FOR
CHARACTER
creating
schools and communities for character!
May/June,
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 …
· How to Use a Movie to Discuss Character
· An Activity to Teach Responsibility
· Commentary by Michael Josephson
The first week of May is when schools celebrate “Teacher Appreciation Week.”
From what I’ve learned as an administrator, teachers are truly the heart of a quality school district. Polls taken on the attitudes of the general public consistently indicate parents and the public at large have a high regard for teachers. In the annual Gallup survey on public attitudes towards schools, teachers generally rank as the best-light component of schools.
I believe good schools and good teachers are synonymous terms. Are you able to identify characteristics of a good teacher? One does not need to be a skilled appraiser of teachers to take note of some attributes of good teachers. Even a casual observation will reveal that good teachers share several characteristics, including the following:
· Demonstrates alignment between what is planned, taught and assessed;
· Has a strong interest in children as well as caring about what and how they learn;
· Is motivated to do the best job with a strong commitment to meeting student needs;
· Possesses excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate with parents about student progress on a regular basis;
· Is able to maintain a positive learning atmosphere so the classroom is a safe and conducive place for students to learn;
· Presents a friendly, enthusiastic and caring attitude;
· Has excellent organizational skills;
· Demonstrates the ability to engage students in the learning process;
· Conveys high expectations for achievement through instructional goals and activities, interactions and environment;
· Is a person of integrity.
I know there are other characteristics. These are, however,
key talents I look for when our district hires teachers. Did you notice how
many of the characteristics emphasize the core values of Trustworthiness,
Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship? I am convinced there is connection between
quality learning and the character evident in the life of a teacher. Michael Josephson says, “to design and build a culture
that promotes and nurtures quality and character a school district must seek
and support people who love quality and have character.” Good teachers truly
promote quality learning and good character in what they teach and how children
are instructed.
To
pursue quality in classroom instruction does not limit the time for good
teachers to emphasize in their words and action the core values of CHARACTER
COUNTS! Instruction is enhanced when a
teacher who models the qualities and traits associated with good character
integrates the core values into the lesson.
I know this is the kind of teacher I would like for my children. For
those quality teachers in my own district and those with whom I work across the
country, I say “Thanks” for providing quality and character in all you do by
educating our most precious resource – children.
Gary Smit
From the For Character web site:
Integration Into the
Life of a School
100 Ways to Promote
Character Education
Readiness
Checklist for Schools NEW
Ideas For School
Activities and Programs
Collection of
Character Quotes NEW
THE AMERICAN YOUTH CHARACTER AWARDS
Our
society also hands out prizes for athletics, television, literature, journalism,
math, science -- almost every field in the curriculum except character, and a
great many fields not in the curriculum. Yet what matters more than character?
The American Youth Character Awards (AYCA)
helps fill this gap. They spotlight those kids who really make a difference, who
go beyond the compulsory or convenient to help others, who overcome obstacles
and live with integrity. The AYCAs bring role models onto the winners’
platform.
Please take a look at the new AYCA pages on
the CHARACTER COUNTS! website,
beginning at http://www.charactercounts.org/ayca/index.htm.
You’ll discover profiles of intriguing people, descriptions of programs
nationwide and lists of honorees and local contacts. You’ll find that AYCA is
locally run -- the national office gives out no awards -- and that CC! provides
a handy implementation kit. You’ll see how easily you can get involved.
INFORMATION YOU CAN USE
· MORAL TEACHERS, MORAL STUDENTS
http://www.ascd.org/publications/ed_lead/200303/weissbourd.html
Educators influence students' moral development not simply by being good role models -- important as that is -- but also by what they bring to their relationships with students day to day: their ability to appreciate students' perspectives and to disentangle them from their own, their ability to admit and learn from moral error, their moral energy and idealism, their generosity, and their ability to help students develop moral thinking without shying away from their own moral authority. That level of influence makes being an adult in a school a profound moral challenge. And it means that we will never greatly improve students' moral development in schools without taking on the complex task of developing adults' maturity and ethical capacities. According to Rick Weissbourd, we need to rethink the nature of moral development itself.
