APRESENTAÇÃO

DE APOIO

BEM-ESTAR NA ESCOLA:
A PSICOLOGIA POSITIVA
 Ementa da disciplina
A teoria e perspectiva da psicologia positiva e suas possíveis implicações para o
contexto escolar. A importância do bem-estar de professores e alunos para um bom ambiente
motivador de aprendizagem.
 Professores
MARTIN SELIGMAN THOMAS LICKONA
Professor Convidado Professor Convidado

Psicólogo e professor, o nova iorquino Martin O psicólogo Thomas Lickona promove

Seligman é diretor do Centro de Psicologia Positiva da mundialmente valores morais e o desenvolvimento de
Universidade da Pensilvânia (EUA), com foco em caráter em escolas, famílias e comunidades. É professor
psicologia positiva, depressão, otimismo e prospecção. É de educação emérita e diretor-fundador do Centro
conhecido como pai da Psicologia Positiva, autor de para os 4º e 5º RS (Respeito e Responsabilidade), da
diversos livros, sendo “The hope circuit” e “Positive Universidade Estadual de Nova York, nos Estados
psychotherapy” os mais recentes. Foi presidente da Unidos. Também é autor de oito livros sobre
Associação Americana de Psicologia (APA) e já recebeu desenvolvimento moral e educação de caráter, sendo
diversos prêmios por sua contribuição científica para o traduzidas para 10 idiomas. Entre os títulos, está
tema Psicologia Positiva. Desenvolveu, juntamente com “Educar para o Caráter”, conhecido como a Bíblia do
Christopher Peterson, a contraparte “positiva” do Manual movimento de educação do caráter. Ainda, é autor de
de Diagnóstico e Estatística das Desordens Mentais “Assuntos de Personagem” e coautor de “Smart &
(DSM). Em lugar de focar no que deu errado, olha para o Good High Schools”, com Matthew Davidson. Foi
que deu certo. Pesquisando entre várias culturas através presidente da Associação de Educação Moral, que
dos milênios, extraíram uma lista de virtudes que têm sido promove promover a comunicação entre
altamente valorizadas desde a China e Índia antigas, pesquisadores e profissionais considerando aspectos
Grécia e Roma, e até as culturas ocidentais modernas. Sua da aprendizagem moral, do desenvolvimento e da ação
lista inclui seis virtudes do caráter: ao longo da vida em múltiplos papéis e contextos,
sabedoria/conhecimento, coragem, humanidade, justiça, incluindo a escola, família, local de trabalho,
temperança e transcendência. comunidade e a sociedade em geral.
 Professores
WAGNER DE LARA MACHADO
Professor PUCRS

Psicólogo (ULBRA, 2008), Doutor em Psicologia (UFRGS; 2013) e Pós-

doutorado como consultor de análise quantitativa de dados e psicometria
(UFRGS, 2015). É membro egresso do Grupo de Estudo, Aplicação e Pesquisa
em Avaliação Psicológica (GEAPAP/UFRGS), membro do Grupo de Trabalho
(GT) “Avaliação em Psicologia Positiva e Criatividade” da Associação Nacional
de Pesquisa e Pós-graduação em Psicologia (ANPEPP), membro da diretoria da
Associação Brasileira de Psicologia Positiva (ABP+) e da Associação Brasileira
de Criatividade e Inovação (CRIABRASILIS). Atualmente é professor da Escola
de Ciências da Saúde, nos cursos de Graduação e Pós-Graduação stricto sensu
em Psicologia da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul
(PUCRS). Compõe a linha de pesquisa Teorias, Técnicas e Intervenções em
Psicologia Clínica e é coordenador do Grupo de Pesquisa Avaliação em Bem-
estar e Saúde Mental (ABES). Seus projetos de pesquisa organizam-se em três
eixos: 1) construção e validade de medidas em bem-estar e saúde mental; 2)
preditores e correlatos do bem-estar e da saúde mental; e, 3) métodos
inovadores na pesquisa. em bem-estar e da saúde mental. Possui interesse nas
áreas de psicometria, bem-estar, saúde mental e ciência de dados.
 Encontros e resumo da disciplina
AULA 1 AULA 2 AULA 3

A educação é um processo em que

Esperança é importante, é o Todas as escolas enfrentam
interferimos na vida de alguém,
ingrediente crucial que está desafios éticos. É preciso reduzir
tentando trazer uma mudança
faltando na depressão e no comportamentos de risco, e ajudar
positiva para as pessoas, a partir da
suicídio. os alunos a se tornarem cidadãos
mudança de caráter.
responsáveis.

Estamos entrando numa nova era

O comportamento humano é Viver uma vida de integridade é
da agência, na qual a criatividade
modelado pela interação entre uma grande parte de viver uma
na previsão do futuro se tornará
caráter e cultura. vida de caráter.
crucial para o trabalho humano.

O conteúdo do bom caráter é a virtude:

Nós não somos prisioneiros gentileza, honestidade, trabalho. São A missão da escola é dizer que as
do passado: nós somos qualidades que exigem de nós, pois são crianças fazerem o seu melhor e serem
criaturas do futuro. benéficas tanto para nós quanto para seu melhor em relacionamentos
as pessoas ao nosso redor.

MARTIN SELIGMAN THOMAS LICKONA THOMAS LICKONA

Professor Convidado Professor Convidado Professor Convidado
Encontros e resumo da disciplina
AULA 4

A qualidade de vida é a percepção do

indivíduo, logo, quando a gente fala
da percepção das pessoas, a gente tá
falando de algo subjetivo.

Nossos traços positivos são centrais

na nossa vida. São organizadoras,
motivadoras, recursos que a gente
pode utilizar na nossa vida diária.

Esperança é energia, motivação,

determinação para cumprir metas.
Então nutrir essa característica é
importantíssimo, ainda mais por não
ser uma atitude passiva. É fazer que o
melhor aconteça.

WAGNER DE LARA MACHADO

Professor PUCRS
 BUILDING CHARACTER
AND CULTURE
Wellness at school, home,
and beyond
Thomas Lickona, Ph.D.
Center for the 4th & 5th Rs
www.thomaslickona.com
lickona@cortland.edu
1
 Lesson 1
1. What is good character, and why does
it matter?
2. Why does culture matter?
3. What can we learn from psychology
about the moral development of
children?
4. What is the 12-point Comprehensive
Approach to Character Education?

2
 What is good character?
 Good character is the constellation of
virtues possessed by a person.
 Virtues are objectively good human
qualities like hard work, honesty, and
kindness—qualities that are good for the
individual person and good for the whole
society.

3
WHY DOES CHARACTER MATTER?
 Be careful of your thoughts,
for your thoughts become your words.
 Be careful of your words,
for your words become your deeds.
 Be careful of your deeds,
for your deeds become your habits.
 Be careful of your habits,
for your habits become your character.
 Be careful of your character
for your character becomes your destiny.
4
Why do we
teach?
We are in the
business of
changing lives.
We change lives by
changing character.
I was a punk before I came to this
school. I used to make little kids cry.

When I met Mrs. Brown, I changed. I’m

not a punk anymore, because Mrs.
Brown taught me about character.

—Drew, a 6th-grader
What is character education?

The deliberate effort to develop

virtues through positive cultures
that bring out our best.
 “My teachers and peers have pushed me to do the
best that I can. They have instilled in me the value of
accomplishment and a great work ethic in all areas of
my life. My teachers don’t let me give up when a
question is hard—they teach me different ways to
figure out a problem.
 “My advisory group has helped my performance
character by giving me a chance to take a deep look
into myself and see the things that are holding me
back. I think all high schools should push students to
push each other to be their best.
—HIGH SCHOOL BOY, HYDE LEADERSHIP PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL,
WASHINGTON, DC
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“Everything about my school, from the
peer counseling program to the religious
studies courses, tremendously influences
the moral character of its students.

“We are taught from the beginning that all

forms of cheating are wrong, and that any
kind of cruelty toward other students is
not to be tolerated.”

10
“We often have assemblies on how to
promote peace in society and issues that
prevent such peace from being achieved.
Graduation requirements include 100
hours of community service, but our
school encourages us to do more.
There is an unspoken expectation to do
what is right and stand up for what is just.”
—HIGH SCHOOL GIRL, ACADEMY OF OUR LADY OF PEACE, SAN
DIEGO, CA
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 CHARACTER ED: 4 GOALS
1. persons of character who strive to be the
best human beings they can be.
2. schools of character that strive to model,
teach, and promote good character.
3. families of character that lay down the
foundation of good character.
4. a community & society of character that
call forth our better selves. Our ultimate goal
is a good society.
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 Who are you? (questionnaire)
Your answers will remain private. Skip any you wish. Feel
free to ask me the same Q’s.
1. What’s your favorite leisure-time activity?
2. What’s something you do well?
3. What would you like to do for work/career?
4. What are two words that describe you?
5. What is your best quality?
6. What do you like most about school? Least?
7. What co-curricular activities are you involved in?
8. What else would you like me to know about you?
—Hal Urban, Lessons from the Classroom: 20 Things
Good Teachers Do www.halurban.com
 THE DAILY FOUR
1. Find a partner; share good news (1
minute each).
2. Tell about someone or something you’re
grateful for (new partner; 1 min. each).
3. Affirm someone in the class.
4. Make us laugh. (Joke must be clean.)

—Hal Urban (award-winning high school teacher),

Lessons from the Classroom: 20 Things Good
Teachers Do (www.halurban.com)
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 CLASS INTERVIEW (Day 1)
(Kim McConnell, Grade 6)

1. You may ask me questions about my life

as a teacher or my life outside of school.
2. Please take notes on my answers.
3. Your first homework assignment, due
tomorrow, is to write a one-page Biography
of Mrs. McConnell.
4. Read it to an adult in your family.
A bit about me . . .
 Married to my wife Judith (55 years)
 Father of two grown sons, grandfather of 15
 Marriage and family counselor
 B.A. and M.A. in literature
 Ph.D. in psychology (Focus: moral development)
 Professor of Education (State University of NY at
Cortland; Boston University; Harvard University)
 Director of Center for 4th and 5th Rs, Respect and
Responsibility (www.cortland.edu/character)
(1994—)
 Author
 CHARACTER ED: 4 GOALS
1. persons of character who strive to be the
best human beings they can be.
2. schools of character that strive to model,
teach, and promote good character.
3. families of character that lay down the
foundation of good character.
4. a community & society of character that
call forth our better selves. Our ultimate goal
is a good society.
18
There is nothing so practical
as a good theory.
—Kurt Lewin, social psychologist
We need good theory—BIG
IDEAS (a Conceptual
Framework)—to guide good
practice.
 BUILDING
CHARACTER AND
CULTURE
We have to do both.

