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
 Lesson 2
1. What is a Smart & Good School?
2. How does it change the definition of
character?
3. How does it change the approach to
character education?
4. What are the roles of staff, students,
and parents in this approach?

373
SMART & GOOD HIGH SCHOOLS:
Integrating Excellence & Ethics for
Success in School, Work, and Beyond
Promising Practices for Building 8 Strengths of
Character That Help Youth Lead Productive,
Ethical, and Fulfilling Lives
Thomas Lickona, Ph.D. & Matthew Davidson, Ph.D.

Download from:
www.cortland.edu/character

374
National Study of 24 Award-
Winning High Schools

Co-published by

Major support provided by:

John Templeton Foundation
 Through history, and across
cultures, education rightly
conceived has had
TWO GREAT GOALS:

to help students become smart

to help students become good.

 All schools therefore face
challenges in two critical
areas:
 Academic performance

 Ethical behavior.
 PERFORMANCE CHALLENGES

 Motivating all to do their best work

 Improving test scores
 Reducing dropouts
 Preparing graduates for college
and/or the workplace
 ETHICAL CHALLENGES
 Teaching students to respect legitimate
authority, rules, and the rights of others
 Preventing peer cruelty
 Promoting academic honesty
 Reducing risky behaviors
 Helping students become responsible
citizens.
 Our 2-Year National Study
How do the best high schools
meet these performance and
ethical challenges?
Most previous character education
had been at the elementary
school level.
 Research Methodologies
1. A review of the research literature on high
school reform, adolescent development, and
character education
2. Site visits to 24 diverse, award-winning high
schools (19 public schools, 5 private)
3. Guidance from:
 Experts Panel
 Student Leaders (2 from each school)
 100 Promising Practices
 The Smart & Good High Schools report
described more than 100 promising
practices we observed in our visits to the
24 award-winning schools or gathered
from other published research.
 Many middle and elementary schools have
since adapted these practices—and the
“Smart & Good” conceptual framework—to
their levels.
 3 Criteria for Promising Practices
A practice had to meet at least 1 of 3
criteria:
1. A link to research
2. Relevance to an important school
outcome
3. Validation by external recognition (e.g.,
an award) or teacher/student testimony
about the effectiveness of the practice.
Example: Greeting at the Door
 No one has studied the effect of a teacher’s
greeting every student daily at the classroom
door in an effort to create a close relationship.
 But the National Longitudinal Study of
Adolescent Health found that “school
connectedness”—feelings of closeness to
people at school—is associated with students’
academic success and lower levels of risk
behavior.
 In this sense, the teacher’s greeting each
student at the door is supported by research.
A Broader Concept of Character

Based on our study of what award-winning

high schools do, we expanded our
definition of character to include:

 performance character (needed for the

pursuit of excellence)
 moral character (needed for ethical
behavior).
 Character has two major parts:
performance character and moral character.
Performance Character Moral Character
• Critical thinking • Moral judgment (wisdom)
• Hard work • Respect
• Perseverance • Justice
• Resilience • Love
• Self-confidence
• Humility
• Ambition
• Integrity
• Resourcefulness
• Gratitude
• Creativity
• Moral courage
 Performance character is not
a new idea.

 Education around the world

has long emphasized the
importance of hard work.
 The Interdependence of Moral
and Performance Character
 Without moral character, we
may resort to unethical means
(lying, cheating, stealing, even
killing) to achieve our
performance goals.
 The Interdependence of Moral
and Performance Character

 Without performance character,

we will have difficulty developing
our human potential and enacting
our moral values effectively.
 Synergy Between PC and MC

 Some Do Care: Contemporary

Lives of Moral Commitment
by Ann Colby & William Damon

 Study of 24 outstanding men

and women.
Their lives showed how . . .
 strong moral character
(compassion, justice, humility, etc.) &
 strong performance character
(drive, determination, organization,
etc.) . . .
. . . worked together to bring about
extraordinary achievements in fields
such as:
 human rights
 the fight against poverty
 philanthropy
 medical care
 education
 the environment
 religious freedom.
 These leaders did good, and
they did good effectively.

In a life of character, ethics

and excellence go hand in
hand.
The mission of every school
is . . .
To develop moral and performance
character within an ethical
learning community—that
supports and challenges students
and adults to be their best and do
their best.
Shipley School, PA, teaches this
mission to all.

