Let Every Lesson be Your Last Lesson!
Jerrold FrankRegional English Language Officer
U.S. Embassy Kyiv
Your Last Lesson…
What is a virtue?
Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being.
Virtues we can promote in our classesAcceptance Dignity Helpfulness Orderliness Tolerance
Assertive Encourage Honesty Passionate Trust
Authenticity Enthusiasm Honor Patience Truthful
Beauty Ethical Humility Peace Understand
Caring Excellence Idealism Persevere Unity
Commitment Fairness Integrity Prepared Visionary
Compassion Faith Imaginative Purposeful Wisdom
Confidence Flexibility Joyfulness Reliability Wonder
Considerate Forgiveness Justice Respectful
Contentment Friendliness Kindness Responsible
Cooperation Generosity Love Self-discipline
Courage Gentleness Loyalty Service
Creativity Graciousness Moderation Sincerity
Control Gratitude Modesty Tact
Determined Harmonious Optimistic Tenacious
Incorporate Virtues in your Classes1. Select a list of virtues you wish to emphasize.2. Model the behavior you expect to help students connect
with real world applications.3. Integrate virtues training in your regular curriculum
instead of artificially separating it out as a discrete topic.4. Build a classroom community that thrives on mutual
kindness and respect.5. Encourage students to reflect on poor choices and
behaviors in terms of virtues.6. Involve students in a variety of service learning projects
from planning to completion.
Virtues Activities• Virtue of the week Diagram• Virtues Role Plays• Name that Virtue• Secret Pal Program• Integrate Virtues into Songs• Virtues Games• Skits• Daily readings• Group Discussions• Post Virtues Posters in Hallways
Virtues Diagram
Excellence
Give your best to everything
Plan and Practice
Set noble goals
Develop your gifts
Glad-Mad-Sad-Scared GameMake up cards with faces representing each of these words. Place them in the center of a circle and model for students by doing this yourself.1. Choose a card (they can be face up or face down).2. With everyone listening in a Virtues Sharing Circle
say, “I feel SAD when I…” or I feel GLAD when I…Say something specific, e.g. “I feel SAD when I have a cold and I miss a day of teaching,
3. After a few rounds of each person picking a card, have the person on the left acknowledge the person to the right for the virtue they noticed in them while the were sharing.
What gift of character are we really calling students to when we say…
1. Stop your talking. A. respect2. Get back to work. B. orderliness3. Clean up this mess. C. Self-discipline4. Don’t talk back to me. D. purposefulness
Acknowledge-Thank-Correct
Acknowledge: I want to acknowledge you for your purposefulness in starting your work right away.Correct: Please be orderly and hang up your coat.Thank: Thank you for your cooperation.
Integrate Virtues in your Curriculum
• Acknowledge Virtues when you see them.• Guide students to practice a virtue when you know they are
about to need it.• Correct misbehavior by naming the virtue involved-replace
shaming with naming.• Focus on what you DO want, not what you don’t want• Use virtues language to be specific.• Name the act, not the actor.• Use a multi-sensory approach in introducing virtues into
your regular curriculum through games, songs, and special activities.
• Have a “Virtue of the Week” Program.
Building a Classroom Community
• Class meetings where all students have a voice in developing goals and rules.
• Cooperative learning activities.• Buddies programs.• Teach conflict resolution.• Turn the school into a laboratory where
students practice the kinds of roles and cope with the kinds of challenges they will face later in life.
Classroom Reflection• What is your PURPOSE? Name a goal which is
important to you and say why.• What have you done so far? Name three things
you have accomplished so far in your life.• A Purposeful Challenge: Practice saying purposeful
three times fast.
Purposefulness Reflection Questions• Name three famous successful people. How do you
think they practiced purposefulness.• What are the biggest distractions when you are trying
to get something done?• What can you do to stay focused?• What is something you are purposeful about?• How important is a sense of purpose to success?• When do you find it easiest to concentrate and stay
focused?• Make three goals you would like to accomplish in the
next three months.
Drawing Purposefulness
Draw three symbols or pictures of three goals you want to accomplish in the next three months, or make a collage using magazine pictures and words to stand for your three month goals.
Poster Points
• Living on purpose• Keep your eyes on the prize• A designer life
Quotes“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Lewis B. Carol“If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got.” Lait Ribeiro“Everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him, and then choose that way with all his strength.” Jewish proverb“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting with the first one.” Mark Twain“Always act, always walk, always proceed. Neither stand still nor go back…” St. Augustine“Strong reasons make strong actions.” Unknown
Service Learning Projects• Brainstorm the needs students see in their town
or in the world. Ask “What touches your compassion?”
• Choose a simple act of service that can make a difference and is respectful to those that can be helped.
• Create a task force in your class to do different parts of it, keep a log of activities, and report each week.
• Be sure to celebrate the completion of the project by reflecting on the virtues that were involved in completing the project.
The End!Jerrold Frank
https://www.coursera.org/course/shaping1landscape and forpart II at https://www.coursera.org/course/shaping2paths.
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