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Character in Schools
By Shirley K. Fegan
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” We have all
undoubtedly heard this saying before. So much so, in fact, that it
has become somewhat of a cliché. Still, there is truth and beauty in
its simplicity, as is evident every time I see a child or adult
receive that message from a parent, educator, friend, or colleague.
These words hit a nerve and always make sense.
We all strive to achieve a certain level of goodness, and there
appears to be an innate moral fiber within us all. Still, it is our
responsibility, as those who guide and educate the adults of
tomorrow, to make sure that each child acknowledges the existence of
his or her character. We must ensure that our children listen to
their consciences in order to further understand and develop ethical
and moral reasoning.
What is character, and how do schools help develop it? Character
refers to the emotional, intellectual, and moral qualities of a
person or group of people as well as the demonstration of these
qualities in life. Positive character traits are something everyone
should develop. Establishing good character is the responsibility of
the community which includes families, schools, service groups, and
religious institutions.
Character education is based on the premise that teaching character
is essential for the success of a democratic society. It upholds the
ideals of respect, fairness, justice, consideration, and community
service. Character education helps the student develop the ethical,
social, and academic understanding of himself and others, thus
making schools an obvious place to help students develop their
values. However, when teaching character education, whose values and
truths should be taught? Is there a common standard of rights and
wrongs? Who will be responsible for teaching the children about
character?
In the home, family values are learned and practiced daily in the
routines and rituals of the family. They are taught by discussion,
practice, and role modeling. Most children receive their character
education at home, but this foundation is then strengthened at the
community level, primarily in schools, and further through areas
such as service groups and religious institutions.
Most character education curricula in schools typically teachs the
universal values of compassion, honesty, respect, responsibility,
fairness, and good citizenship. These are considered global values
because they hold up in all countries across all demographics. There
is no one correct educational plan for developing good character
rather there are many different educational approaches. Thus,
schools take different approaches and use different models in trying
to ensure the emotional and social growth of the students entrusted
to their care.
Effective programs have and use guidelines which help the educating
institution consciously and consistently teach and enforce
established expectations to the student body. These programs include
a comprehensive, proactive, intentional, evidence-based approach.
These programs may include core values such as the Character Counts
program. The character model includes how an individual thinks,
behaves, and feels. Children develop internal motivations, a caring
of community, and a responsibility of all to live and practice good
character. Effective programs also foster a desire to teach, learn,
model, and advocate character education. They encourage the “school
community” to share in the active education of character building
and to evaluate programs based on their effectiveness in the school
community. Throughout, these programs utilize the same modality of
discussion, practice, and role modeling seen in the home model.
The people who teach the programs are teachers, administrators, bus
drivers, building service people, students, and the parents.
Everyone is an educator in an effective character program. The
typical lesson doesn’t always take place in the classroom. It can be
found in the lunchroom, on the school bus, or in the gymnasium. It
is found anywhere that one’s decision making skills can be put to
the test. The charge to the schools is to help students understand
how to use those universal values as the basis for moral decision
making. As students enter into adolescence and begin to face ethical
dilemmas, they have to learn how to apply their basic values and
learned principles into more complex situations where the right
choice is not always obvious.
Basically, it all comes back to that golden rule, “Do unto others as
you would have them do unto you” and those sayings you learned years
ago in school such as “Put yourself in someone else’s shoes.”
Developing character in schools always seems to come full circle no
matter what the educational curriculum as long as there are good
guidelines to follow.
Shirley K. Fegan is Head of School at The Congressional Schools of
Virginia. This school enrolls students from preschool through grade
8 at its campus in Falls Church, Virginia. For more information,
visit the school’s website at
www.congressionalschools.org.
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