·
BUSINESS ETHICS
Programs are emerging daily to address what some call “ a crisis of ethics in business.” Values Education is being used by many businesses world-wide to improve community trust and business-person behavior. It includes non-religious material featuring a “common sense” moral code. The booklet is sponsored by the community with the sponsors advertising on the back of the booklet and distributed at no cost. If you are interested in evaluating this material please view the web site at
http://www.rehabilitatenz.co.nz/pages/values-education.html
·
STUDY SAYS VALUES ARE TAUGHT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Education critics have often said that public schools no longer teach values. But a new study finds that traditional and contemporary values permeate public schooling. While many values of strong families and strong individuals are taught, the values emphasized by the schools are strongly influenced by their interest in maintaining order, emphasizing effort, and fostering a sense in all students of identification with their campus. Values such as citizenship and respect are often reinterpreted to fit these basic organizational interests of schools.
School shootings, bullying and other acts of youth violence have been reported as an epidemic both in Colorado and across the country. Yet the debate, until now, overlooked and often excluded young people themselves. Youth and Violence: Colorado Students Speak Out for a More Civil Society is the first study to ask Colorado's young people what they think can be done to stop the violence that affects them at home, at school and in their community. The new study asked more than 1,000 5th-12th graders in Colorado what they would do to stop VIOLENCE in their lives. A large number of students said they would put an end to the "emotional violence" -- such as teasing and gossiping -- that they said leads to more serious physical violence later on. The Colorado Trust and the Families and Work Institute joined together to produce this first-of-its-kind study. The report, accompanying video, summary, news release and related statement from the Colorado Attorney General can be found at:
http://www.coloradotrust.org/pdf/newsreleases/NR7_24YouthViolenceCO.pdf
HOW
TO USE A MOVIE TO DISCUSS CHARACTER: The Emperor's Club
Universal
Pictures presents a film directed by Michael Hoffman. Written by Neil Tolkin.
Based on the short story "The Palace Thief" by Ethan Canin. Running
time: 109 minutes. Rated PG-13
Central Theme: A man’s
character is his fate.
Story: William
Hundert believes the classics, strives to live the virtuous life as defined by
'the greats 'and teaches history to the brightest and the best at St.
Benedict’s Academy. His dream is to one-day serve as Headmaster of the Academy.
The arrival of Sedgewick Bell, the privileged son of a wealthy and influential
Senator, poses a challenge for Hundert’s teaching skills and eventually for his
adherence to his own ethical code.
Determined to bring out the best in the disruptive Sedgewick, he challenges him
to enter the rigorous Julius Caser competition. Sedgewick’s work improves
dramatically and when in the final essay he is within one point of being one of
three finalists, Hundert, in a rare lapse of judgment, provides the extra grade
required to allow Sedgewick into the competition, though it is at the expense
of the earnest and hard working son of a former Caesar winner, Martin Blythe.
Hundert realizes he has failed as a teacher when, despite the fact that
Sedgewick knows the material, he cheats in the competition. For the next three
years Sedgewick reverts to his lackluster performance. A few years later
Hundert is passed by for the Headmaster’s position and he retires.
But then the successful CEO and wealthy benefactor offers a large gift to St.
Benedicts with the only condition being a rematch of the Julius Caesar
competition moderated by Hundert. Again he hopes Sedgewick has changed and
there is every appearance that he has. During the competition Sedgewick’s
character reveals his fate, Hundert confesses his lapse in judgment to Blythe
and the education of a lifetime comes to fruition in Hundert himself.
This is a rare study on whether character counts in a society where it
increasingly seems not to. The message that character matters is delivered by a
man who lives his code for the most part, but is also flawed. It makes the
character and the story’s moral point seem more real. This is especially true
in light of Sedgewick’s apparent success in life despite his cavalier and
duplicitous attitude about character.
