Character Development "We must remember that education alone is not enough. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of a true education." Martin Luther King Jr.

Why Character Development? The two main purposes of education must be to: i)teach students the application of knowledge and skills ii) help them understand that morally responsible behavior is necessary to be truly successful in life. Character education is neither a prescriptive program nor a specific curriculum,rather it is an ongoing process where teachers naturally integrate character lessons into their teaching, classroom expectations and procedures

Six Important Questions 1.What is character development? 2. What are the benefits of character development? 3. Are all schools participating? 4. Who decides what character will be taught? 5. How will students learn about character in school? 6. Is character development effective?

What a Successful Character Education Program looks like Comprehensive, multi-faceted Promote student bonding to school Students and staff feel safe and supported Administrative leadership Integrated character and academic education Well-implemented, whole school approach Staff development and training Direct teaching of relevant personal and social skills Parent involvement Community involvement Student reflection on social and moral issues Adults modeling good character

Benefits of Character Ed. Programs to the School Research Shows: Boosts academic performance, even if the program doesn’t explicitly seek it Diminishes violence, aggression and drug use Positive school climate Increases coping skills and attachment to school. Provides high expectations for learning and behaviour All (students, staff, parents, community) share the responsibility to model the universal attributes upon which we find common ground

Characteristics of Safe Schools Center for Study & Prevention of Youth Violence High academic expectations & performance High levels of parental & community involvement A few clearly understood & uniformly enforced, rules Social skills instruction, character education & good citizenship. After school – co-curricular programs

Are All Schools Doing This? In October 2006, Ontario Ministry of Ed. releases Finding Common Ground: Character Development in Ontario’s Schools, K-12 This policy outlines the government’s goals, principles, and rationale for its Character Development Initiative and the expectations of school boards, principals, teachers, and students. The goals of the initiative include improved academic achievement, safer schools, fewer behaviour problems, responsible citizenship, positive school cultures, and improved life preparation and employability skills. Finding Common Ground called for implementation of the Character Development Initiative in all schools during the school year.

What Character Attributes? Who Decides? Each board has established their own mottos and attributes.

Trillium Lakelands:

York Region: Character Matters respect, responsibility, honesty, empathy, fairness, initiative, perseverance, courage, integrity, and optimism.

Students will learn by: Teach character lessons in every subject area. Embed into everything we teach and do. The school is a caring community of learners in which there is a palpable bond connecting the students, the staff, and the school Model the meaning of the attribute Organize and facilitate opportunities for students to demonstrate the attributes through actions Discipline and classroom management concentrate on problem-solving rather than rewards and punishments “Effective character education is not adding a program or set of programs to a school. Rather it is a transformation of the culture and life of the school.” Dr. Marvin Berkowitz

How? Give us some ideas! Thought provoking announcements Class discussions Motivational Speaker series Student poster/art work to promote attributes Parent info sheets Use opportunities in curriculum to engage students in thinking about character & values Student recognition Display boards Leadership Teams to provide mini lessons for teachers to use Community events and signs Class discussions Themed months Community Service Peer helping, buddies, mentoring

Effectiveness Research Shows Changes social context to break up antisocial networks Improves parent effectiveness Increases academic success Creates positive school climates Teaches & encourages individual social skills & competence

How to Measure Effectiveness? Pre-assessment and Post Assessment of: Referral rates Anecdotal teacher impressions, Discipline issues School culture Changes in students

“To teach a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.” -- Theodore Roosevelt