Character Education Presented by: Kirk J. Dodson

The Erosion of Character The WWII generation, the so – called “Greatest Generation,” accepted their duties of responsibility to faith, family and country, as well as those of respect and trustworthiness willingly and without question. The erosion of American character began in the 1960s during the Vietnam War and continued into the Watergate era. Vincent, P.F. (Ed.). (1996). Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill: Character Development Group.

The Erosion of Character Those who came of age during the ’60s had few qualms about questioning authority and turning their backs on their civic responsibilities. This decline in social and civic values continued through subsequent generations and has brought us to a place where character education must be incorporated into district curricula across the nation. Vincent, P.F. (Ed.). (1996). Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill: Character Development Group.

“Education worthy of its name is essentially education of character.” ~Martin Buber Vincent, P. F. (1994). Developing Character in Students. Chapel Hill: New View Publications.

Defining Character Education Character education is the term used to describe many aspects of teaching and learning for personal development. Character education is an approach that connects the morality of education to the social and civic aspects of students’ everyday lives. Gholar, C. (2004). Character Education: Creating a Framework for Excellence. Urban Programs Resource Network, Retrieved from

Defining Character Education Some terms that fall under the “umbrella” of character education and are taught as part of a program include: moral reasoning, social and emotional learning, moral education, life skills education, caring community, health education, violence prevention, conflict resolution and peer mediation and ethics. Gholar, C. (2004). Character Education: Creating a Framework for Excellence. Urban Programs Resource Network, Retrieved from

Defining Character Education Character education may also be defined as the development of knowledge, skills and abilities that enable one to make informed and responsible choices while coming face to face with the realities of life. It emphasizes responsibility and rewards participants who live productively in the diverse world. Gholar, C. (2004). Character Education: Creating a Framework for Excellence. Urban Programs Resource Network, Retrieved from

Implementing A Successful Character Education Program When beginning the process of implementing a program in schools, the focal point must be a list of character traits that have been predefined through consensus building. Examples of those traits are: respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring and citizenship. Vincent, P.F. (Ed.). (1996). Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill: Character Development Group.

Implementing A Successful Character Education Program Schools that reach success in implementation invest time in creating an acceptable comfort level for all involved. School leaders should set realistic expectations during the first year in order to establish a common language and promote the character traits through the use of banners, brochures and signs. Vincent, P.F. (Ed.). (1996). Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill: Character Development Group.

Implementing A Successful Character Education Program Opportunities for staff development that focus on integration of character into the curriculum sharpens the educator’s ability to identify opportunities and equips them with specific techniques. Faculty will be able to take advantage of teachable moments that lend themselves to character trait exploration. Vincent, P.F. (Ed.). (1996). Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill: Character Development Group.

Implementing A Successful Character Education Program Character development begins with the following of procedures and the obeying of rules. Failure of students to follow procedures can handicap them in developing intellectual skills as well as social ones that are essential to be accepted by others. Vincent, P. F. (1994). Developing Character in Students. Chapel Hill: New View Publications.

Implementing A Successful Character Education Program A school which implements a successful program works to direct prove to the students that they are able to rise above their present mode of thinking in order to become a better person. Vincent, P. F. (1994). Developing Character in Students. Chapel Hill: New View Publications.

Implementing A Successful Character Education Program The important thing to remember when implementing any new program into a school is that change takes time. Those who attempt to introduce changes with the goal of having a significant impact must be patient. Vincent, P.F. (Ed.). (1996). Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill: Character Development Group.

Building Character Character can be instilled in students in a variety of ways. Schools that wish to help build character in their students should develop rules and procedures with clear expectations. Character can also be fostered through providing activities that actively involve students in volunteer, service and cooperative learning projects, reading, and thinking maps. Vincent, P. F. (1994). Developing Character in Students. Chapel Hill: New View Publications.

Building Character: The Giraffe Heroes Program This high school program is organized around It’s Up to Us, which teaches concepts such as the importance of leading a meaningful life and making your actions count. The executive director of the program assumes that students have concerns about the world around them and if given a chance, they want to have a positive impact on their communities. The K – 12 Giraffe Heroes Program. (2003). The Giraffe Project, Retrieved from

Building Character: The Giraffe Heroes Program The program shows students the importance of selecting an issue of concern and how to initiate service projects to address the problem. The program builds courageous students as it requires them to stick their necks out for the common good, even if that means they may fail or be criticized. The K – 12 Giraffe Heroes Program. (2003). The Giraffe Project, Retrieved from

Building Character: Character Counts Character Counts is a program offered through the Josephson Institute of Ethics and is utilized by many school districts nationwide. It works because of its simplicity, as it offers a common, consistent language that is easily learned by both teachers and students. In order to be successful in implementing the Character Counts program in a school, role – modeling and practice are crucial. There are six pillars of character. Vincent, P.F. (Ed.). (1996). Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill: Character Development Group.