399
 Shipley Strategy:
A Year-Long Character Theme
All teachers work for the whole year on a
schoolwide theme.
 Best Work, Best Self (2007-2008)
 Courage and Grace (2008-2009)
 Heroes (2009-2010)
 Creativity and Critical Thinking (2010-2011)
 Peace through Acts of Kindness (2013-14).

401
SHIPLEY’S YEAR-LONG THEME:
1. Unifies the school. Teachers,
students, and families are working
on the same thing. They share
their experiences.
2. Ensures depth of study.
3. Provides many opportunities to
practice the target virtues.

402
Classroom Compacts for Excellence
1. All teachers work with their students
during the first 3 weeks of school to
create a classroom Compact for
Excellence.

2. The Compact shapes the classroom

culture. It lays the foundation for
everything else.

404
“To be a Peaceful & Productive Class”
Classmates work in groups of 4 to fill in:
To help everyone feel To help everyone
respected & cared about: do their best work:
Students will: Students will:

The Teacher will: The Teacher will:

405
The Compact for Excellence . . .
 Communicates what our school values:
doing our best and being our best.

 Sends the message that teachers have

high expectations of students, but …
“We are all in this together. We are all trying
to do our best and be our best.”

406
Holding Students Accountable
1. One high school chemistry teacher (Iowa)
had all his students sign their Compact.
2. He often reviewed the Compact at the
start of class.
3. If someone was not following the
Compact, he would stop teaching and
ask:
 “What part of the Compact are we
forgetting?”

407
SHIPLEY REFLECTION SHEET (when a
student repeatedly misbehaves):
1. What did I do?
2. How did that work?
3. What would have been a better
choice—a kinder or more peaceful
choice of action—in that situation?
4. PERSONAL COMPACT: “In the
future I will . . . ”
408
BUILDING THE ETHICAL
LEARNING COMMUNITY
(ELC)

A Partnership of Staff, Students,

Parents, and the Wider Community

409
The mission of every Smart &
Good School is . . .
To develop moral and performance
character within an ethical
learning community—that
supports and challenges students
and adults to be their best and do
their best.
 6 principles of the Ethical
Learning Community
1. Develop shared purpose and identity.
2. Align practices with desired outcomes.
3. Have a voice; take a stand.
4. Take personal responsibility for pursuing
excellence and ethics.
5. Practice collective responsibility (bringing
out the best in others).
6. Grapple with the tough issues.
 ELC PRINCIPLE 1:
Develop shared purpose and
identity.

Promising Practice:
Build a unified school culture around
excellence and ethics through
consistent high expectations for
learning and behavior.
 Most schools suffer from
“loose coupling”—high levels
of inconsistency in
expectations and values.
A way to achieve tight
coupling:
A School Touchstone—
a “way” of doing our work
and treating others.
 A school touchstone is written
by staff and students together.

 It expresses the school’s core

moral and performance values.
 THE PLACE WAY
At Place School, we pursue excellence in
scholarship and character.
We celebrate and honor each other by
being respectful, honest,
kind, and fair.
We give our best inside and
outside the classroom.
This is who we are, even when
no one is watching.
 THE ROOSEVELT WAY

“There’s a way that students here

are expected to act, and a way
that they expected not to act.”

—High School Counselor,

Eleanor Roosevelt High School,
Greenbelt, Maryland
One High School’s Motto
(Touchstone):

Work hard.
Be yourself.
Do the right thing.
TOUCHSTONE RESOURCE:

Building an Intentional
School Culture

—Charles Elbot and David Fulton

 ELC PRINCIPLE 3:
Have a voice; take a stand.
 Next to prisons, high schools are the least
democratic institutions in our society.
They teach and espouse democratic doctrine
within the classroom, while the actual practice
of democratic principles is largely nonexistent
anywhere in the school.

—Peggy Silva & Robert A. Mackin,

Standards of Mind and Heart
 ELC Principle 3:
Have a voice; take a stand.
Promising practices:
1. Develop student voice.
2. Develop faculty and staff voice.
3. Develop parent voice.
4. Develop community voice.
 Increasing Student Voice
1. Student voice in the classroom (e.g., call
on students randomly; conduct class
meetings).
2. Annual Student Engagement Survey
3. Schoolwide small-group discussions
(“What can we do to improve our school?”)
4. Democratic schoolwide governance.
 CLASS MEETINGS
 Involve students in shared decision making that
gives them responsibility for making the
classroom a good place to be.
 The chief means of fostering this shared
responsibility is the class meeting—a face-to-
face, interactive circle discussion.
 Class meetings 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).
 CLASS MEETINGS RESOURCES
 Class Meetings That Matter (www.olweus.org)
 Educating for Character, T. Lickona, Ch. 8 (20
kinds of class meetings)
___________
“Clear school rules about bullying and weekly class
meetings appear to be especially important in
reducing bullying.”

