsParents (PTSA)Classified (Custodians, aides, secretaries, cafeteria staff, security, etc.)After-school programSportsArtsCampus news (KVHS)

CHARACTER LEADERS CLASS

Partial list of activities:

Character practice:

Self-reflection journals

Gratitude Journals, Random Acts of Kindness,

Consistent opportunities to serve

Senior Center visits, mentoring with

MS/Elem Schools, Severely disabled students,

Welcoming new students, invisible students.

Read autobiographies/books that inspire.

Conflict resolution skills

Anti-bullying activities (Safe School Ambassadors)

School recycling program, EMM, KVHS, etc.

Tutoring/mentoring ELD and Special Ed. Students/

9/11 memorial

Holiday adoption of military family

Humane Society Drive

Canned Food Drive

Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Campaign

…

IN SEARCH OF CHARACTER VIDEO SERIES ON KVHS

2) BE VISIBLE!

Signage (every room, quad, marquee, KVHS, website, positive panther cards, shirts, referrals, etc.).

3) SEAMLESS INTEGRATION INTO CAMPUS/CURRICULUM

*Character IS the plate, not an add-on.

English (character analysis, character quick-writes, ethical essay contest, etc.)

Social Science (analyze historical events through character filter, human rights, etc.)

Science (ethical decision making framework for science, cloning, genetic engineering debate, etc.)

Math (word problems that involve character, fudging numbers and its implication, etc.)

Art (character murals, Character-themed projects, service opportunities).

Music (multi-cultural music, performance at charity events, for senior citizens, etc.)

Drama (Tolerance/character themed plays)

After-school program (see following)

Sports/PE (Good sportsmanship, Pursuing Victory With Honor program).

ROP Technology (CC poster contest, “Caught With Character” cell phone photo contest.

SCHOOL-WIDE RECYCLING PROGRAM/CLEAN CAMPUS CREW.

4) HIGHLIGHT ROLE MODELS/HEROES

On and off campus

Adults must walk the walk of good character

Essential to develop relationships with students built on trust and caring

Community

Historical/current day (e.g. Martin Luther King, Jr. , Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, Abraham Lincoln, Bono, Oprah, Jane Goodall, etc.)

“If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”

-Mother Teresa

You see, idealism detached from action is just a dream. But idealism allied with pragmatism, with rolling up your sleeves and making the world bend a bit, is very exciting. It's very real. It's very strong.

-Bono

“Our language is the reflection of ourselves. A language is an exact reflection of the character and growth of its speakers.”

-Cesar Chavez

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world!”

Mohandes Gandhi

5) GIVE STUDENTS MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO DO GOOD, PRACTICE GOOD CHARACTERService Learning critical for this “service generation.”

Connect students to areas of need/issues they are passionate about (key to longevity)

Make service, on and off campus, the norm

In and off campus, on and off the court/field of sports

CALIFORNIA COASTAL CLEAN-UP

CAMPUS HUMANE SOCIETY DRIVE: VIDEO PROMO

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY RELAY FOR LIFE

SERVICE LEARNING FAIR: INTERNSHIP WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES

SERVICE LEARNING FAIR: VOLUNTEER AT HOSPITALS, VISITING SENIORS AND ILL

CHILDREN

SPAY-NEUTER ACTION PROJECT

WORLD AIDS DAY

6) SUPPORT TOLERANCE, DIVERSITY BASED ON RESPECT

Breaking Down the Walls

Safe School Ambassadors

TKF Anti-Violence/Anti-gang Assembly

Holocaust survivor presentation

Multi-Cultural dance/music Assembly

Healthy choices Assembly

BREAKING DOWN THE WALLS WEEK

ROPES COURSE TEAM BUILDING

MIX IT UP DAY

YELLOW RIBBON YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAM

7) DEVELOP COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

District/Community PLC (City, YMCA, non-profit groups, other schools, health groups, service organizations, etc.)

Internships

Volunteer opportunities

Donations for prizes, advertisement, etc.

WALK FOR VISTA’S WINTER SHELTER

NORTH COUNTY CANINE COMPANIONS

8) REWARD AND RECOGNIZE GOOD CHARACTER

Panther of the Month Good Character Awards

Pursuing Victory With Honor Good Sportsmanship Award

Student of the Year Awards

KVHS

Positive Panther cards

Pop Tart Patrol

Character Bucks

STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARDS: REWARDING GOOD CHARACTER

PURSUING VICTORY WITH HONOR GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

IMPLEMENTATION: HOW DO WE DO THIS???

1)Putting your team together

2)Needs assessment/school climate

3)Training/consultation/resources

4)Creating a vision/plan for your school/touchstone

5)Involving ALL school stakeholders (gentle start-no pressure). Create buy-in.

6)Lesson integration (seamless)

7)Evaluating program

8)Maintenance/accelerating momentum

TEACHING GOOD CHARACTERGood character education must be direct and

explicit. What you allow you condone.

School staff must model character—have actions match words.

Based on trusting, caring relationships.

Staff must see their students’ character development as their professional responsibility.

Must engage students on how things ought to be, as opposed to how they are.

Connect students to service, helping them grow empathy by getting involved in the world.

Expect high ethical standards in your classroom.

Provides students opportunities to practice good character (service, etc.)

Model and teach students how to make ethical decisions.

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMSWhat do you already have in place that is

a natural fit for Character Education?

What can you add to your program that supports character development?

Service clubs

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMSJewelry making (sell, donate profits) Haiti Houses

EMM

Creative writing (cards, letters to seniors, etc.)

Cooking (donations to homeless shelter, bake sale for a non-profit)

SLP group

Recycling group

Mentoring

Tutoring

Visit Senior Center

Clean Campus Crew

BREAK-OUT SESSION: CREATING AN ACTION PLAN

Develop a working plan to integrate character into your school/class/program:

Who needs to be on your team?

What is your vision?

How can your specific program integrate character?

Which pillars of character fit best into your program?

What is your touchstone/motto for character on campus?

Break into like groups (teachers by school or subject, admin, after school program coordinators, coaches, etc. See Pg’s 95, 127-129. Report back with preliminary action plan.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CONTACT ME:DAVID HANLONDHANLONJR3@COX.NET