20
 Human behavior is shaped by the
interaction of character and culture.

Character is what’s on the inside—our

inner dispositions, good and bad, that
influence how we act.

Culture is what’s on the outside—

everything that makes up our environment
and brings out the best or the worst in us.
 TO FOSTER CHARACTER
DEVELOPMENT, WE HAVE 2 TASKS:
1. TASK 1: To help each individual student take
personal responsibility for developing and
demonstrating a good character, even in the
face of adversity.
2. TASK 2: To build—in the school, home, and
community—a positive moral culture that
brings out the best in our character and helps
us continue to grow in our character.
 TASK 1: Developing Students’
Personal Responsibility
“OUR DECISIONS DEFINE US”
 “Each day we make dozens of decisions—
big and small. We create our character by
the decisions we make. Even our smallest
decisions add up in big ways to determine
the kind of person we become.”
—Deb Brown, 6th-grade teacher

23
 When she was a kindergarten teacher for
22 years, Deb Brown taught her 5-year-
olds “the character message”:

Each of us is responsible
for creating our character
by the daily decisions we
make.
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 WISE SAYINGS
She taught them “wise sayings”—drawn
from fairy tales, proverbs, and her own life—
and had the class repeat them at different
times of the day:
 “Actions speak louder than words.”
 “Honesty is the best policy.”
 “If you want to have a friend, be a
friend.”
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She told them:
 “Thesewise sayings can help
you stop and think before you
make a decision.
 “Use them to make good
decisions.”

26
 During her last year of teaching
kindergarten, Deb Brown had a boy
named Cody. His father was in
prison for murder.
 He and his friends tried to steal some
stereo equipment. They didn’t intend
to hurt anybody but ended up killing
the clerk.

27
Cody:
 “When I was in the car coming
home from the prison, I kept
thinking about my dad.
 “I just know if he had your class,
he wouldn’t be where he is now.
He would have made better
decisions.”
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 Though he was only 5 ½ years old,
Cody had already gotten hold of a
very big idea:

“Our decisions shape our

character, and our character
shapes our lives.”

29
Teacher Hal Urban says to his
high school students:

“Wecreate our
character by the
choices we make.”
 When I talk to teens:

Nobody can build your

character for you.
It’s an “inside job.”
“Parents can give good advice
and put their children on the
right path, but the final forming
of a person’s character lies in
their own hands.”

—The Diary of Anne Frank

32
 My Character
(self-assessment + goal-setting)
 Please check all of the statements below that describe you. If
both statements for a virtue are true, then check both.
1. Wisdom
 ___ I show good judgment and make good decisions.
 ___ I’d like to make good decisions more often.

2. Love
 ___ I show kindness toward everyone in my family and toward
people outside my family.
 ___ I’d like to be kind more of the time.

3. Fortitude
 ___ I overcome difficulties; I don’t give up when the going gets tough.
 ___ I’d like to keep trying and not give up when the going gets tough.
33
 My Character (cont.)
4. Integrity
 ___ I do what’s right and follow my conscience instead of giving in to
peer pressure.
 ___ I’d like to do what’s right and follow my conscience more often.

5. Self-control
 ___ I show self-control by resisting temptation and by not losing my
temper or patience.
 ___ I’d like to show greater self-control in more situations.

6. Justice
 ___ I take responsibility when I’ve done something wrong and try to
make up for it.
 ___ I’d like to be more responsible by admitting when I’ve done
something wrong and doing something to make up for it.
34
 DAILY SELF-ASSESSMENT and
GOAL-SETTING
 At Benjamin Franklin Elementary
School, winner of a National School of
Character award, children take out their
CHARACTER RECORD BOOK at the
day’s end.
 They write their answers to 3 questions
about how they practiced the Virtue of
the Week on that school day.
35
 CHARACTER RECORD BOOK

1. How have I shown best effort today?

2. How have I not shown best effort
today?
3. How will I show best effort
tomorrow?

36
An Inner-City (NY) School Study
 Each week, 8th-grade students saw clips
from movies that showed altruism
(kindness). They discussed: “Who showed
altruism? What was the effect of their
altruism on others?”
 Daily homework, for 7 weeks: “Carry out
an altruistic act of your own choosing, at
school or home, and observe its effects.
Record this in a journal.”
Sample entries from students’ journals:
 I gave an old lady my seat on the bus.
 I helped a friend study for a test.
 I shoveled the snow on my neighbor’s
sidewalk.
 I tutored a 6th-grader in math.
 I picked up litter in the schoolyard.
 I gave some of my old clothes to the poor.
 I did the dishes for my brother (it was his
turn.)
 “I Know I’m a Good Person”
 On a pre-post survey, students showed a
significant increase in how important
they thought it was to be altruistic.
 In an essay, two-thirds commented on the
impact on their self-concept.
One 13-year-old boy: “I know I’m a good
person, because I do good things.”
Young people develop character by
what they see, what they hear, and
what they are repeatedly led to do.
Directed practice is the most
important part.

—James Stenson, Compass: A

Handbook of Parent Leadership
The Need for Directed Practice to
Develop the “Hand”

Human beings develop habits of

good behavior by repeatedly
acting in good ways until it
becomes natural and even easy
to do so—and unnatural to do the
opposite.
 TASK #2: CULTURE-BUILDING

A culture consists of the way we do

things—shared expectations, rules
and routines, rituals and traditions,
group norms.
 Culture-building makes use of the
positive power of the group.
Developing Personal Responsibility
AND the Schoolwide Culture
 At the start of the day, K-6 children at St.
Rocco Catholic school take out their Good
Deeds Journal and write:
 A good deed I did yesterday . . .
 A good deed I will do today . . .
 In all subjects—history, literature, science,
etc.—teachers make a connection to the
good deeds theme.
An 11-year-old girl says:

“I like the Good Deeds Journal because

it helps me to be more aware of helping
others.
“I can even see an improvement in my
friends because they are trying to be
more courteous and kind to each
other.”
44
 Improving the Schoolwide Culture:
High Expectations + Good Example
 In the city of Chicago, Reilly Elementary School
enrolls about 700 students. Children come 38
different countries of origin. Approximately 75%
are Black. Racial or ethnic hostilities are rare.
 Principal Rosemary Culverwell says, “We have
a marvelous staff—diverse, very talented, very
well-educated, very open. You have to be in
order to deal effectively with so many cultures.”
 When I spoke with individual
teachers, all emphasized that they try
to model—by how they treat
students—the acceptance and
affirmation of individual differences.

46
 The school is in a neighborhood that is home
to one of Chicago’s most violent white gangs.
When Rosemary Culverwell became principal,
there was hardly a window in the school that
wasn’t broken. She says, “The building looked as
if it was falling down.”
 By enlisting the help of the teachers’ union,
principal Culverwell got the building in good
shape. The gang still frequents school grounds
after hours but no longer vandalizes the school.
47
 Principal Culverwell was still distressed,
however, by the prevalence of graffiti on
the school building.
 So one day she brought some rags and a
can of “vandal spray” to school, took
them outside on the playground during
recess, and asked some children to help
her clean some graffiti off a wall.

48
 “I didn’t do it!” they all said.

 “I know,” she said. “Neither did I. But I need

your help.”

 They did help.

 Pretty soon, some other kids who were

watching also volunteered.

49
 After that, every so often I’d go around with
the vandal spray and rags and ask kids to help
me clean a wall. Sometimes I’d stick my head
in a classroom and ask, “Who will help me
clean some markings off a wall?”
 After a while kids started coming up to me
and telling me about marks that needed
cleaning. When we started this, there was a
lot of writing on both inside and outside walls.
Now there is virtually none.
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 Principal Culverwell began picking up litter—
during recess, because she wanted the children
to see her.
 She gave the Student Council the responsibility
of inspecting each classroom once every three
months.
 When I visited a 5th-grade class at Reilly, the
teacher explained that the children each had
their own plastic pail, and that at the end of
every day, they each washed their own desktops.

51
 “What do you like about this school?” I asked.

 “The teachers. They help you learn, and they

don’t scream at you.”

 “It’s a clean school” was the second answer.

 “Why is it clean?”

 “Because we take care of it.”

52
 Ina competition with more than 200
other Chicago schools, Reilly won first
place as the cleanest school in the city.

A year later, in recognition of the many

things it does to foster student
responsibility, Reilly won an award for
excellence in both character development
and academic achievement.

53
 WINKELGRAMS
 Winkelman El. School recognized acts of good
character through Winkelgrams, pre-printed message
forms that anyone could use to write a note of
appreciation to anyone else. There were stacks of
Winkelgrams everywhere.

 On the day I was there, the principal had just sent a

Winkelgram to a 4th-grade girl who had helped a 2nd-
grader when she fell on the playground: “Dear Lori,
Thanks for being a super person and helping somebody
in trouble. Mrs. Sechrist.”
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CULTURE SHAPES CHARACTER

 A bad moral culture brings

out bad character.
 A good moral culture
brings out good
character.
55
We must create moral cultures—
classrooms, schools, families, and
communities—that DO 2 THINGS:
 bring out our best

 Helpus develop a strong personal

character—that enables us to do
what’s right even when the
surrounding moral culture is bad.
56
BUILD CHARACTER,
BUILD CULTURE.

57
 Tobuild character, we need a
concept of character.
What is the
content of
character?

58
“I dream of the day
when all Americans
will be judged not by
the color of their skin
but by the content of
their character.”
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
What is the content of character?
The content of good character
is virtue.
Virtues—habits like kindness, honesty,
and hard work—are objectively good
human qualities,
good for the individual and
good for the whole society.

61
10 Essential Virtues
affirmed across cultures
Good judgment: The master virtue.
 Wisdom tells us when to
act, how to act, and how to
put the other virtues into
practice even when they
conflict—as kindness
sometimes does with
honesty.
Wisdom includes stopping to
think—taking the time to make
a good decision by considering
your choices.
“My friends don’t really respect people, and
it’s, like, peer pressure—they try to push me
into it. Usually, I would just go with it.
“But when we started learning about the
virtues, I knew wisdom meant, like, right or
wrong—and now I have to think, ‘Is this right,
or is it wrong?’”
—12-year-old boy, Narnian Virtues project
(www.narnianvirtues.leeds.ac.uk), using C.S. Lewis’
Chronicles of Narnia to foster virtue
Wisdom includes
awareness of self and
others, including how our
actions affect other people.

