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)