—Dr. Susan Limber, U.S. Director of Olweus Bullying

Prevention Program

425
 Participatory Student Government
1. Each classroom elects 2 representatives.
2. They lead their classroom’s discussion of how to
solve school problems such as bullying.
3. All class representatives report their class’s
suggestions at the next Student Council meeting.
4. Rep’s then bring the student council’s proposed
solutions back to their class for further discussion.
5. Rep’s then report their class feedback on the
proposed solutions to the student council.
6. This process continues until a final action plan is
ready for school implementation.
426
One large high school, over
the course of a school year,
developed its HONOR
CODE through schoolwide
participatory student
government, led by its
student Leadership Team:
 TROUPE HIGH SCHOOL’S HONOR CODE
1. I will be honest in all my actions.
2. I will treat others the way I want to be treated.
3. I will extend courtesy and kindness to all
people.
4. I will respect our school building and every
individual’s personal property.
5. I will take pride in our school programs.
6. I will have the courage to report bullying, drugs,
and weapons in our school.
7. I will uphold this Honor Code and exhibit these
behaviors when I represent our school off
campus.
8 STRENGTHS OF
CHARACTER

429
Performance
character and moral
character are more
specifically defined in
terms of a Smart &
Good School’s
desired
developmental
outcomes: 8
strengths of
character.
 8 STRENGTHS OF CHARACTER
1. Lifelong learner and critical thinker
2. Diligent and capable performer
3. Socially and emotionally skilled person
4. Ethical thinker
5. Respectful and responsible moral agent
6. Self-disciplined person pursuing healthy lifestyle
7. Contributing community member and
democratic citizen
8. Spiritual person crafting a life of noble purpose.
 The 8 Strengths of Character
address questions:

 What does it mean to be a

“complete human being?”
 What does it mean to
educate “the whole child”?
 SOURCES OF THE 8 STRENGTHS
1. Classical philosophy about living a
meaningful and fulfilling life

2. Cross-cultural research

3. Positive psychology

4. Our own research on schools.

 Research on the 8 Strengths

Matthew Davidson, Thomas Lickona,

and Vlad Khmelkov, “The Power of
Character,” in T. Lovat et al. (Eds.),
International Research Handbook on
Values Education and Student
Wellbeing.
The 8 Strengths Are Interdependent
 We need to work hard (Diligent and Capable
Performer) in order to become a Socially and
Emotionally Skilled Person, a Self-Disciplined
Person, a Contributing Community Member,
and so on.
 Being an Ethical Thinker guides how we
make use of the other strengths of character.

 Having a sense of purpose (Spiritual Person)

motivates us to develop the other strengths.
1. Lifelong Learner & Critical Thinker
 Approaches learning as a lifelong
process
 Has skills of critical analysis
 Considers multiple perspectives
 Seeks evidence
 Sees connections
 Generates alternative solutions
 Demonstrates intellectual humility.
 Media Literacy’s 2 Goals:

Help students learn to . . .

1. think critically about various forms of

media and their messages.

2. think critically about and improve their

own media habits.
 TEACHING MEDIA LITERACY
In one media literacy course, a teacher
had students analyze TV commercials:
1. What’s the message?
2. Who is the target audience?
3. What psychological appeals are being
used?
4. How are camera angles, pacing of
images, and audio/music employed?
 Thinking Critically about Pornography
1. How does pornography affect our respect for
the dignity of other people?
2. Who are pornography’s victims?
3. How does it affect our self-respect?
4. Why is it such big business?
5. What are gender differences in use of and
attitudes toward pornography?
6. What rules should parents have about
pornography?
 What Research Shows
Media literacy education has:
1. Helped juvenile delinquents learn to resist
the impulse to engage in risk behaviors
2. Helped girls analyze media messages
promoting unrealistic body images
3. Reduced teen athletes’ use of steroids and
other drugs
4. Reduced teen drinking and driving.
 2. Diligent and capable performer
 Strives for excellence
 Demonstrates initiative
 Knows standards of quality and
creates high-quality products; takes
pride in work
 Sets personal goals and assesses
progress
 Perseveres despite difficulty.
 Motivate Being Prepared
1. My materials check begins every class.
For the 1st two marking periods, they get
0-4 points, depending on how many of 4
items they have ready: text, planner,
class binder, & writing tool.