67
“This [character education] project
gets you thinking like, ‘Oh no, I think
I've probably been doing that most
of my life,’ and it makes you think
about how you can change it.”

—Alex,12
Wisdom includes having a sense of
purpose, a vision of what is important in
life and to oneself.
 What contributes to authentic and
lasting happiness?
 What is needed for success in one’s
chosen area of endeavor?

69
Wisdom includes foresight:
 thinking ahead
 formulating long-term and short-term
goals and strategies for achieving
them.

70
 JUSTICE

Treating everyone with equal respect;

fulfilling our responsibilities.
 THE GOLDEN RULE:
A Universal Principle of Justice
 Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you.—Christianity
 What is hateful to you, do not do to your
fellow man.—Judaism
 Desire for others what you desire for
yourself.—Islam
 Do nothing unto others which would cause
you pain if done to you.—Hinduism
 Hurt not others in ways you yourself would
find hurtful.—Buddhism
Justice includes:
 Respect –for self, others, animals,
property, and the natural environment.
Respect says, “Don’t hurt.”
 Responsibility—for self and others; a
sense of duty; a concern for social justice.
Responsibility says, “Do help.” It includes
stewardship, the responsible overseeing
and protection of something considered
worth caring for and preserving.
 FORTITUDE

Inner toughness.
Fortitude includes:
 Confidence
 Courage
 Perseverance
 Resilience
 Endurance
 Ability to handle hardship, overcome
obstacles, deal with disappointment,
endure pain and suffering, and grow from
setbacks.
 Fortitude is the mental and
emotional strength to do what
is right in the face of difficulty.

One school’s motto:

 “Do the hard right instead of
the easy wrong.”
 4.

The ability to govern ourselves.

Self-control includes:

 Regulating our emotions (such as

anger), appetites, and impulses
 Ability to resist temptation and delay
gratification
 Sexual self-control
 Moderation in the pursuit of even
legitimate pleasures
Roy Baumeister and John Tierney,
Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest
Human Strength:
 “Many personal and societal problems
are failures of self-control—impulsive
violence, underachievement at school,
procrastination at work, unhealthy
eating habits, alcohol and drug abuse,
and explosive anger.”
 If we’re going to do right by
others, we have to be in
control of ourselves.
 “In
a global survey, when people
were asked to name their
character failings, self-control
topped the list.”

—Roy Baumeister and John Tierney, Willpower:

Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
 KIDS KNOW
SELF-CONTROL IS HARD
 Inour Narnian Virtues project—when
asked to choose 2 personal target
virtues to improve in over the
semester—most students at every
level (grades 4 through 8) chose self-
control.

82
THE ORIGINS OF SELF CONTROL
THE MARSHMALLOW TEST

An experiment with 4-year-olds by

Stanford psychologist Walter Mischel

described in Daniel Goleman’s

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can
Matter More Than IQ
What would you do if you were 4?

 You can eat the one marshmallow on

the plate.
 But if you can wait until the
experimenter returns after running an
errand, you’ll get a second
marshmallow.

84
Some 4-year-olds ate the marshmallow
right away.

Some struggled to resist but gave in.

About 1/3 managed to wait for the

experimenter to return—and earned the
second marshmallow.
 How did the “waiters” do it?
 Some put their heads down and tried to go
to sleep.
 Some turned their backs on the
marshmallow.
 Others used self-talk.
 Some made up a little song that they sang
about waiting for the second marshmallow.

86
 Virtues (big skills/habits like
self-control) are made up of
“micro-skills.”
 With practice, some of the
micro-skills become micro-
habits.

87
GOOD MANNERS ARE MICRO-
HABITS

THAT ARE PART OF the BIG

VIRTUE of RESPECT

88
Gary Robinson, 4th, 6th, and 9th-grade
teacher:

 Hello-Goodbye Rule
 The Golden Rule

“How would you like to be treated in this

class—by me and everyone else?
Write down 2 or 3 ways.”
 Teaching Courtesy
 I teach my kids to greet and thank the
cafeteria workers.
 The cafeteria staff say they always know
when my kids are coming through.
 My students have a very high level of self-
respect—because of the respect they
show to other people.
—Molly Angelini, 5th-grade teacher
 The Marshmallow Follow-Up
High school seniors who showed self-control on
the marshmallow test at age 4 were, as 17- and
18-year-olds:

 Better able to make plans & follow through

 More likely to persevere in face of difficulty
 Better able to concentrate
 Better able to handle stress
 Academically stronger (SATs 200 pts higher).
 More likely to have positive relationships.
 GOOD NEWS:

 The self-control strategies used

by the 4-year-olds who waited—
such as averting one’s eyes and
self-talk—are teachable.
 S.T.A.R.
When you have to make a decision:
-Stop
-Think (What are my
choices?)
-Act
-Review (Did I make
the best choice?)
 LOVE/KINDNESS

Caring about the happiness of others.

Love/Kindness includes:
 Empathy
 Compassion
 Helpfulness
 Friendliness
 Generosity
 Sacrificing for the sake of others
 Service beyond the call of duty
 Loyalty
 Patriotism (love of what is noble in your
country)
 Forgiveness
Love goes beyond justice.

“Kindness consists of loving

people more than they
deserve.”
—Joseph Joubert
We are called to do
small things with
great love.

—Mother Teresa
If you want others to be happy,
practice compassion.

If you want to be happy, practice

compassion.
—Dalai Lama
 “Because our son has to work on love
toward his brother, he realizes now
that when he starts to pick on him, it’s
not doing his virtues, it’s doing a
vice.”

—a mother in our Narnian Virtues project

99
Positive attitude: Seeing the good
Ancient wisdom says, “If you want
to be happy, be good.”
But human experience and modern
science tell us the reverse is also
true:
 If you want to be good, be happy.
Research shows: Happy and
optimistic people are healthier, more
altruistic, more helpful, more
likeable, friendlier, and more
interested in others.

—Gretchen Rubin, from her bestselling book

The Happiness Project
 If we want our children to
be kind, we should teach
them the art of happiness
and the virtue of hope.
HARD WORK

Doing our best.

Hard work includes:
 Initiative
 Effort
 Diligence
 Resourcefulness
“The goal in life is the same as in basketball:
make the effort to do the best you are
capable of doing—in marriage, at your job, in
the community, for your country.
“Make the effort to contribute in whatever
way you can. The effort is what counts in
everything.”
—John Wooden (winningest college men’s
basketball coach), Wooden: A Lifetime of
Observations and Reflections On and Off the
Court
Honesty with self and others.
Integrity includes:
 Being ethically consistent (“whole,”
not two-faced); practicing what we
preach.

 Being true to ourselves; not giving in

to social pressure; standing up for
what’s right; facing hard truths.

 Not rationalizing or lying to ourselves

or others when we do wrong.
The most dangerous form
of deception is self-
deception.

—Josh Billijngs
“Edmund [in The Lion, the Witch, and
the Wardrobe] showed deceit by lying to
his siblings. I’ve shown deceitfulness
when lying about breaking something—I
blamed it on my brother. I wouldn’t do
that again.”
—12-year-old boy, Narnian Virtues project
Feeling and expressing thanks
for benefits received.
Gratitude, like love, is an act of
the will.
We choose to be grateful, just
as we choose to love.
—Ann Husted Burleigh
I thank God for my handicaps.
Through them, I found myself,
my work, and my God.

—Helen Keller, blind and deaf from

age 2
Grateful people are happier,
healthier, sleep better, and have
more positive relationships and a
greater desire to help others.

—Jeffrey Froh and Giacomo Bono,

Making Grateful Kids
 The Gratitude Journal
“The first thing when my kids arrived, I
asked them to write in their Gratitude
Journal 5 things they were thankful
for in the past 24 hours.
“It took just a few minutes, but it made
a noticeable difference in their
attitude and the climate of the class.”
—Year 11 English teacher
THE NO COMPLAINTS
CHALLENGE:

 Go 24 hours without
complaining about anything.

—Hal Urban, Lessons from the

Classroom (www.halurban.com)
 HUMILITY

Being aware of our strengths and

shortcomings; striving to improve.
 Humility drives the quest for
character—
because it motivates us to be
the best person we can be.
Humility includes:
 The desire to be a better person; being
aware of your strengths and areas for
improvement.

 Not being proud or conceited.

 Being “coachable”—able to accept and

learn from constructive critical feedback.

 Being willing to take responsibility for

mistakes or causing hurt and doing
something to make amends.
 Humility is recognizing both
our abilities and inadequacies
and pressing our abilities into
service without attracting
attention or expecting
applause.

—David Isaacs, Character-Building: A

Guide for Parents and Teachers
 Humility is the essential
virtue. Pride is the worst
vice because it blinds us
to our faults.
—David Brooks
YouTube: “The Architecture of Character”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hart-
ILs0R8&list=UUIuSb0KZXDur8logj8ilYEQ
 GOOD NEWS
 All of us possess all 10 of the essential
virtues to some degree. Our character is a
work in progress.
 In which virtues am I relatively strong?
 Where do I have the most room for
improvement?
When we make a serious effort to improve in
one virtue, it tends to improve the others.
The virtues are psychologically linked.

122
 The 3
psychological
components of
character

123
Character—and every virtue
that makes up character—
has 3 components:
HEAD
HEART
HAND
124
We want our children to . . .
 know what’s right (head)
 care about what’s right (heart)
 do what’s right (hand).

125
“If you’re going to have good
character, you have to . . .
 know it in your head
 feel it in your heart
 show it with your hands.”

126
So what is good character?
It’s:
 knowing the good
 desiring the good
 doing the good.

127
How can teachers and parents
develop the head, heart, and
hand?

Through real-life
experiences that
engage and develop
head, heart, and hand.
 Billy’s Story
Richard Curwin, “The Healing Power of Altruism,”
Educational Leadership, Nov., 1993
 Billy, a nine-year-old boy in a small rural
school, had a bad attitude—often refusing to do
the assigned work. He got into fights at school
nearly every day.
 His father was in prison. His mother was an
alcoholic. Billy was already using alcohol in
times of stress.
How would you try to help Billy stop fighting and
grow in character (head, heart, and hand?)
129
THE PLAN PROPOSED TO BILLY
1. He could be the special friend and protector
of a 1st-grade boy in a wheelchair.