Character Counts: The Six Pillars of Character The six pillars of character are ethical values that can be used to guide one’s choices. Most universal virtues easily fit into the six pillars. Those at the Josephson Institute believe that the six pillars can improve the ethical quality of our lives and decision making, resulting in improved personal character. The Six Pillars of Character. (2002). Josephson Institute of Ethics, Retrieved from

Character Counts Pillar One: Trustworthiness When others trust, they give greater leeway because they do not feel we need to be monitored and yet we will still manage to meet obligations. Being trustworthy can be extremely complicated, once trust is gained we then must live up to the expectations of others. Trustworthiness is composed of values such as honesty, integrity, reliability, loyalty. The Six Pillars of Character. (2002). Josephson Institute of Ethics, Retrieved from

Character Counts Pillar Two: Respect Everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and all should be treated with respect, regardless of who they are or what they have done. We all have a responsibility to be the best we can be in all situations, even when those around us might be unpleasant. This highlights the golden rule. Respect prohibits violence, humiliation or exploitation. Respect reflects civility, courtesy, decency, dignity, tolerance and acceptance. The Six Pillars of Character. (2002). Josephson Institute of Ethics, Retrieved from

Character Counts Pillar Three: Responsibility Being responsible means being in charge of our choices and lives. It means being accountable for who we are and our actions. Ethical people show they are responsible by being accountable, searching for excellence and practicing self – restraint. The Six Pillars of Character. (2002). Josephson Institute of Ethics, Retrieved from

Character Counts Pillar Four: Fairness Fairness implies adherence to a balanced standard of justice without relevance to one’s own feelings. Most agree that fairness includes impartiality and openness, as well as due process. The Six Pillars of Character. (2002). Josephson Institute of Ethics, Retrieved from

Character Counts Pillar Five: Caring Caring is often the heart of ethics, as well as ethical decision making. A person who really cares feels an emotional response to both pleasure and pain of others. The highest form of caring is altruism, or the honest expression of one’s benevolence. The Six Pillars of Character. (2002). Josephson Institute of Ethics, Retrieved from

Character Counts Pillar Six: Citizenship Citizenship includes civic virtues and duties that illustrate how people should behave as part of a community. The good citizen knows and obeys laws, volunteers and stays up – to date and informed of current issues. The Six Pillars of Character. (2002). Josephson Institute of Ethics, Retrieved from

Expectations & Benefits All students benefit when a school district implements a character education program as they are given the opportunity to learn what is expected of them in their communities as they mature and become responsible citizens. Students learn to explore various approaches to problems that are age appropriate. Gholar, C. (2004). Character Education: Creating a Framework for Excellence. Urban Programs Resource Network, Retrieved from

The Teacher’s Role Act as a facilitator of discussions and include all students. Introduce topics and lessons. Ask questions to stimulate various points of view. Assist students in making informed and responsible decisions. Encourage exploration of problem solving behaviors. Gholar, C. (2004). Character Education: Creating a Framework for Excellence. Urban Programs Resource Network, Retrieved from

The Teacher’s Role Teachers need to transform their approach inside of the classroom. When incorporating character education, teachers need to see it both as a philosophy and daily strategy rather than a “let’s stop and do a lesson” approach. Commitment of entire staff is critical to the project’s success. Vincent, P.F. (Ed.). (1996). Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill: Character Development Group.

Character Education in Action The real test or measure of success of a program can be observed by the student’s demonstration of their understanding through application. The best indication of a program’s effectiveness are the ways in which students and staff relate to and respond to one another. Vincent, P.F. (Ed.). (1996). Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill: Character Development Group.

The Goal of Character Education Character education is meant to support the inherent goodness in all individuals. “The task of the modern school must be to cultivate a culture that is conducive to the growth of full potential in all students.” Vincent, P.F. (Ed.). (1996). Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill: Character Development Group.

Questions & Comments

Thanks… Members of the AAHS Social Studies Department: ▫Mrs. Carolyn Kline ▫Mr. Jim Lowe ▫Mrs. Kim Shope Members of the AAHS English Department: ▫Mrs. Katrina Brown ▫Mrs. Jennifer Lowe ▫Mrs. Marie Suter

Works Cited Gholar, C. (2004). Character Education: Creating a Framework for Excellence. Urban Programs Resource Network, Retrieved from Holt Otten, E.. (2000). Character education. Social Studies Development Center, Retrieved from The K – 12 Giraffe Heroes Program. (2003). The Giraffe Project, Retrieved from The Six Pillars of Character. (2002). Josephson Institute of Ethics, Retrieved from Vincent, P. F. (1994). Developing Character in Students. ChapelVincent, P. F. (1994). Developing Character in Students. Chapel Hill: New View Publications. Vincent, P.F. (Ed.). (1996). Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill: Character Development Group.Vincent, P.F. (Ed.). (1996). Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill: Character Development Group.