2. Their preparation grade makes up 10%

of their total grade in the fall term, 5% in
the winter, and 0% in the spring.

443
In the spring term, points come off
their homework if they’re not prepared.

I tell them they’ve got two terms to

establish good habits before I
penalize them for not demonstrating
those habits.

This has worked well for me.

444
 Integrating Service and Science
In one high school science class, working in
teams, students:

1. Used 11 quality standards to test 6 area water

systems.
2. Prepared, for local gov’t, a PowerPoint on a
blight that was killing their state’s chestnut
trees.
3. Tested the effects of an over-the-counter
steroid on fish.
4. Wrote grant proposals that brought in funds to
buy equipment for their science lab.
445
446
 Be intentional and explicit about
teaching performance and moral
character through your subject matter.
Case study: Mark Schumacker, 7th-grade
math teacher
“At the start of the school year, I now explain
the idea of performance character to my
math students: setting high expectations for
yourself and doing everything in your power
to meet them.”
447
 “HOW I CHANGED”

 “In
my previous 10 years as a math
teacher, I always had a certain
percentage of students who failed. I
thought I couldn’t do much about
that.”

448
 Have Students Set
Year-Long Goals
 “Now I ask my students to each consider
the most incredible goal they could set for
themselves in my class. I tell them:

“This should be your goal for the year.

You can achieve your dream if you put
forth the effort.”

449
 • Examine Examples of
Excellence
“As a class, we look at various
examples of past students’ work and
ask:

 What is average?
 What is excellent?

450
As a class, we brainstorm possible year-
long goals:
 Some students have the goal of going the
whole year with no incomplete
assignments.
 Some are trying to earn an “A” average for
the entire year.

451
1. I have students set goals for each
quarter that support their yearly goals.
2. I then have them set bi-weekly goals.
3. They record their bi-weekly goals on a
GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
SHEET.
4. For each kind of goal, we take sample
goals and, as a class, discuss strategies
for achieving them.

452
 Goal Partners
1. Each student chooses a goal partner at the
start of the year (“someone who will hold you
accountable to your goals, offer suggestions,
and praise you for progress”).
2. Goal partners meet every other week to
review and sign off on their Goals and
Accomplishment Sheets.
3. Those Sheets are then sent home for the
parent to review and sign.

453
 Develop Class Norms Together
 “I ask students to write down the behaviors
they would like to see in our classroom—
behaviors that will help us do our very best
work.”
 “I also ask them to list the behaviors they
do not wish to see.”
 “I combine each class’s list into a single
poster, OUR RULES, which all students
sign.”
454
 Have Policies that Promote
Performance Character
“Because most of us rarely do our best work
the first time, students may now re-take all
tests. I give them the better of the two
grades.”

“But if they fail a re-take test, they lose the

privilege of re-taking a test for the rest of
the quarter.”

455
 Math Night for Parents
(a few weeks later)
I share:
 My classroom policies
 How their child can get the most out of the
math textbook.
 How their child can use the textbook
website for test preparation.

456
 Individual Contracts
For students who are still not working up to
potential, I ask them to:
 Fill out their planners on a daily basis and have
me sign them
 Take their planners home to be reviewed and
signed by their parents.

I also make a personal call to the parents to

explain how this is supposed to work.
457
 Feedback from Parents

“My daughter has never liked math, but

she has completely changed her
attitude.
“Now she tells me she knows what ‘A’
work looks like, and anything else is
no longer acceptable to her.”

458
 Test Results
“My classes’ standardized test results
have been better than at any previous
point in my 11-year career.”
“This approach does take time. My
advice: Make one change at a time.
“Stay focused on your goal: to help
every student succeed.”