2. He could help the boy on & off the bus, sit

with him at lunch, be his guardian on the
playground, and visit him daily in his class.

3. If he got in any kind of a fight at school, he

lost the privilege of further contact with the
1st-grade boy for the rest of that day.
 WHAT HAPPENED
1. Billy and the 1st-grader became fast friends.
His fighting declined quickly.
2. His cooperation in the classroom began to
improve.
3. One day, when the teacher told Billy that his
little buddy was out sick, she saw a tear
form in his eye—something she had never
seen before.
Billy was learning to care by giving care.
 If we want kids to
develop responsibility,
they have to have
responsibility.
 “The heart learns what
the hand does.”
—Gandhi
In character education, it’s often
most effective to begin with “the
hand.”
Richard Curwin, Rediscovering Hope:
Our Greatest Teaching Strategy
 Teens who’d been in trouble were paired
with seniors in nursing homes and kids in
hospitals.
 They made daily visits, helped them in
various ways, & formed close attachments.
 For most of these teens, significant
changes in attitudes and behavior occurred.
 Many subsequently said they wanted to go
into a “helping profession.” 134
 Billy and the teenagers
became better persons
through the experience of
positive human relationships
that engaged their heads,
hearts, and hands.
 SEEING WITH TWO EYES
You have to look at people with two
eyes. One eye sees what the person is
now.
The other sees what the person can
become.
You have to keep both eyes open all the
time.
—Miles Horton
 EDUCATING FOR
CHARACTER IN
THECURRENT CULTURE:
WHAT CHALLENGES DO
WE FACE?

137
 What is the moral
condition of the societal
culture in which we are
trying to raise young
persons of character?
It’s a harder world to grow
up in.
 It’s a harder world to
raise and educate kids in.

139
 FATHERLESS FAMILIES
 More than 1 in 4 children go to sleep
in a home where their father does not
live.
 Father absence is the leading
predictor of nearly every childhood
and adolescent pathology.
—David Blankenhorn, Fatherless America

140
 COHABITING HOUSEHOLDS
 Children (nearly 4 in 10) raised in
cohabiting households are most at
risk—for physical, emotional, and
sexual abuse as well as anxiety,
depression, and learning problems.
W. Bradford Wilcox (Ed.),Why Marriage Matters:
30 Conclusions from the Social Sciences (2015)

141
For many kids, school
has become the most
secure, supportive, and
stable family they have.

142
 Screens, Anxiety, & Depression
 Anxiety and depression among teens have
been steadily rising for the past decade,
afflicting all demographic groups.
 Children’s self-esteem now hinges on
unpredictable and uncontrollable virtual
approval.
 A UK study found that the more social
media platforms a young person uses, the
higher their level of “general anxiety.”
143
 In 2017, the suicide rate for
American teenage girls reached a
40-year high.

—Centers for Disease Control

144
A HYPER-SEXUALIZED
ENVIRONMENT
Good News: In the U.S., in 2001, the percentage
of high school students saying they had NOT had
sexual intercourse became a majority (54%) for
the first time in 25 years.
Bad News: Kids face more temptations and
pressures. A mother:
“Our 12-year-old son, Dan, said, ‘Mom, there is
this girl at school who keeps asking to give me oral
sex.’ He turned her down, but the next day she
and her girlfriend gave him another chance. He
said no again.
“He has his values in place. But I wanted to cry.”
Mother: “I picked up a copy of Teen People
magazine. It was page after page of young
teens dressed in very provocative ways and
in very provocative poses.”

James Coughlin: “We socialize kids to have

sex. No culture in human history has ever
done this to its children.”
 A HYPER-SEXUALIZED
ENVIRONMENT

 11 years of age is now estimated

as the average age at which boys
in the US and UK begin using
Internet pornography.
 “The Impact of Pornography
on Children”

October 2015, www.acpeds.org

A comprehensive research review

Findings:
 Pornography use by youth is linked to:
increased depression, anxiety, violent
behavior, early sex, sexual
promiscuity, and teen pregnancy.
 Childrenunder 12 who view
pornography are more likely to
sexually assault peers.
Internet Porn’s Effects on Teens
“The Impact of Internet Pornography on Adolescents: A
Review of the Research,” Sexual Addiction and
Compulsivity,19, 2012.

 Examined studies in diverse cultures:

China, Sweden, the Netherlands, the
United Kingdom, and the United States.
The more teens view porn, the more they:
 become distracted by thoughts about sex.
 have early sex.
 engage in higher-risk sexual behaviors
(multiple partners, anal sex, sex on drugs).
 become more aggressive in their sexual
behavior.
 become more likely to agree that “It’s OK to
hold a girl down and force her to have sex.”
 Lost in Transition: The Dark
Side of Emerging Adulthood (2011)
 by University of Notre Dame
sociologist Christian Smith and his
research team
A study based on 3-hour interviews
with a representative national (US)
sample of 18- to 23-year-olds

153
Smith cites some positive trends:
 teen sexual activity, pregnancies, births,
and abortions have declined in recent
decades.
 the percentage of youth starting and
finishing college has increased.
 youth as a whole are less prejudiced
against people of other races and
ethnicities than earlier generations.
SIX “MACROSOCIAL CHANGES”
 But Lost in Transition identified 6
“macro-social changes” that have
dramatically altered the cultural
landscape in which the character of
young people is being formed.
 These 6 sociocultural changes are
evident across modern societies.
 THE 6 MACROSOCIAL CHANGES
1. The extension of formal schooling into the
20s and postponement of entry into careers
2. The delay of marriage
3. A changing national and global economy
that has replaced stable careers with
frequent job changes and a heightened
sense of insecurity—fostering a
disposition in young adults to maximize
options and postpone commitments.
4. The willingness and ability of parents to support
their children well into their 20s and even 30s,
enabling them to take a long time to settle into
adulthood.
5. Readily available birth-control technologies that
have severed the link between sex and procreation
and facilitated uncommitted sexual relationships.
6. Postmodernism, a philosophy that promotes
subjectivism (“there is no objective truth”) and
moral relativism (“morality is just a matter of
opinion”), “both of which now permeate the
educational ethos, mass media, and youth and
adult culture.”
 Smith: “As a result of these
converging cultural changes, the
transition to adulthood today is more
protracted, complex, self-absorbed,
anxiety-burdened, and dangerous.”
 Smith’s research asked: “How has
this culture impacted the character of
emerging adults?”
 Moral Relativism
 60% of Smith’s national sample were
“moral individualists” who think there
are no objective rights and wrongs.

 Moralvalues such as honesty were

viewed as a matter of “personal
choice” rather than moral obligation.

159
 Substance Abuse
 Nearly half said they had
engaged in binge drinking (5 or
more alcoholic drinks within one
hour) in the past two weeks.

160
 The Dark Side of
the Sexual Revolution
 “The typical unmarried 18- to 23-year-old
reported having had 3 oral sex partners
and 3 sexual intercourse partners.”
 Nearly 6 in 10 expressed at least some
regrets about their sexual experiences.

161
 Captive to Consumerism
“What would living the good life
look like to you?”
 54% said they would be happier if
they could buy more things.
 Only1 in 4 spoke of wanting to help
others or be a positive influence in
others’ lives.

162
 Smith: “Poor moral reasoning reflects
poor teaching of thinking skills.”
 “Damaging sexual experiences reflect
the way colleges are run and the
lifestyle scripts disseminated by the
media.”
 “Disconnection from communal and
political life reflects the dysfunctions of
politics and the lure of consumerist
lifestyles.”
163
Smith concludes:
“The emerging adult lifestyle is not
preparing young adults for:
 moral integrity in a challenging
world
 success in marriage
 responsibility and sacrifice
 democratic citizenship.”

164
As history reminds
us, civilizations do
not flourish forever.
They rise, and they
fall.

165
 Civilizations decline when
their character deteriorates—
when they fail to pass on
their core virtues to the next
generation.

166
 Byourselves, educators can’t fix a
broken society.
 We need the help of good government,
enlightened social policies, healthy
families and communities, a more
responsible mass media, and a more
humane and just economy.

167
But education is
the primary way
a society renews
itself.
168
 THE CHALLENGE FOR
SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES
 We must be more intentional—and take
deliberate steps to build close
relationships, foster the virtues, and
thereby fortify our young against the
negative influences of the surrounding
culture.
 We can gain “the inside track.” It is still
possible.
 GOOD NEWS:

MORALITY EVIDENT
IN VERY YOUNG
CHILDREN
 There is growing evidence of
morality in children—including
a capacity for kindness—much
sooner than child development
experts once believed.
EMPATHY, PERSPECTIVE-TAKING,
AND KINDNESS
 Empathy is the ability to feel what another
is feeling—to feel distress, for example,
when another child is crying.
 Perspective-taking is the ability to
understand what another person is
thinking, feeling, or needs.
 Kindness is caring about others’ feelings
and needs and then acting in ways that
contribute to their happiness.
KINDNESS IN A 1-YEAR-OLD
 Michael (15 mos.) and friend Paul were
struggling over a toy. Paul started to cry.
 Michael appeared concerned and let Paul
have the toy. Paul kept crying.
 Michael paused, then gave his teddy bear
to Paul, but Paul continued to cry.
 Michael paused again, went to the next
room to get Paul’s security blanket, and
gave it to Paul—who then stopped crying.
 “A child not yet 1 ½ years of age,
was able, with the help of
corrective feedback, to assess
and respond to another child’s
needs that differed from his own.”
—Martin Hoffman, “Empathy, Role Taking, Guilt, and
Development of Altruistic Motives,” in T. Lickona
(Editor), Moral Development and Behavior. (New York:
Holt, Rinehart, and Winston: 1976).
IS EARLY HELPFULNESS COMMON?
Felix Warnecken et al. (of Germany’s Max Planck Institute),
“Altruistic Helping in Human Infants and Young
Chimpanzees,” Science, March 3, 2006.