Beliefs:
1.
A man’s character is his
fate.
2.
Our character shapes our
contribution.
3.
The investment of a good
teacher is written in their students and is passed on for generations.
Questions Worth Discussing
- Does character really matter and why?
- Does character determine your fate? How?
- Why do so many people lacking in
character seem so successful?
- Who taught you the most about character?
Provocative Quotes
·
In everyone’s life there’s
that one person who makes all the difference.
·
Days that begin with rowing
are better than those that don’t and a man’s character determines his fate. I
am a teacher. I taught for 34 years and then I stopped.
·
I can’t tell you why I agreed
to come. It had something to do with hope.
·
Not for oneself.
·
The end depends on the
beginning.
·
Great ambition and conquest
without contribution is worth nothing.
·
Follow the path; walk where
the great men before you have walked.
·
You cannot step twice into
the same river. A missed opportunity is lost forever.
A partner with CHARACTER COUNTS! is Teach With
Movies. For teachers, a movie provides an alternative educational experience and
highlights points covered by the curriculum. Each of the Learning Guides they
provide can easily be made into a lesson plan. Teachers can give students a
list of films to watch at home with classmates or their families. Teach With
Movies makes it easy to extend learning time beyond the school day and to
enlist parents as active participants in their children's education. Their web
site is: www.teachwithmovies.org
HOW
TO WIN GRANTS: Understanding Grantmakers (excerpted from
CHARACTER COUNTS! Chronicle)
Grantmakers dispense billions of dollars a year to help solve social problems. A wide variety of public and private grants are available, and many Coalition members have won grants to fund training and programs. The key to success is knowing who the grantmakers are and what they are looking for.
Here are key facts about them:
First, grantmakers abound. Most of them want to make a difference in the world and they have money to support projects they think will. So getting a grant isn’t that hard. You simply have to convince them that your CHARACTER COUNTS! program is sound and will yield genuine payoffs.
Second, grantmakers are overworked. Eighty percent of foundations have no staff support. That means they can’t spend much time on each proposal and the reject pile is always waiting. So even a very good argument is usually not enough. You have to make your proposal lucid and well-organized. Grantmakers simply won’t puzzle through obscurities to divine your intentions, much less to supply portions you’ve omitted. Moreover, if your proposal is sloppy, they may assume you’ll handle the project sloppily. On the other hand, you can take advantage of grantmaker overwork. Submit a clear proposal and you gain an edge over all those who don’t.
Lack of staff also means delays. So gaining approval may take time. And if you omit basic ingredients of the proposal package, like your IRS letter confirming 501(c)(3) status, the delays will stretch out much longer.
Third, grantmakers are pragmatic. Contrary to most people’s assumptions, your basic idea is not the key to the proposal. It will be good, but grantmakers hear good ideas all the time. Instead they will focus on the implementation. They want to know that it will work. To convince them, you need a plan that is both realistic and time-based, with clear and measurable goals. You’ll also want to present evidence of the benefits CHARACTER COUNTS! has brought other communities.
Do not try to hype grantmakers. CHARACTER COUNTS! doesn’t need it, and grantmakers usually have good instincts about which plans will work. In fact, it’s their job to separate the solid projects from the inflated. Don’t even overstate your case, or the results you can achieve. Set the bar too high and you’ll suffer. It’s better to deliver more than you promise.
Don’t be afraid to ask for the amount you really need. You don’t want to get the grant and find out too late you are underfunded. That means accurately determining your needs, thinking all the costs through. On the other hand, if you do carefully analyze your budget, you will impress the grantmaker with your solidity and make a better argument overall.
Emphasize a broad base of community involvement, noting your volunteers, local donors, and participants. Funders like to know they are backing programs with wide appeal.
ACTIVITY TO TEACH RESPONSIBILITY
HOW TO BE A RESPONSIBLE PERSON (AND FEEL GREAT!)