459
Co-Curricular Activities and Character
Development: What Research Shows

 Harvard study of 392 inner-city boys:

Those who participated in a school club or
sport were mentally healthier as adults,
enjoyed their marriages and children more,
and had higher incomes.
 National study: Students involved in co-
curricular activities got better grades, were
less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and
behaved more ethically.
 3. Socially and emotionally
skilled person
 Possesses a healthy self-confidence
and positive attitude
 Demonstrates basic courtesy
 Develops positive relationships
 Communicates effectively
 Works well with others
 Resolves conflicts fairly
 Has emotional intelligence, including
the ability to understand and
manage one’s feelings.
Promising Practice:
 Develop and
regularly renew a
positive relationship
with every student.
Motivate Individually
“Teachers need to motivate every
student individually, not just as an
entire class. The personal
connections my teachers make with
me—even a short conversation or
positive comment—keep me
motivated to learn.”
—A high school boy
463
 Attitude Box
Gloria Shields, 9th-grade English teacher

 “If you’re going to do your best work, you

don’t want to come in with a bad attitude.”
 “If you do arrive with a bad attitude, write
down what’s bothering you on a slip of
paper and drop it in the Attitude Box.”
 “Write on the bottom if you’d like to talk to
me about it.”
464
 Promising
Practice:

Foster Positive
Peer Relations.
 2-Minute Interviews
“I used the first 4 minutes of every class during the
first month of school to have students do paired
2-minute interviews (they had to finish it on their
own in the next 3 weeks):
1. What’s something you own that’s special to you?
2. What’s your proudest achievement so far?
3. What’s an important goal you have for your life?
4. A special interest you have?
5. Who is someone you greatly admire? Why?
6. A question of your choice.

—Hal Urban, Lessons from the Classroom

 They had to fill in a sheet with the information for
every class member—and turn it in, as with any
assignment.

 We continued until every student had interviewed

every other student. They were required to
interview me as well, and I interviewed each of
them.

 My students loved this activity. After 3 weeks, we

all knew each other well.
“The first test asks them to list the names of all
class members.”
 Promising
Practice:

Teach the Power

of a Positive
Attitude.
 The Gratitude Journal
 “The first thing when my students came
into class each day, 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 class climate.”
—high school English teacher
4. Ethical thinker
 Has good judgment.
 Has a well-formed
conscience.
 Has a strong moral identity;
moral character is central to
“who I am.”
 Has the moral skills to
translate moral discernment,
conscience, and identity into
effective moral behavior.
 Moral Discernment
How can we tell right from wrong?
1. Right actions affirm human dignity.
2. They promote the well-being of the individual.
3. They serve the common good.
4. They meet the test of reversibility. (Would I want
this done to me?)
5. They can be universalized. (Would I want all
people to act in this way?)
 REFLECTING ON CHARACTER

1. What would you want a teacher to say

about your character in a letter of
reference? (Homework: Write that letter.)
2. How do you gain the trust of another
person? How do you destroy it?
3. What are some of the consequences of
being dishonest?
4. What are some of the rewards of being
honest?
Study LIVES OF CHARACTER from:

 Academic subjects (history,

science, technology, etc.)
 Books (e.g., Some Do Care)
 Current events
 Great films
(TeachWithMovies.com)
5. Respectful & Responsible Moral Agent

 Respects the rights and dignity of

all persons
 Understands that respect includes
the right of conscience to disagree
respectfully
 Possesses a strong sense of
responsibility to do what’s right
 Takes responsibility for mistakes
 Shows moral leadership.
 OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORAL ACTION
 “Moral agency” is the power to act.

 How often do we provide opportunities for

moral action in the life of the school?

 That can begin with moral action in the

classroom—to help make the class the
best it can be.

475
 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.
476
 Sample Compact for Excellence:
To Help Everyone Feel Respected and Cared
About, We Will:
1. Treat others the way we want to be treated.
2. Think before we act.
3. Apologize when we do something hurtful.

To Help Everyone Do Their Best Work, We Will:

1. Never settle for less than our best.
2. Ask for help when we need it.
3. Have a positive attitude (bounce back from
frustration or failure).
477
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?”
478
ONE SCHOOL’S DISCIPLINE PROCESS
1. The student completes a form describing the
incident from their point of view and the teacher’s.
2. The student relates his/her behavior to one the
school’s 8 Essential Learner Behaviors (critical
thinking, citizenship, problem-solving, etc.).
3. The student discusses the completed form with
the principal or asst. principal.
4. The student decides on a restitution.
5. The parent or guardian is notified.
Building a Culture of Integrity
A math teacher: “I use humor– I act out
all the ways I know students sometimes
cheat. But I want them to know why
cheating really bothers me. I tell them:
“You can recover fairly quickly from a zero on
a test if you’re caught cheating. But it takes a
long time to recover from an act of
dishonesty. It creates a lack of trust. It
damages our relationship.”
 Schoolwide Culture of Integrity
 Self-Study: Gather baseline data on the current level
of academic honesty (attitudes and behavior) using
Donald McCabe’s Academic Integrity Survey

 With students, develop an Honor Code.