As a toddler (18 months) watched,

an adult “accidentally” dropped a
clothespin, knocked a book off a
stack, or struggled to open a
cabinet.
1. Nearly all of the toddlers helped—
usually within seconds.
2. They did not help if the adult’s action
was deliberate.
3. The adult didn’t thank the child, to test
whether the helping was “true altruism.”
4. The toddlers helped regardless of
whether a parent was present and even
if they had to stop playing in order to
help.
U. Of British Columbia’s Center for Infant
Cognition: early evidence of
generosity.
 2-year-olds appeared happier when
they gave up a treat to a monkey
puppet than when they received a treat
for themselves.
 Brain researchers call this “helper’s
high.” Doing a kind act lights up the
part of the brain that experiences joy.
 WHY KINDNESS MATTERS
 We make others happy when we
treat them kindly—and are happiest
ourselves when we do so.
 Being kind is linked to emotional and
physical health across the life span.
 We are hardwired to be happier and
healthier when we do good.
 DO WE START OUT
“NATURALLY GOOD”—AND
THEN LOSE IT?
 No.
 The human capacity for both
kindness and cruelty is there from
the beginning.
 BABY MORALITY (1st year of life)
“60 Minutes,” Yale Infant Cognition Center
1. 5-month-old Wesley sees a puppet play with 3
dog puppets. The one in the middle struggles
to lift the lid of glass box to get a toy.
2. GREEN dog lifts the lid to help him.
3. Next scene: Same puppets, same struggle.
4. But this time, BLUE dog slams the lid shut.
5. Then a “blind” researcher (who doesn’t know
which puppet was nice or mean) offers both
puppets to Wesley. Which will he reach for?
 BABIES PREFER KINDNESS
 Wesley and 75% of babies his age reached for
the helpful puppet, not the mean one. A strong
preference for prosocial behavior.
 Yale’s lab repeated the play with 3-month-old
babies, who were on their tummies holding
themselves up as they watched the puppets.
 Afterwards, shown the nice and mean puppets,
these 3-month-olds gazed at the nice one and
hardly looked at the mean puppet.
 BABY MORALITY: A HARDER TEST
 New experiment: Babies 6-8 months old
are given a chance to choose a snack:
Cheerios or graham crackers.
 Baby Nate chooses Cheerios. Then orange
cat comes along and, as Nate watches, also
chooses Cheerios—just as Nate did.
 But then purple cat comes along and, with
Nate still watching, chooses graham crackers
instead.
 Which puppet will Nate prefer?
Nate and nearly all the other
babies reached for the puppet
that had the same snack
preference as they did.
 Next scene: Nate again sees the 3-puppet play.
 This time the cat who did NOT share Nate’s
snack preference is trying to get the box open.

 A nice dog helps the cat lift the lid to get the toy.
 But then a mean dog comes over and slams
the lid shut!

 Which dog will Nate prefer after watching this—

the nice dog or the mean dog?
The result was a shocker:
 Nate chose the MEAN dog—the one
that punished the cat who did not share
Nate’s preference for Cheerios.
 87% of the babies tested the same way.

 Babiespreferred the mean dog that

punished the puppet who didn’t share
the baby’s snack preference.
The researchers’ conclusion:

“There appears to be an innate

tendency to create ‘us’ and
‘them’—and to want those who
are unlike us to be treated
badly.”
 PRECURSORS OF PREJUDICE
 Other studies have revealed preferences for
“our own kind” emerging at an early age.
Babies at 3 months of age prefer to look at
faces of the race most similar to theirs.
 When children are segregated into different
groups—even based on something as
arbitrary as the color of T-shirts—they
eagerly favor “their own kind” in their
attitudes and behavior.
BULLYING OF KIDS WHO ARE DIFFERENT
 Worldwide, one of 3 students reports being
bullied at some point in school.
 Bullied students are viewed as different
from their peers—for example, in weight,
perceived sexual orientation, whether they
have a disability, and whether they are in a
special needs educational program.
Susan Swearer Napolitano, et al., “What Can Be Done
About School Bullying?,” Educational Psychology Papers
and Publications, Paper 141.

188
“Children remind me of chickens,
seeking out the weak and wounded
and pecking them to death.
“They have discovered that my 9-
year-old son, who is autistic, is
bothered by loud noises, and they
scream and whistle in his ear until he
cries.”
—A mother
A high school girl says about her
middle school bullying:

“It was fun to make people cry.”

 LASTING EFFECTS OF CHRONIC BULLYING:
In the UK, 18-year-olds who had been
chronically bullied by school peers were 60
percent more likely to suffer anxiety,
depression, and self-harming behaviors in
adulthood than those who were abused by
their parents.
 In the U.S., chronic bullying does similar
long-term damage, worse than parental
abuse.
—Suzet Tanya Lereya, et al., “Adult Mental Health Consequences of Peer
Bullying and Maltreatment in Childhood,” The Lancet Psychiatry, June 2015,
Vol. 2.
 TEACH KIDS TO BE PEER ALLIES
 Bullied students say that peers who
provide companionship and emotional
support are of even more help than those
who directly confront the bullies.

 Bullying victims who get this kind of

support from compassionate peers are
less likely to suffer debilitating anxiety and
depression. The Youth Voice Project calls
peer allies “quiet heroes.”
 OUR TASK AS EDUCATORS
AND PARENTS:
 develop our children’s capacity for
empathy and kindness
 curb their capacity for cruelty
 foster the courage to come to the
aid of those who are mistreated.
 HOW DO YOUNG
CHILDREN DIFFER IN
THEIR MORAL
BEHAVIOR?

194
 INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
IN RESPONSE TO DISTRESS
RESEARCHERS trained mothers to observe and
record situations in which their young children (1 ½
to 2 years old) encountered someone, another child
or an adult, who was experiencing distress:
 anger
 sorrow, or
 pain.
—Carolyn Zahn-Waxler, Marion Radke-Yarrow, and R.M. King,
“Childrearing and Children’s Prosocial Inclinations toward Victims of
Distress,” Child Development, 1979, 50.
195
For example, when these 1 ½ to 2-year-olds
observed another toddler crying on the
playground . . .
1. Some were intensely emotional and
compassionate
2. Some were detached and unresponsive
3. Others were unable to tolerate a display
of emotion by others.

196
 When the researchers observed
these same children at age 7, their
distinctive patterns of responding to
others’ distress were, in 2/3 of cases,
“remarkably consistent” with their
responses when they were younger.

197
 A child who,
at 17 months, physically
comforted a crying baby, at the age
of 7 spontaneously gave her sandals
to a younger friend to protect her
feet from burning as they walked on
a hot sidewalk.

198
 A child who, at age 2, had pushed
away another child to protect a
friend, at the age of 7 confronted an
adult who had pushed ahead of his
grandmother in the grocery line.

199
 An 18-month-old who had run away
or plugged her ears in response to
crying or anger complained, at the
age of 7, that she “just could not take
much more” of someone’s crying.

200
These researchers concluded:

 “Signs that a youngchild does not

react sympathetically to others’
distress should be a signal for parents
and teachers to make extra efforts to
train a sense of concern for others.”

201
 What were the mothers like?
The mothers of the altruistic toddlers, in
the past, had taken it very seriously
when their own child was guilty of
hurting another. They:
 Used clear teaching, pointing out the
consequences of their child’s actions for
the other child.
 Did so with feeling.
For example, when her 2-year-old
daughter pulled another little girl’s
hair, the mother said:

“You hurt Amy!

Pulling hair hurts.
NEVER pull hair.”
By contrast, the children who didn’t
respond compassionately when they
saw another young child upset had
mothers who, in the past, had
reacted more casually when their
child had done something hurtful:

“Now, that’s not nice, don’t do that.”

Mom’s response was bloodless.

 Strikingly similar findings come from a
study that asked teens how their
parents would respond to various
hypothetical situations, such as

“Your parents find out that you took

part in making fun of a neighborhood
child.”

Teenagers who (on a pretest) were more

mature in their moral reasoning were
much more likely to say that their
parents would:
 We must teach right and wrong
clearly—and with feeling.

 Charactereducation must train the

heart as well as the mind.

 We want a child not just to know

that a hurtful action is wrong, but
also to feel that it is wrong.
 express disappointment in them
 show indignation
 point out the unfairness of their actions
 appeal to their sense of responsibility
 demand apologies and reparation.

Rainer Dobert and Gertrud Nunner-Winkler, “Moral

Development and Personal Reliability: The Impact of the
Family,” in Marvin Berkowitz, ed., Moral Education: Theory
and Application (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
Publishers, 1985), 147-173.
Bland adult responses to hurtful
behavior won’t produce an
active conscience in a child.
THE FAMILY ROOTS OF
COURAGEOUS
KINDNESS

209
 Samuel and Pearl Oliner’s study,The
Altruistic Personality
 Interviewed 406 persons who
rescued Jews from the Nazi
Holocaust—and 126 people who lived
in the same Nazi-occupied countries
but did not get involved in rescue.
 Model and Teach
Compared to non-rescuers, rescuers
were much more likely to say that
their parents both modeled and
directly taught moral values.
One woman: “My mother always said
to do some good for someone at
least once a day.”
Practice what you preach, and preach
what you practice.
 Discipline That Builds Character
 Non-rescuers more often described
their parents as using physical
punishment to discipline.
 Rescuers remembered their parents
as only occasionally punishing and
more often “explaining things”—such
as telling them that they had “made a
mistake” or “had not understood the
other person’s point of view.”
 Appreciation of Other Cultures and
Religions—and the Duty to Help
Rescuers’ parents were much more likely to
explicitly teach a positive attitude toward
different cultures and religions—and the
obligation to help others generously.

One man said: “My father taught us to love

God and neighbor, regardless of race or
religion.”
The Oliners concluded:

Rescuers’ parents fostered an

“extensive orientation”—an
attitude of caring about the
welfare of others that extended
beyond their immediate family
and social circle.
SERVICE LEARNING
Youth who engage in face-to-face
community service show gains in
empathy, leadership skills, and desire
to contribute to their community.

Christine Celio et al., “A Meta-Analysis of the Impact of

Service Learning on Students,” Journal of
Experimental Education, 2011, vol. 344.
CROSS-CULTURAL RESEARCH:

“THE FABULOUS 5”
PARENTING PRACTICES

A Meta-Analysis of 76 Studies
Marvin Berkowitz and John Grych, “Fostering
Goodness,” Journal of Moral Education, 27, 3.
 analyzed 76 parenting studies from the
US, Canada, and the UK.

 defined “moral character” as “the

constellation of characteristics that
motivate and enable individuals to act in
ethical, democratic, and socially effective
and productive ways.”
8 character outcomes were examined by these
76 studies:
1. empathy
2. conscience
3. altruism
4. moral reasoning
5. social orientation
6. compliance (w/rules and legitimate authority)
7. self-esteem
8. self-control.
The statistical analysis
identified 5 parenting
practices, each of which
was significantly related to
two or more of the 8
character outcomes.

