Chapter 6: Value-Driven Classrooms: A School Culture That Develops Character
- Character education teaches the habits of thought and deed that help people live and work together as families, friends, neighbours, communities, and nations” – US Department of Education (149).
- Character education also means an effort by the whole school community to positively develop a strength of character that will help students live in our society both today and tomorrow (152).
- Understand the strengths and weaknesses of personal character, this will help you read your own students (154).
- Character development can be integrated into the language arts curriculum.
- Students can determine the central message, lesson or moral of a text (155).
- Discussing how people, both in real life and in books, overcome hardships and use strategies to solve problems (155).
- Guided readings can be a good strategy (155).
- Sometimes character education fits in as teachable moments (161).
- Build upon what students have already learned at home or in the community (169).
Teacher tools:
Creating Common Values:
Schwartz, Kyle. I Wish My Teacher Knew: How One Question Can Change Everything For Our Kids. Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2016.
- Determine the values you want your students to embody (162). Find values that the community shares or is interested in (164).
- Once the values of a school community have been clarified, a common language can be formed (164). Building this language can be done among teachers, students, and community members (165).
- For example, some schools put a high value on kindness (165). Share language can help us celebrate exceptional character in our student in our students (165).
- The purpose is to evaluate character for students based on the frequency a specific train is demonstrated (167). This will give students a clear picture of what a specific values looks like in real life (167).
- Additionally, the purpose is so can be able to reflect on their own character and set goals (167).
- “I expect greatness from my students and therefore also expect pride, tolerance and resiliency (168).”
Schwartz, Kyle. I Wish My Teacher Knew: How One Question Can Change Everything For Our Kids. Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2016.