FOR
CHARACTER
creating
schools and communities for character!
September/October, 2003
An electronic
newsletter to help you make sure CHARACTER COUNTS!sm
Gary
Smit
CHARACTER
COUNTS! and the Six Pillars of Character are service marks of the CHARACTER
COUNTS! Coalition, a project of the Josephson Institute of Ethics. For more information about training
opportunities and resources available to assist schools and communities in the
integration of a character education initiative, check out their web site at: www.charactercounts.org or call them at 1-800-711-2670.
IN THIS
ISSUE …
TAKE A MINUTE FOR CHARACTER
CHARACTER COUNTS! ADVANCED CDS
THE 10TH ANNUAL CHARACTER COUNTS! WEEK - Ways to Celebrate
INFORMATION YOU CAN USE
CHARACTER
CONNECTION FOR PARENT, CHILD AND SCHOOL
CHARACTERplus tm
ROLE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR IN A CHARACTER EDUCATION INITIATIVE
COMMENTARY BY MICHAEL JOSEPHSON
TAKE A MINUTE FOR CHARACTER – Gary Smit
Almost everyone has had a boss who was, shall we put it delicately, less than perfect. I came across a web site that shared stories written by employees who did not have anything good to say about their bosses. Who are these people? How do we recognize them? And, if we supervise staff, how do we avoid becoming one of them? Here are a few of the statements made by disgruntled employees when speaking about the individual who supervises them.
· If my arms are full of papers, boxes, books, or supplies, don’t open the door for me. I need to learn how to function as a paraplegic and opening doors with no arms is good training in case I should ever be injured and lose all use of my limbs.
· If you have special instructions for a job, don’t write them down. In fact, save them until the job is almost done. No use confusing me with useful information.
· Wait until my yearly review and THEN tell me what my goals SHOULD have been. Give me a mediocre performance rating with a minimal raise or even freeze my salary.
·
If it’s really
a rush job, run in and interrupt me every 10 minutes to inquire how it’s going.
That helps. Or even better, hover behind me, advising me at every keystroke.
·
If you don’t
like my work, tell everyone. I like my name to be popular in conversations. I
was born to be whipped.
Why
is it that most employees think their bosses are at least a little out of
touch? Probably because they often are. Even those who worked their way to the
top lose some credibility and effectiveness because they don't recognize how
the “Six Pillars of Character” apply to the work they do. Michael Josephson has identified these Ten
Truths for the Boss that I’d like to share with you in this issue:
1. The more certain you are that "it can't happen here," the more likely it is that it will. Be careful about overconfidence and complacency.
2. There are lots of things you don't know, and lots of people who hope you don't find out. Hardly anybody tells you the whole truth anymore. Information is filtered through the fears and career aspirations of subordinates, and many employees believe you will "kill the messenger" if they deliver bad news so they tell you what they think you want to hear.
3. To those who want to please you, your whisper is a yell and your comments are commands. Be careful, people may do foolish things to please you.
4. What you allow, you encourage.
5. There's never just one bad employee; there's the employee and the manager who keeps him.
6. At least someone who works for you is "gaming" the system so they appear to reach their business objectives with smoke and mirrors rather than real achievement.
7. According to the law of big numbers, if you have lots of employees, you probably have a few crooks and psychopaths working for you.
8. Few people think as highly of your ethics as you do.
9. No matter how many good things you do, you will be judged by your last worst act.
10. No matter what your job description says, what matters most is how you manage relationships and people.
A failure to uphold the pillars of trustworthiness, respect,
responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship were clearly evident in the
negative statements made by employees to describe their bosses. On the other hand, do you see the “Pillars
of Character” in the “Ten Truths for
the Boss”? Think about it.
The values we want to see in
children also form the framework for our life even if we are the boss.
Gary Smit
From the For Character web site:
· A Quiz on What Really Counts This link has been the most requested page on the For Character web site. If you have a high speed connection and Windows Media Player, you can watch and even download the Maurice Cheeks video clip.
· 11 Principles of Effective Character Education
· Summing Up the Case for Values Education
CHARACTER COUNTS! ADVANCED
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR
Are you a graduate of a CHARACTER COUNTS! Character Development Seminar (CDS)? If so, you may be interested in learning more about a new offering from the Josephson Institute. The Advanced Character Development Seminar is a two-day workshop that delves deeply into issues of sustainability, evaluation and more. The seminar is for CDS graduates only, and is taught by the most experienced CHARACTER COUNTS! national faculty.