219
 THE FABULOUS 5
1. Setting High But Appropriate Expectations
(how authority is used)
2. Nurturance (how love is expressed)
3. Modeling (acting in the moral ways one wants
the child to imitate)
4. Reasoning (helping children understand how
their behavior affects others)
5. Empowerment (giving children voice and
responsibility in the family and decisions
affecting them)
 ARE GOOD TEACHERS LIKE
GOOD PARENTS?
 Not long after Berkowitz and Grych identified
their fabulous 5 parenting practices, the
researcher Kathryn Wentzel independently
investigated the question: “Are effective
teachers like good parents?”
 She studied the relationship between
teaching styles and student outcomes in
young adolescents.
221
Wentzel found that teachers were more likely to
have students who showed positive outcomes like
as prosocial behavior & good grades when teachers:
1. had high expectations for their students
2. set clear rules
3. were nurturing
4. used democratic communication/reasoning
5. were seen by their students as being fair.

These five teaching practices paralleled the

fabulous five parenting practices.
222
Wentzel’s conclusion:
 Good teachers are in fact like
good parents. What works in
families works in schools.
Kathryn R. Wentzel, “Are effective teachers like good parents?
Teaching styles and student adjustment in early adolescents,”
Child Development, 2002, 73:287-301.

223
 A separate study of London schools,
Michael Rutter’s Fifteen Thousand Hours,
reached the same conclusion:

“Good schools are like

good families.”
 THE 12-POINT
COMPREHENSIVE
APPROACH TO
CHARACTER EDUCATION

225
“Most character education
is a mile wide and an
inch deep.”
—A school superintendent in the early
1990s at the start of the US character
movement
 How can we design “deep
character education”—that
positively impacts school
leaders, faculty and staff,
students, and parents in
significant and lasting ways?
In order to develop all 3 components (head,
heart, and hand) of character AND be
powerful enough to offset the negative
effects of societal culture, character
education must implement a comprehensive
approach that:
1. creates schools that are like good
families
2. uses every part of school life to promote
good character.
228
 The premise of the Comprehensive
Approach:

Character education is
everything that happens in
the life of the school.
Culture shapes character.
Therefore, the school must
create a schoolwide culture
of character.

230
12-point Comprehensive Approach
9 classroom components:
1. the teacher’s nurturance and high
expectations as caregiver, model, & mentor.
2. promoting positive peer relationships.
3. using rules and discipline to teach and
motivate good character.
4. a democratic classroom environment that
gives students voice and responsibility in
making the classroom the best it can be.
231
Classroom components (cont.)

5. teaching character through the

curriculum.
6. frequent use of cooperative learning.
7. teaching students to do their best work.
8. ethical reflection on moral questions and
on how to improve your own character.
9. learning and practicing the skills of conflict
resolution.

232
3 schoolwide components:
10. creating a whole-school culture that
holds students accountable to doing their
best work and demonstrating their best
ethical behavior.
11. extending caring beyond the classroom
into the school and community through
service to others.
12. involving parents and the wider
community as partners in character
education.
233
 SUPPORTING RESEARCH

 Thereis research supporting

each of the 12 components of
the comprehensive approach.
 see, for example, Thomas Lickona,
Educating for Character (1991).

235
 Component #1 (inner wheel)

The teacher as:

1. caregiver (building bonds)
2. model
3. mentor (moral and spiritual
guide/coach)
 Character education starts
with the effort to know and
value every student as an
individual—even before the
school year has begun.

238
 “Help Me Know Your Child”
Jenny Carnahan, 4th-grade teacher, sends
home a questionnaire:
 List 5 words that describe your child’s
character or personality
 What motivates your child?
 What upsets your child?
 What are your child’s outside of school
interests?
 What else should I know?
 Greeting at the Door
 “In the second it takes me to warmly
greet a student, I renew my
relationship with that student.”

 “Ican tell in a heartbeat what kind of

a day a kid is having. You can nip
problems in the bud at the door.”

240
Teacher as Model: Self-Inventory
1. Do I warmly greet each student?
2. Do I seek other opportunities to connect
with each student?
3. Am I well-prepared for class? On time?
4. Do I model patience and courtesy, even
under stress?
5. Do I treat my all students impartially?
6. Do I challenge all of them to do their best
work?

241
 Conversation at the Door
 I asked “SP” (strategically positive) questions—
ones that would elicit a specific and positive
answer, such as:
 What’s been the highlight of your day?
 What’s a goal you’re working on these
days?

 My students and I brainstormed more than 100

SP questions.

—Hal Urban, Positive Words, Powerful Results

(www.halurban.com) 242
 Teacher’s Corner
1. In my Teacher’s Corner, I display pictures of
my husband, children, and dog; photos of
classes I taught when I lived in California; my
college diploma; favorite books; sports I enjoy;
and other things that reflect my interests.

2. During the first few weeks, I meet with each of

my kids in the Teachers Corner for about 10
minutes. They bring an “All About Me” book
they’ve made. These conversations have given
me a closer relationship with each child.
243
 Teacher as Mentor:
Storytelling

 Tim Kent, 6 -grade

th teacher
 Collects 2-minute stories
 Tells them at different times of
the day

244
 Teacher as Mentor:
Quote of the day

Life is 10% what happens to

me and 90% how I react to it.

—Charles Swindoll

245
Discuss:
1. What does this quote mean to you?
(Put it in your own words.)
2. How does this quote relate to your
own experience?
3. What is one thing you could do this
week to put this quote into practice?
We are made kind
by being kind.

—ERIC HOFFER
Kindness consists in loving
people more than they
deserve.
—JOSEPH JOUBERT
 Kind words do not
cost much, yet they
accomplish much .
—BLAISE PASCAL
Be kind, for everyone
you meet is fighting a
hard battle.
—IAN MACLAREN
Love is patient,
love is kind.
—ST. PAUL
 Ask kids to find a good
character quote on the Internet
and bring it in to share.
 Component #2
A caring classroom community

1. Students know each other.

2. Students affirm and care about each
other.
3. Every student feels like a valued
member of the group.
 PARTNERS
Ways We’re Alike Ways We’re Different

After discovering and recording down several similarities and

differences, each introduces his/her partner to the
class—telling one similarity or difference.
 Helping Kids Get to Know Each
Other: The Seat Lottery
Janet Fagal, 5th-grade teacher:
1. Struggled with cliques (mostly w/girls).
2. She arranged desks in a “U” and gave each a
number.
3. At the end of the week, students drew a
number—their new desk for the next week.
New desks meant new neighbors.
Teacher Fagal: “It changed the social chemistry
of the class.” No more cliques.
 Anonymous Compliments
1. Each student draws the name of a
classmate.
2. By the week’s end, the student writes an
anonymous compliment about that
person on a strip of paper, shows it to
the teacher, and puts it in the
Compliment Box.
3. On Friday, the teacher posts all the
compliments on the bulletin board.
257
 PEERS AFFIRMING PEERS
At the end of the day:
 “Who saw kindness today?”
 “Who saw respect?”
 “Who saw determination?”
 “Who saw sharing?”
—Jenna Smith, 3rd-grade teacher
 Component #3

 Character-Based
Discipline
 Character-Based Discipline

 Promotes positive behavior and good

character
 Deters and corrects negative behavior
 3 essentials:
1. High expectations
2. Clear rules
3. Clear consequences.

261
 The Compact for Excellence
1. Put students in groups of 4. Give each a
large sheet of paper and marker.
2. “Write down 2 rules that will help us DO
OUR BEST WORK and 2 rules that will
help us TREAT OTHERS WITH
RESPECT AND CARE.”
3. Guide the class in combining the ideas
into one Compact.
262
 To make the Compact effective:
1. Have all students sign it. Post it.
2. Review it at the start of each day (class).
3. Stop and ask, “What are we forgetting?”
when necessary.
4. Have the class assess: “How are we
doing on (a particular Compact item), on
a scale of 1-5?” (Each student rates it.)
5. Set goal: “What item should we work on
next week?”
263
 TIME OUT
1. Settle down and get control.
2. Make a plan and show it to the
teacher.
3. Get back in the game.

264
THE CHARACTER CONVERSATION
Five-year-old Brian repeatedly called
Jonathan, a kindergarten classmate, “Tan
Man”—because his skin was light brown.

Jonathan’s mother called the teacher and

said that the name-calling upset Jonathan
so much, he didn’t want to go back to
school.

What would you say to Brian?

265
“Brian, there are two kinds of hurts:
outside hurts that you can see, like
a cut or a bruise, and inside hurts
that you can’t see—like a hurt
feeling. The inside hurts actually
hurt more and last longer.”

266
“When you call Jonathan ‘Tan Man,’ you’re
making an inside hurt for him that hurts so
bad that he doesn’t want to come back to
our class.
“Our class has to be a safe and happy
place for everyone. I would never let
anyone make that kind of inside hurt for
you, and I can’t let you make that kind of
hurt for Jonathan.
“Now tell me what I said.”
Have Kids Make Up for What
They Did (Restitution):
“If a student calls someone a
name, or is unkind in any other
way, I ask that child to write a
sincere letter of apology to the
person he or she has offended.”

268
 Individual Behavior Plan
1. I will sit away from Joe when we have
individual work to do.
2. If we both get our assignments in on time,
we can work together on the group
project at the end of the week.
Signed: ______
Date: ________

269
Behavior contracts have
proved helpful with kids who
bully.
“I will not hit or hurt anyone. If I do, I
will have to call my parents and
report what I did.”

