welcome to josephson institute’s character development seminar, a project of the character counts!...
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Welcome to Josephson Institute’s
Character Development Seminar, a project of the
CHARACTER COUNTS!SM Coalition
Supplemental Slides
Overarching Themes
• Identify values underlying behavior• Identify values we want to promote• Instill and strengthen desirable values
Values – core attitudes and
beliefs that drive words and
actions
• Identify alternatives – what could you do?• Review options with respect to core ethical
and pragmatic values• Select the alternative that produces the Best
Possible Result (BPR)
Choices – consciously
selecting a course of action
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Values: Six Pillars• Trustworthiness• Respect• Responsibility• Fairness• Caring• Citizenship
Process: T.E.A.M.• Teach• Enforce• Advocate• Model
Outcome: Best Possible Result• Effective• Ethical• BPR
Defining Elements of CHARACTER COUNTS!
What is CHARACTER COUNTS!
CHARACTER COUNTS! is more than a character development curricula; a fully implemented comprehensive CHARACTER COUNTS! initiative will create a values-based school climate in a manner that enhances academic achievement, social and emotional growth, ethical and moral development and physical and emotional safety.
Trustworthiness
Respect
Responsibility
Fairness
Caring
Citizenship
The Six Pillars of Character
Teach Enforce
Advocate Model
T.E.A.M.
The values that we want children to learn
Consistent application and monitoring
Constant encouragement while making sure we are not neutral about the importance of good character.
Self-conscious about setting a good example in what we do and say.
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ENFORCE• Classroom rules/expectations• Consistency/Fairness• Consequences—positive and negativeADVOCATE• Encourage faculty, staff, students, parents and community members to
think about the Six Pillars and their importance.• Participate in opportunities to promote the initiative in your building or in
the community.• Take the message to everyoneMODEL• Just Do It• “The only true remaining freedom is our ability to choose our attitude in
any given situation” (Victor Frankl)• Make your attitude worth catching • Say what you mean and mean what you say• Everything you do and say sends a message—what message are you
sending?
Things We Need to Teach Children
To think of all their choices in terms of potential
consequences of themselves and others (stakeholders).
Every decision has consequences.
The greater the potential consequences, the higher the
stakes.
The higher the stakes, the more need there is for careful
decision making
Decision-Making
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Effective
Ethical
Best Possible Result
Outcome:Decision-Making
Stop, Think, Act
•Stop How will your choice affect others (stakeholders) – including yourself?
•Think of the right thing to do considering all of the “Six Pillars of Character”.
•Act once you’ve made the choice that produces the best possible result.
•Reflect on your goals and the consequences of your decisions!
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• CHARACTER COUNTS! instills and strengthens educational values including an appreciation of learning and a growth mindset that encourages and inspires children to reach their highest intellectual potential.
Intellectual Development
• CHARACTER COUNTS! instills and strengthens social and emotional values and life skills to assist each student develop healthy and meaningful relationships and lead a personally satisfying and socially responsible life
Social and Emotional
Development
• CHARACTER COUNTS! instills and strengthens moral values essential to good character and ethical conduct
Moral and Character
Development
• CHARACTER COUNTS! instills and strengthens values that promote a healthy life style and physical well-being.
Physical Well-Being
Instruction: Direct teaching and advocacy concerning what is right, desirable and effective
Emulation: Adoption of attitudes and beliefs of others (i.e., role models)
Habituation: Inculcation of automatic patterns of thinking and being
How are values learned?
Effective learning is best accomplished in a peaceful, respectful and caring setting where teachers and students can focus full attention on the tasks of learning, unimpeded by fear for personal safety, emotional distractions, disorder and disruptions.
School climate reflects the norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching, learning and leadership practices, and organizational structures that comprise school life.
Research shows that a sustainable, positive school climate reduces drop outs and fosters personal development and academic achievement.
School Climate
School Climate
Improvement
ValuesThe beliefs & attitudes our
school can explicitly and intentionally instill in
students
PeopleThe professional
development experiences to ensure competence,
commitment and connectedness on the part
of all staff
Policies & Practices
Create CHARACTER
COUNTS! charter and expectations
Relationships
Improve social environment and create a sense of
belonging through activities, rituals,
celebrations
Physical Plant & Resources
Make it safe and conducive to
learning
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Create awareness of
the pillars using visual displays and
integration of the common
language.