Topics covered:
· Best practices from model programs across the country
· New models of community implementation and sustainability
· Strategic planning
· Overcoming obstacles to success
· Strategies for at-risk youth
· Guidelines for evaluation of effectiveness
· Grant writing and fundraising
Many CDS graduates have already established impressive character-education initiatives, but as you’ve probably heard, you don’t have to be sick to get better. Consider attending an Advanced Character Development Seminar to make your character-building endeavors the best they can be.
Advanced CDS Upcoming Courses
· Sept. 23-24, 2003 - Downers Grove, IL
· Oct. 21-22, 2003 - Dallas, TX
· Oct. 28-29, 2003 - Los Angeles, CA
THE 10TH ANNUAL CHARACTER
COUNTS! WEEK IS OCT. 19-25, 2003!
National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week is celebrated every year during the third full
week of October. Here is a list of ways
you can help to celebrate the week.
WAYS TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL CC! WEEK
· Prepare a CC! insert in the local paper. Include local news articles on CC!, the Six Pillars of Character or character in general. (Permission to use the CC! logo is required.)
· Make a banner or poster that reads “CHARACTER COUNTS! in (name of city).” Display it across a major thoroughfare and/or throughout workplaces in the community. (Permission to use the CC! logo is required.)
· Sponsor CC! mini-booth exhibits at a local fair or school festivals. Distribute CC! literature and display posters on the Six Pillars of Character.
· Design, print, and distribute CHARACTER COUNTS! and/or Six Pillars bumper stickers. (Permission to use the CC! logo is required.)
· Ask local libraries and bookstores to recommend and display books dealing with good character during the Week.
· Arrange for all participants in community sports leagues to create and sign a “CHARACTER COUNTS! in Sports” contract, committing them to practice good sportsmanship and the Six Pillars of Character.
· Organize an essay contest addressing the topic of character development or (un)ethical behavior. Publish winning essays in the school newspaper or newsletter
· Arrange a rap contest with rap songs related to character or the Six Pillars. Publicize the event and its winners in newspapers and the newsletters of local groups.
· Have a “Doing the Right Thing” poster contest for children and display the art in shopping centers, government offices, businesses, schools, libraries, etc.
· Sponsor a contest for teens to design T-shirts focusing on one or more of the Six Pillars. Seek support from local businesses to print the shirts, then recruit local teens to sell the T-shirts to support CC! or a local charity.
· Have a photography contest focusing on the Six Pillars in everyday life. Display photos in a prominent location.
· Have students make a CC! movie. Divide responsibilities, including script-writing, casting, camera work, editing, music, etc. Organize a “screening” of the videotape.
· Plan a fundraising project for a local charitable organization.
· Design and print holiday cards with a character theme. Have a contest and select the top entries. Sell the cards during CC! Week.
· Distribute CC! ribbons, pencils, buttons and stickers to recognize students who exemplify one of the Six Pillars during the week.
· Design and print lunchroom placemats that read “CHARACTER COUNTS! at (name of school).” Design a placemat for each day, featuring one or more of the Six Pillars. Send the placemats home on Friday for families to use and discuss.
· Organize students to decorate their school with the Six Pillars. Display banners, posters and artwork on classroom doors, in hallways, in the library, cafeteria and gym. Be creative.
· Have students build six “pillars” from papier mâché, corrugated cardboard or construction paper. Identify them as the “Six Pillars of Character” and display them in a prominent place.
· Add quotes and character-building reminders on the school calendar; make a calendar for the Week, listing CC! activities plus suggestions for practicing the Six Pillars at home.
· Have a costume day at school where students and teachers dress as real or fictional heroes who have shown good character. Have each person identify which of the Six Pillars his/her hero exemplifies.
· Have students write reviews of books with characters who demonstrate good character, then have them present these reports to the class and discuss.
· Have students interview a person who demonstrates one or more of the Six Pillars, then have them present these interviews to the class and discuss.
· Using the Six Pillars of Character, have students devise rules for the classroom, hallways and playground. Select a “Children’s Task Force” to help enforce the rules.