270
Dear Parents, I’d like to fill you in on my
discipline plan. I believe that success in life
develops through self-discipline, so I want to
give students every opportunity to manage
their own behavior. Here’s our plan:

Expectations:
1. Be respectful of yourself, others, and our
classroom.
2. Be responsible for yourself, your belongings,
and our classroom materials.
3. Participate in our safe and caring classroom.
4. Do your best; never give up!
5. Follow the Golden Rule.
When expectations are not met (we rarely have
to go beyond #2):

1. Reminder.
2. Thinking zone—3 minutes.
3. Thinking zone in another 3rd-grade
classroom—3 minutes.
4. Parent called.
5. Conference—student, parent/guardian, Mrs.
Conley, and principal.
The children and I have discussed this plan
together, but please review it with your child.
Thanks very much! Mrs. Conley
272
Ask parents . . .
 “If you have reason to think that a teacher
or other staff member may not have been
fair to your child, or you’re just not sure
what happened, please contact the
principal without telling your child you are
doing so.
 “This will help us to work together to solve
any problem in a way that’s best for your
child.”
 Component #4

 A democratic
classroom
environment
 CLASS MEETINGS
1. involve students in shared decision
making that gives them responsibility for
making the classroom the best it can be.
2. a face-to-face, interactive circle
discussion
3. can deal with problems (cutting in lunch
line, put-downs, homework issues) or
help to plan upcoming events (the day, a
field trip, a cooperative activity, the next
unit).
1. Set the meeting rules: “What rules do we need in order to
have good talking and good listening?” “What should we
do if someone doesn’t follow those rules?”
2. Set the agenda; ask kids to describe the problem:
“What’s been happening when we line up for lunch?”
3. Pose the challenge: “How can we, working together,
solve this problem?”
4. Conduct interactive discussion: “Who would like to
comment on John’s idea?”
5. Reach consensus on a plan of action.
6. Agree on consequences for not following the plan: “What
should we do if someone doesn’t follow our plan? What’s
a fair consequence?”
7. Ask all students to sign the plan.
8. Plan a time for a follow-up meeting. “When should we
meet again to evaluate how well our plan is working?”
9. Post the plan where all can see it.
 PROBLEM BOARD
for Wednesday 3rd-grade Class Meeting
 “Please write, on the Problem Board, your
name and the problem you need help
solving.”
 “The problem must involve more than one
person.”
 “Our class will be responsible for finding
solutions.”

278
 Weekly H.S. Class Meetings

 “Weekly class meetings are important

for discussing and role-playing what
bystanders can do.”
 Resource: Class Meetings That
Matter
—Olweus program (www.olweus.org)
 Foster Interdependence

In a class meeting, ask:

“Who has a problem the rest of us

could help solve?”

280
 A class meeting to discuss
bullying:
“Give examples of bullying, but no
names please.”

“How do you feel when someone

does these things to you?”

281
 Components 5 and 7
5. Teaching character
through the curriculum

7. Conscience of craft
(doing your best work)
 Share the Daily Agenda
1. What we’re going to learn today.
2. Why it’s important to know this.
3. How we’re going to learn it.
(e.g., 15-minute lecture, small-group
problem-solving, then class
discussion).

284
Make the CHARACTER CONNECTION
In discussing literature, ask questions such as:
1. What have you learned from this
character that could help you in your
life?
2. Who in this story had the best
character? Why?
3. Who had the worst character? Why?
285
 William Kilpatrick, Books That Build
Character (annotated bibliography, early
childhood through teen years)
Jan Gorman, 1st-grade teacher, asks
her students:
1. What is caring?
2. Who can show caring?
3. Where does caring take place?
4. How can each of us show caring?
 In our classroom?
 In our school?
 In our families?
287
 She then reads the book,
Teammates (the story of baseball
players Jackie Robinson and Pee
Wee Reese) and asks:

 Who in the story showed caring?

 Who did not show caring?

288
She then challenges her class:
 “Remember this story, and make it a goal to
show caring toward each other during the rest of
the day.”

 When a child behaves in a caring way, she

publicly compliments that child.

 When a child behaves in an uncaring way, she

privately corrects that child:
 “Did that behavior show caring?”
 “Remember our story, remember our
discussion.”
289
On each subsequent day of the
week, she reads a different book
about caring and repeats this
process. She says:

“By the end of the week, caring has

been established as an expectation
in my classroom.”

290
Good biographies—whether
in books or films—can be a
powerful teacher of
resilience.

291
 RESILIENCE
Resilient kids possess 4 strengths:
1. Social competence
2. Problem-solving skills
3. A sense of identity, a sense of “who
they are”
4. Hope for the future.

They often cite a “special person”—a parent

figure, often a teacher—they felt close to
and who was an inspiring role model.
 THE STORY OF
LIZZIE VELASQUEZ
 Lizzie Velasquez was born prematurely
with a syndrome that only two other
people in the world are known to have.
 It causes tissue degeneration and loss of
fat from the body, making her extremely
thin. As an adult, she weighs only 58
pounds.

293
 “I didn’t realize I looked different until the
first day of kindergarten—when a little girl
reacted like I was a monster. When I got
home, my mother explained that I had a
syndrome that made me smaller than
other kids. But she said:

“It’s not going to define who you are.

Smile, and keep your head up.”

294
 When Lizzie was 17, she discovered that
someone had made an 8-second You-
Tube video of her that went viral. More
than 4 million people viewed it.
 Thousands made comments, most of them
cruel and hateful:
“You are the ugliest woman in the world.”
“You should do the world a favor and kill
yourself.”

295
 She says, “It broke my heart. I cried my
eyes out. At first I wanted to fight back with
anger.
 “It put me at a crossroads. I began to
realize that my life was in my hands. I
could choose to make this really bad, or I
could make it good.
 “I could decide to be grateful for all the
good things I had in my life—and make
that be what defines me.”

296
 She used her ordeal as a ladder to climb
to her goals of graduating from college
and writing books.
 Her first book was Lizzie Beautiful. In it,
she quotes from her mother’s journals.
 “When I read her journals, I realized what
an amazing woman she is. In the face of
so many questions, she had so much faith.
She was ready to see where God was
going to take us.”
297
 Her second book was Be Beautiful, Be
You, describing her journey to find beauty
within and to encourage every young
person to do the same.

 She gave a TEDx presentation, “How Do

You Define Yourself?”, seen in 58
countries.

 She now has a website: aboutlizzie.com

298
 She says her strength has come from her
family, her friends, and her Catholic faith.

 “God knew what he was doing when he

made every one of us unique. If we were
all the same, life wouldn’t be exciting. He
has been present in every one of my
struggles, even when I didn’t understand
that.”

299
 Her message to kids about bullying:
“When someone is not nice to us, we need
to realize that we don’t know what’s going
on in their lives. They might be hurting
and feel the need to hurt other people.
 “If we remember that, we won’t be mean
back to them. Instead, we can smile and
say something positive. Being kind can go
further than you think.”

300
FACING HISTORY AND
OURSELVES

301
Motivating Kids
to Do Their
Best Work
Ron Berger: An
Ethic of Excellence:
Building a Culture
of Craftsmanship
with Students
302
 Work of excellence is
transformational.
After students have had a
taste of excellence,
they’re never quite
satisfied with less.

—Ron Berger

303
 5 Practices That Motivate
Quality Work
1. Work that inspires
2. Models of excellence
3. A culture of critique (feedback)
4. Multiple revisions
5. Opportunities to present one’s work
to classmates and other audiences.
304
 Senior Biography Project
Berger had each of his 6th-graders:
1. conduct a series of interviews with a
senior citizen
2. write that person’s biography in the
form of a small, bound book
3. give that as a gift to the senior citizen.

305
 The Power of Meaningful Work
Berger comments:

“Because my students’ work was going to

be presented to someone else (the senior
citizen), they read the drafts of their
biographies to the whole class for their
suggestions.
“They did many drafts of their cover designs.
They wanted their books to be perfect.”
306
Rules for the
Culture of Critique:

 Be kind.
 Be specific.
 Be helpful.

307
 Steps in the Culture of Critique
1. Presenter: “I would especially like
your suggestions on . . .”
2. The class first gives positive
feedback.
3. Students then offer suggestions,
often in the form of questions:
“Would you consider . . .?”
“Have you thought of . . .?”

308
In Berger’s classroom, students are:

 Developing personal responsibility by

striving to do their best work (performance
character)
 Developing social responsibility (moral
character) by helping each other do their
best work (giving each other feedback on
projects).

309
Project-based learning in the US
has been effective in motivating
students to do high-quality work
and raise test scores in more than
160 high-need, underperforming
schools.
See eleducation.org

310
 Component #6

 Cooperative
Learning
 COOPERATIVE LEARNING
Cooperative learning, used about 1/3 of
instructional time, improves peer
relationships and academic
achievement.

What Works in Character Education

www.characterandcitizenship.org

313
 Learning Partners
 One teacher has Learning Partners who
work together at least once a day.
 They do the question or problem
individually first, then compare and explain
their answers.
 Every two weeks, students draw a new
Learning Partner.

314
Quality cooperative learning: Brainstorm

WE WORK BEST TOGETHER WHEN ...

1. We help each other and don’t fight.

2. We are kind to each other (no put downs).
3. Everyone contributes.
4. We listen to all ideas.
(and so on)
315
 Cluster Group Seating
1. Students are randomly assigned to groups of 4.
2. There are 3 rules:
 You have final responsibility for your own
work and behavior.
 You must be willing to help anyone in your
group who asks.
 You may not ask the teacher for help unless
all four of you have the same Q.
—Marilyn Burns, The I Hate Mathematics! Book
Cooperative Learning Resources
 Spencer Kagan, Cooperative
Learning (KaganOnline.com)

 T. Lickona, Educating for Character

(Chapter 10; 8 kinds of cooperative
learning)
 Component #8

 Ethical reflection
 Study Your Hero; Become Your Hero
Give a report to the class:
1. Why did you choose this person as your
hero?
2. How are you like your hero? Not like your
hero?
3. What, specifically, are you doing to try to
become more like your hero?
4. Report on your progress in 2 months.
 Goal Strips
1. Fold a colored strip of paper into 3 sections.
2. Write I will on the first section, what you will do on
the second section, and when you will do it on
the third section.
 “I will say only positive things about others this
week.”
 I will do a kind deed for someone each day this
week.”
 “I will report or try to stop any bullying I see this
week.”
320
 “LOOK WHAT I DID TODAY”
(with cognitively delayed kids)
 “I followed directions.”
 “I let someone else go first.”
 “I helped someone.”
 I gave a compliment.”
 “I said excuse me.”
 “ I calmed myself down.”
Each child had a sheet, added a sticker for
each thing they did, and took it home.
Other books written for kids about doing
the right thing:
 Sean Covey, The 6 Most Important
Decisions You’ll Ever Make

 Tom and Judy Lickona, Sex, Love &

You: Making the Right Decision

 Hal Urban, Life’s Greatest Lessons

 Component #9

 Teaching conflict
resolution
 TALK IT OUT SPACE
1. Stop and cool down.
2. Talk & listen (“Make an I-statement.”)
3. Find out what you both need.
4. Think of ways to solve the problem.
5. Choose the idea you both like.
 OTHER WAYS TO MAKE UP

 Solutions Circle.
 Peace Table.
 Reconciliation ritual:
“I apologize.”
(If the apology is judged sincere) “Apology
accepted.”