Build bonds and model character
Teach academics
and character at the same
time
Practice character-
based discipline
Provide opportunities
to help students
make good decisions by choosing the best possible
result.
Communicate with parents.
Connect with colleagues
How to Build Classrooms of Character
1.Creating Classroom of Character – Awareness
•Embedding the vocabulary•Visual displays•Use of quotations•Journaling•Class motto or slogan•Compact - Students will…
The Teacher will…•Classroom meetings
Use of a common language to describe and teach character substantially increases the effectiveness of character-building programs by exposing students to consistent and pervasive
messages.
• Messages about the meaning & importance of the core values should be frequent and conspicuously repeated to promote a common language.
Repetitive
• The core values should pervade all aspects of organizational activity and all direct contacts with students.
Pervasive
2. Build Bonds and Model Character
– Teach as if relationships matter– Get to know students as individuals– Power of example
ModelingChildren "learn what they live" so it is important that all adults
who interact with children demonstrate positive character traits at home, school and in the community.
Key Principle: A positive classroom environment supports CHARACTER
COUNTS!
3. Teach CHARACTER COUNTS! Through the Curriculum
Using the ethically rich content of academic subjects as vehicles
for teaching character
Key Principle: CHARACTER COUNTS! is
part of every subject, not just another subject.
Integrated Curriculum
• Character education is an integral part of the curriculum at all grade levels.
• Mining the academic curriculum for its character-building potential requires teachers to look at their grade-level subject matter and ask, "What are the natural intersections between the curriculum I have to cover and the values I wish to foster?" The intersection between content and the Six Pillars
creates character connections• What does that look like in teaching your subject or
grade level?
Ideas to Use CHARACTER COUNTS! in Classroom Lessons
• Teachers need to move from incidental to intentional methods of teaching character.
• If teaching sound character is left to incidental or opportunistic instruction, then we can be confident that students’ application of sound character will be similarly sporadic and occasional.
CHARACTER COUNTS! needs to become part of the DNA of your school
4. Practice Character-Based Discipline
• Successful character education cannot be separated from the system of discipline and student recognition employed within each school.
• As a teacher you face issues related to character when students make a decision to learn or not to learn, to act in anger or not, to disrupt the class or not. All are matters of skills and character.
Develop principles• What behaviors do you want your students to exhibit?• Can you tie these to state standards? Can you keep the list
simple?Develop intentional instructional strategies• What will these principles look like in the classroom?• How will you teach them? How will you assess them?• What resources ( books, articles, activities, music, etc) will you
need in order to make CHARACTER COUNTS! relevant and engaging for students?
Train all teachers• All teachers will need to be able to teach the principles, as well
as model and use them.• How will you train all teachers? What supports will you provide?
Allot time for teachers to collaborate• Can you make time in the schedule to have meetings devoted
to CHARACTER COUNTS!? Is there ample time for teachers to discuss issues they are having and to discuss student progress and needs?
Build in accountability• How will you measure success? How will you ensure students
are making progress and teachers are modeling the ideal behaviors?
Ensure school-wide integration and be unwavering in applying the principles
• How will you ensure CHARACTER COUNTS! does not stop at the classroom door? How will you communicate with parents? How will you integrate the Six Pillars into the school culture, hallways, conversations, and disciplinary procedures?
Vision
Buy-in
Training
Assessment
Resources
ActionPlan
The starting point for goals as an expression by the staff as what they want the school to be
Staff commitment to integrating the pillars into classroom and school with intentional strategies
Teachers must be taught how to teach character with In-service opportunities provided for all who are a part of CC!.
Measures are determined that will provide information as to whether goals are being met with an understanding we value those
things we measure.
Adequate resources of time, materials and strategies allows the vision to be achieved.
Provides direction to make CC! a sustainable initiative by putting words into identifiable and observable approach to creating
classrooms where character counts.
CONCLUSIONS
• Elementary Leadership Program• Soccer with Honor• Improved Discipline• Turn Up The Music (youtube)
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