· Have a PTA/PTO program on “Raising Kids With Character.” Discuss the Six Pillars and what is being done in the classroom to inculcate these values. Encourage parents to reinforce these lessons and to discuss the importance of each Pillar during CC! Week.
· Have students write and decorate notes to stick on a mirror at home, using the phrase “I am a person of character because...”
Additional ideas can be found at the CHARACTER COUNTS! Website: http://www.charactercounts.org/ccweek-ideas.htm
·
Here are a couple
of books that may be of interest to you:Waging Peace in our Schools by Linda Lantieri (CASEL's New York Office
Director) and Janet Patti, Beacon Press
(Description from Publishers Weekly)
The authors, longtime teachers and educational activists, are both associated
with the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program (RCCP), which began in Brooklyn
and has spread across the country, now serving 325 schools. Here they present
with impressive clarity the details of how this mediation approach has worked.
Lantieri and Patti convincingly argue that, because of media glamorization of
violence, the proliferation of weapons among students and the difficult home
lives of many children, a method for achieving nonviolent solutions to problems
of communication is as important as those for teaching reading and writing. The
authors describe many examples of how RCCP has worked in the school to reduce
physical violence, foster appreciation of cultural diversity, enhance learning
and promote greater communication between students and their teachers, as well
as between students both in and outside the school environment.
Building Learning Communities with Character: How to Integrate Academic,
Social, and Emotional Learning by Bernard Novick, Jeffrey S. Kress, and
Maurice J. Elias Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Here's a book that helps examine your school's social and emotional climate and
create a goal-oriented environment that supports learning and achievement. The
authors spell out a nine-step problem-solving approach that addresses the
obstacles administrators face when initiating and maintaining a program.
Promoting Social and Emotional Learning: Guidelines for Educators by
Maurice J. Elias, et al. (CASEL) Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
Fostering knowledgeable, responsible, and caring students is one of the most
urgent challenges facing schools, families, and communities as we enter the
21st century. This book provides sound principles for meeting this challenge.
A Great Resource! Character Connection for Parent, Child and School
Two outstanding teachers I’ve met while presenting at national conferences are Marla Loew and Janie Hamilton. They have written a unique program that offers weekly character education homework for discussion. Their book, Character Connection for Parent, Child, and School, includes weekly parent-child activities designed to raise academic test scores while developing meaningful dialogue supporting character education, human rights, service learning, social skills, family values, and curriculum. The book provides parent-student homework assignments that focus on developing character traits such as responsibility, respect, courage, compassion and citizenship. These homework discussion topics, which are also provided in Spanish, validate how parent participation builds a solid relationship between home and school. Recommended for grades K-6.
For more information and to order a book contact:
Character Connection
2566 Deerwood Way
Oakdale, CA 95361
Telephone: (209) 526-4459
Email: CharacterChat@AOL.com http://www.characterconnectionprogram.com
THE CASE FOR CHARACTER EDUCATION
Announcement! The Character Education Partnership's 10th annual conference, A National Call to Character: Capitalizing On Our Strengths will be held October 16-18, 2003 in Washington, DC. I will be presenting a workshop session on “Moving Character Education From Words to Action.” Also, our district will be bringing a team of middle school students to present on “How to Break Down the Walls.”
CEP is also pleased to announce its
Future Educators for Character grant program, the purpose of which is to
develop innovative approaches for preparing new teachers to integrate sound
character development in their classrooms. For more informati0on on the CEP
Conference and to access the Request for Proposals click here.
http:www.character.org
ONE DAY’S PAY - http://www.onedayspay.org/
Seeking to recapture the spirit of national unity following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America, relatives of 9/11 victims, business leaders and prominent nonprofit organizations have together launched a coast-to-coast initiative urging all Americans, businesses, schools and other groups to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks by permanently observing September 11 as a National Day of Voluntary Service, Charity and Compassion. "Americans want to pay special tribute on that day, and we cannot think of a better expression than to rekindle and sustain the spirit of generosity, humanity and concern that turned strangers into neighbors and unified our entire nation during a very tragic time in our history," said David Paine, president of One Day's Pay, the New York-based nonprofit organization formed to lead the initiative. The goal of One Day's Pay, said Paine, is for more than 30 million people to actively participate annually by 2010, making September 11 one of the most widely observed days of service in American history.
CHARACTERplus
tm
Each year in July, the Cooperating School Districts of St.