326
 How to Use a Case Study to Teach
the Comprehensive Approach
In our Center’s work with schools, we
have found it helpful to put teachers
and school leaders in groups of 4-5 and
ask them to:
1. read a case study of high-quality
comprehensive character education
2. discuss it in their small groups.
 We ask them to discuss:
1. “What does this school do that we
already do in our character
education work?”
2. “What do they do that we don’t do?”
3. How might we adopt or adapt some
of their strategies in ways that could
strengthen our character program?
Hilltop Elementary School ( ages 5-11)
Case Study
 Hilltop students were becoming increasingly
disrespectful toward adults and peers.
 Principal Geri Branch: "The pressure was on
me as principal was to be tougher. But we
began to realize that this was a far deeper
problem than discipline.
 “We needed to change the idea of what
students considered 'cool'—from disrespectful
to respectful."
 How did this principal get her
staff to commit to character ed?
 For summer reading, Principal Gerry
Branch gave all teachers a copy of
Educating for Character.
 This gave everyone a shared
understanding of what a
comprehensive approach involved.
In its first faculty meeting of the new
school year, the principal and the
staff discussed the book.

They decided that comprehensive

character education was the best
way to try to change the culture of
their school.
How did Hilltop implement the
12 strategies of the
comprehensive approach?
 1.
STRONG PARENT
INVOLVEMENT
Hilltop’s Parent Involvement
1. Principal Branch invited parents to meetings
to get their response to the idea of becoming “a
school of character”?
2. She asked them, “What virtues do you think the
school should teach?”
3. Branch and teachers wrote weekly letters to
parents about what they were doing in
character education.
4. “Please consider donating 2 hours of service
each week to the school.” (75% eventually did.)
 2.
CREATING A CARING
SCHOOL COMMUNITY
(Positive schoolwide culture)

“We want all of our students

to feel valued and
connected.”
 Hilltop’s Strategies for Creating a
Caring School Community

 We try to make sure that every child

has a friend in school.

 Wework on building a caring

community in every classroom.
We now begin each academic year with our
"New Year's Day Assembly."
 We introduce new staff and new students.
 We celebrate being together as a family.
 We review schoolwide rules about respect,
responsibility, and safety.
 I ask the children, “Write down the goals you
will work on during the coming school year.”
To build positive peer relations, each
classroom has a younger “Buddy Class.”
 3.
CLASS MEETINGS
(Democratic environment)

“We ask every teacher to use the

class meeting to teach children the
school’s 10 virtues and give them
the experience of democratic
participation.”
“We use the class meeting to . . .”
 Help children get to know each other and
discover their similarities and differences.
 Give each other compliments.
 Set up the rules that will help us live
together.
 Teach conversation skills like listening.
 Empower them to be problem-solvers: “How
can we work together to solve this problem?”
(such as someone being left out of games).
 4.
REFLECTION TIMES
(Ethical reflection)

“Teachers use a Levels of

Respect and Responsibility chart
to have students reflect on their
behavior during the day.”
 Levels of Respect
and Responsibility
 Level 4: Respectful, Responsible, Helps
Others.
 Level 3: Respectful and Responsible.
 Level 2: Works or Listens When
Reminded.
 Level 1: Not Working or Listening.
 Level 0: Bothering Others.
Teachers ask, at different times:
 “What level do you think you, individually,
are working at right now?”
(Students give themselves a private level
score by putting fingers on their leg.)
 “What level do you think the whole class is
working at?”
 “What level did you feel we were working
at during math?”
“Instead of an adult saying, ‘You
really need to work on respect and
responsibility,’ we’re asking the
children, ‘How do you think you’re
doing?’
“In this way, we’re laying the
foundation for independent self-
reflection.”
 5.
A CHARACTER-BASED
APPROACH
TO DISCIPLINE
“We want children to
understand why they should
behave in a certain way.”
 “75% of our approach to discipline is now
focused on teaching social skills.

 “A major part of that is teaching good

manners. We practice manners—saying
please and thank you, holding the door for
someone coming behind you.”
 THE WINDOW ROOM
 Part of Hilltop’s positive approach to
character-based discipline is its multi-
purpose Window Room.
 This bright, sunny room is staffed by the
school counselor and an educational
assistant.
 At first, students were sent here just for
negative behavior, but now they come for
a variety of reasons:
 Cool-down time. When a staff member is
upset with a student's behavior, or when a
student is upset, the Window Room is a
place for cooling off and getting back to
appropriate behavior. The supervising
adult may ask the student to write out a
behavior improvement plan.
 Emotional support. Some students
come to seek emotional support from an
adult regarding a problem they are having
at school or home.
 Quiet work space. Some students come to
the Window Room to find a quiet place to
work, away from all distractions. Some come
to do academic work in pairs.
 Alternative to recess. Rather than outdoor
recess, many students can come to the
Window Room to play games, read, do art
work, or just talk.
 Positive reinforcement. Staff sometimes
send students to the Window Room in
appreciation of especially positive behavior or
exceptional performance in the classroom.
 6.
TALK-IT-OUT SPACE
(Conflict resolution)

“A space in the classroom

where you can go to solve a
problem you are having with
one other person.”
 Steps to follow in the
TALK-IT-OUT SPACE
1. Stop and cool off.
2. Talk and listen.
3. Find out what you both need.
4. Think of ways to solve the problem.
5. Choose a solution you both like—
and tell the teacher.
 7.
JUSTICE COMMITTEE
(Schoolwide culture, democratic
environment)
Provides further experience with
democratic process—by giving
students an opportunity to help solve
school problems that haven’t been
solved by other procedures.
1. The principal oversees the Committee.
Students in grades 4 to 6 serve. Service is
considered part of school citizenship.
2. Teachers choose a different student from
their class every 3 weeks to take a turn.
3. Any student or staff member can present a
problem for consideration. The Justice
Committee then brainstorms solutions.
4. The Justice Committee’s recommendations
go to the principal for her approval.
AN EXAMPLE:
 Many Hilltop students eat part of their lunch
outside during the nice weather.
 But litter on the school grounds was making a
lot of extra work for the custodian. He took
his concern to the Justice Committee, which
recommended that all classrooms discuss
this problem.
 As a result, there was a schoolwide renewal
of the commitment to keep the grounds
clean.
 8.
A VIRTUE A MONTH
(Schoolwide culture)
“For the first 3 years we focused
just on respect and responsibility.
That became too routine. We now
do a different virtue each month.”
 HILLTOP’S 10 MONTHLY VIRTUES

 Hard work  Fairness

 Cooperation  Courage
 Citizenship  Honesty
 Kindness  Courage
 Tolerance  Self-discipline
 9.
CURRICULAR
INTEGRATION (Character
through the curriculum)
“Hilltop teachers now regularly
integrate character education into
reading, writing, social studies, and
physical education.”
 TEACHER JENNA SMITH
(3RD-Grade)
“I gather my students on the carpet and
read a story to introduce our new monthly
virtue. In March, I use the book Courage
to discuss the questions that will guide us:
 What does courage look like?
 When do you need it the most?
 Who can show courage?”
“The next day I start with a courage quote:

“Courage is rightly esteemed the first of

human qualities because it is the one that
guarantees all the others.”—Winston
Churchill

“This is a deep idea. I read it again slowly

before I ask students to think about what it
means.”
 “Then we discuss what it means for us:
When do third-graders need courage the
most?
 “Finally, they go to their desks and write
personal courage goals—what they each
need to work on that month.
 One boy wrote:

“I will be courageous by trying at least one

new thing before asking a grown-up to help.”
 10.
RECOGNITION
FOR
GOOD CHARACTER
 Hilltop’s principal, Geri Branch: “As a
society, we suffer from thinking, ‘What will
I get for doing this?’ So at Hilltop we give
social recognition for good character
rather than material rewards.”

 “We are constantly thanking children for

being courteous and considerate, using
the language of virtue. ‘That was a very
thoughtful thing to do, etc’.”
 Celebration Assemblies
 “We also have Celebration Assemblies that
give children the opportunity to perform—to
do musical recitals, skits, plays, and readings
of poems and stories. Many of these
performances highlight the virtue of the
month.”
 “Student performances are then repeated at
community events, other schools, and
nursing homes, and in this way become a
form of community service.”
 CHARACTER
AS PART OF THE
REPORT CARD

“Our school district now includes 6

Lifelong Learning Skills as part of a
student’s Report Card.”
 Lifelong Learning Skills
4=Consistently 3=Usually
2=Occasionally 1=Rarely

RESPECT ___ COOPERATION ____

RESPONSIBILITY ___ PROBLEM-SOLVING ___

REFLECTION/ INDEPENDENT
SELF-AWARENESS ___ WORK HABITS ___
 11.
A STRONG PROFESSIONAL
COMMUNITY (Schoolwide
culture)
“Taking time to reflect on our
character program has been
transformational for us as adults.”
 THE BENEFITS OF A STRONG
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY

 “We take the first half of every

faculty meeting to discuss what's
working in our classrooms and
what isn't working—and to plan
for the next month."
 Nurturing Transitions
 In the past two years, Hilltop has
experienced a turnover in approximately
half its staff, primarily due to retirements
and moves. This including bringing on a
new principal.
 Says counselor Linda Babin: “In order to
support new staff coming on board, we
have held monthly meetings to discuss
specific strategies and the foundational
philosophies of character education.
368
 “Our new staff have told us that
they feel tremendously supported
as they are welcomed into the
flock—and that the teamwork and
cooperation that goes on among
all staff are visible to their fresh
eyes.”

369
 How Hilltop Has Changed
 “Over the past 10 years, the climate of our
school has improved so much that almost
everyone who visits our school comments on
it. Our students’ test scores have steadily
improved. Discipline problems have steadily
declined.”
 “Peer pressure is now on our side—it’s cool
to be respectful. You can hear Hilltop
students telling new students how we treat
each other here.”
 A HILLTOP TEACHER:

“I was opposed to doing character

education at first. But then I saw the
change in the kids.
“I saw the change in how staff related
to each other.
“We are a different school now.”