When you agree to do something, do it. If you let people down, they'll stop believing you. When you follow through on your commitments, people take you seriously.
Answer for your own actions. Don't make excuses or blame others for what you do. When you take responsibility for your actions you are saying "I am the one who's in charge of my life."
Take care of your own matters. Don't rely on adults to remind you when you're supposed to be somewhere or what you're supposed to bring. You take the responsibility.
Be trustworthy. If somebody trusts you to borrow or take care of something, take care of it. If somebody tells you something in confidence, keep it to yourself. It's important for people to know they can count on you.
Always use your head. Think things through and use good judgment. When you use your head you make better choices. That shows your parents they can trust you.
Don't put things off. When you have a job to do, do it. Doing things on time helps you take control of your life and shows that you can manage your own affairs.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
1. Write the six responsible behaviors (see "How To Be A Responsible Person" at the top of this column) on the board, or make copies and hand them out. Have the children think of a few examples for each behavior. Then, for each example, have them brainstorm ways of handling irresponsible people. List the best ideas on the board.
2. Take the examples from activity #1, above, and turn them into role-playing situations using two kids at a time. First, have them role-play the irresponsible behavior, and then, the responsible behavior. Have the group critique each of the role-plays.
3. Design a "Being Responsible" poster illustrating the six responsible behaviors. Put it up on your classroom wall.
4. Have a discussion about classroom responsibility. What are the kids' responsibilities, and what are the teacher's responsibilities? Make a chart of these responsibilities on the board. What are the consequences of being irresponsible? What are the rewards of being responsible?
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
1. How responsible are you? For each of the six responsible behaviors listed at the top of this column, rate yourself on a scale of one to five (1=awful, and 5=terrific). For each of these behaviors give an example of how you are either responsible or irresponsible, and what you could do to improve.
2. Write about a time when you did something really responsible. Describe it. What was the outcome? How did it make you feel about yourself? Describe a time you did something really irresponsible. What was the outcome? How did it make you feel about yourself?
3. This assignment will encourage young people to play a responsible role in society. Have everybody in the class write a letter to the President or to your senator or congressman about an environmental issue that is currently in the news. Let the kids know that you are going to put all their letters into a large envelope and mail it. Then, do it. Share any response with the kids.
4. Write about the kinds of responsibilities you feel for (or to):
a) yourself
b) your family
c) your friends
d) your community
e) the whole country
f) all people throughout the world
g) our planet and our environment
5. Write about the differences between adult responsibilities and children's responsibilities. What does responsibility have to do with growing up? What responsibilities do you look forward to?
COMMENTARY BY MICHAEL JOSEPHSON
IF WE
TAKE CONTROL WE HAVE CONTROL
It's often said that our choices reveal our character, but it's also true that our choices shape our character.
Thus, the more aware we become of the
choices we make every single day -- choices about our attitudes, our words, our
actions and our reactions -- the more power
we have over our own destiny.
According to Senator Bob Bennett of Utah, a big supporter of CHARACTER COUNTS!, "Your life is the sum result
of all the choices you make, both
consciously and unconsciously. If you can control the process of choosing, you
can take control of all aspects of your life. You
can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of yourself."
It's true. When we accept moral responsibility for our choices we take charge
of our lives. Yet sometimes the power to choose is not self-evident, especially
to teenagers who are struggling to deal with hormone-intensified impulses
accompanying powerful emotions like excitement, desire, frustration, and anger.
These emotions can be so strong that they create moods and urges that seem
beyond control and, as a result, no attempt is made to control them.
At the root of good decision making is self-control and knowledge that no
matter how difficult or confusing the situation, we always have the power to
choose what we think, say and do, even when we're under tremendous pressure and
even when we don't like our options. Like a ship without a captain to steer it,
when we hide behind our self-serving illusion of helplessness -- "you made
me mad," "you left me no choice," "I couldn't help
myself" -- our lives move in aimless and random directions and sometimes
run aground. If we take control, we have control.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.