Louis sponsor a conference. This is one
of the best conferences on character that is held anywhere in the country. To find out more information about what they
do, check out their website: http://csd.org/staffdev/chared/characterplus.html
In studies conducted with schools involved in the Characterplus
program, they have identified significant changes that have occurred. Their
research team surveyed students, staff, and parents at both the elementary and
secondary levels. Some of the significant positive changes during our five
years of study include:
·
Parent perceptions of
o
School expectations for students.
The school expects everyone to get along, be kind and caring, treat each other
fairly, and tell the truth.
o
Parent and staff relations.
The school staff cares about the parents and their families, treats them with
respect, makes them feel welcome at school, and values their ideas and input.
o
Quality ratings for their schools.
The school provides an excellent education
.
·
Staff perceptions of
o
Parent and staff relations.
The school staff cares about the parents and their families, treats them with
respect, makes them feel welcome at school, and values their ideas and input.
o
School climate.
The adults at the school model the behaviors expected of students;
administration and faculty work well together; administration provides moral
leadership; staff members treat each other with respect; the school offers a
great working environment; teachers make conscious efforts to develop students'
character; parents are involved as full partners; and the school is truly a
caring community.
·
Elementary student perceptions of
o
Altruistic behavior.
Students help others and animals and cheer each other up when they feel sad.
o
Concern for others.
Students want to help others who are having problems. They have concern for
others in the world. They believe that it is proper to ask for help when having
difficulty.
o
Commitment to democratic values.
When provided with problematic scenarios, students identify the most
appropriate democratic solutions to the situation.
·
Secondary student perceptions of
o
Kindness and caring.
Students at the school are nice to each other, include everyone, welcome new
students, let other students know that they care about them, and do not make
fun of others. Adults are kind to students.
o
Respect and responsibility.
Students at the school get along well together, work out problems without
fighting, respect school property, take responsibility for their actions, talk
politely, and respect their teachers. Students think it is important to be good
citizens, attend school every day, and be on time.
o
Fairness and honesty.
Students at the school treat one another fairly, tell the truth, help decide on
school rules, are fair, and follow the rules. Adults treat students fairly.
These results are consistent with the notion that, in
character education, we are moving toward a school culture of pride and a
climate of success. Students receive firsthand experience in creating a
community of good character. Embedded in this are the ideas of respect for
others, regard for fairness and justice, concern for the common good, and
voluntary participation in helping others—all of which can, and should, be
taught in schools.
ROLE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR IN A
CHARACTER EDUCATION INITIATIVE
Address instructional practices that
contribute to the intellectual, ethical, and social growth of the entire
student body by:
·
modeling
ethical behavior
·
assisting staff
and students in understanding the benefits in making informed and responsible
choices
·
conveying clear
expectations regarding the goal of character education
·
being cognizant
of his/her responsibilities as the instructional leader of the school
·
ensuring
school-wide implementation requiring that character education be included in
daily lesson plans and instructional practices
·
establishing a
climate that celebrates the human side of the curriculum
·
recognizing the
efforts and contributions of teachers, students, parents, and the community at
large
·
articulating
the school’s mission through instructional practices on a daily basis
COMMENTARY BY MICHAEL JOSEPHSON
CONTROLLING
THE WEATHER
While teachers can have a lifelong effect on the way students think,
psychologist Haim Ginott focused on a more immediate aspect of impact: the
creation of a positive or negative physical and emotional environment that can
determine the quality of a child's life.
"I've come to a frightening conclusion," he said. "I am the
decisive element in the classroom. My personal approach creates the climate. My
daily mood makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to
make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an
instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. It is my
response that decides whether a crisis will beescalated or de-escalated, and a
child humanized or de-humanized."
As profound as this observation is for professional educators, it's even more
so for parents. The parents' power to create the daily climate and lasting
environment in which their children grow is so awesome it must be used
consciously and responsibly.
Since our daily moods make the weather, we should try to shield our children
from the thunder and lightening of our frustrations and anger. Instead of the
dark clouds of cynicism, fear and depression we should discipline our own
emotions and give them the light and warmth of love, hope and good cheer.
Conscious efforts to be positive, enthusiastic and supportive can have a huge
impact not only on the emotional well-being of our children but on their
ability to experience the joys and pains of childhood in healthy and
constructive ways.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
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