 All teachers must emphasize academic integrity.
 Commit to data-driven continuous improvement (re-
administer the Survey, identify areas for improvement,
and renew efforts).
 THE GIRAFFE HEROES PROJECT
 www.giraffe.org
Stories of more than 1500
everyday heroes from around
the world who have stuck out
their necks for others.
 6. Self-Disciplined Person Who
Pursues a Healthy Lifestyle
 Demonstrates self-control
 Pursues physical, emotional,
and mental health
 Makes responsible personal
choices that contribute to
ongoing self-development, a
healthy lifestyle, and a positive
future.
 DEALING WITH THE SEXUAL
REVOLUTION
The sexual revolution is the dominant
cultural revolution of the past half-
century, spreading worldwide through
the mass media.
Young people are bombarded with bad
messages and role models that
influence them toward sexual activity.
 While it fostered more open
communication about sex, the sexual
revolution has created a sexual
culture that is in many ways harmful
to children’s academic, social-
emotional, sexual, and character
development.
The sexual revolution’s damage to kids:
1. The sexualizing of children by a hypersexualized media
(including pornography) and marketplace
2. Increased sexual activity among youth
3. unwed pregnancies and births
4. abortions
5. sexually transmitted diseases
6. fatherless families (a leading predictor of youth
problems)
7. children raised in unstable, often abusive cohabiting
households
8. problems in school
9. children growing up in poverty.
These conditions have put children at
significantly greater risk of:
1. Dropping out of school
2. peer relationship problems
3. drug abuse
4. juvenile delinquency
5. becoming a single parent themselves
6. being unemployed as adults
7. anxiety, depression, and suicide.
 A SINGLE MOM’S STORY
 “I am an 18-year-old mother of a beautiful
5-week-old boy. I love my son with all my
heart. But I wish I would have had him five
years down the road to a man I was married
to.
 “Raising a baby is hard. My son has not
seen his father since the day he was born.
He said that he would be there for me. He
lied.”
 These findings are documented in a report
by 18 family scholars:

W. Bradford Wilcox (Ed.),

Why Marriage Matters:
Thirty Conclusions from the Social Sciences
(3rd. Edition).

New York, NY: Institute for American Values,

2011.
This year, Gabriele Kuby, a German sociologist,
published the book,The Global Sexual Revolution:
Destruction of Freedom in the Name of Freedom.
In a recent interview with MercatorNet (an
Australian online magazine), she explained her
book’s subtitle:

“Everybody knows from experience that the urges

and drives of the body need to be controlled, be it
sex or food or drink; otherwise they will control us.
Therefore temperance is one of the cardinal
virtues. (cont.)
“Sexual norms have a decisive
influence on the whole cultural edifice.
We are now in a cultural revolution that
overthrows sexual morality. The
severe consequences are obvious.
“As sex goes, so goes the family. As
the family goes, so goes society.”

—Gabriele Kuby, The Global Sexual Revolution

 3 KEY ASSETS for AVOIDING
PREMATURE SEXUAL ACTIVITY
1. ETHICAL WISDOM about what is right—the
reasons to save sex for a truly committed love
relationship.

2. STRENGTHS OF CHARACTER—needed to
put wisdom into practice in the face of
temptations and pressures.

3. SUPPORT SYSTEMS— friends, family, school,

faith communities, and other groups that
encourage and expect us to do the right thing.
OTHER FACTORS THAT DELAY SEX:
 Parents’ clear disapproval of teen sex
 Close relationship with parents
 Teenager’s personal commitment to waiting
until marriage
 A friend who is also practicing abstinence
 Religious beliefs about waiting until marriage.

—M.D. Resnick et al., “Protecting Adolescents from Harm:

Findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent
Health, Journal of American Medical Association,1997, 278.
“10 Emotional Dangers of
Premature Sex”

www.cortland.edu/character
(Character-Based
Sex Education Tab)
 THE EMOTIONAL DANGERS OF
UNCOMMITTED SEX
 In discussions of sex, not much is said
about the emotional dangers. That's a
problem, because the dangers are real.
 Being aware of them can help someone
make the decision to refrain from sexual
involvement outside a truly committed
relationship—both to avoid getting hurt
and to avoid hurting someone else.
For human beings, sex is about much
more than the body.
Our whole person is involved—mind,
body, and feelings (even if we’re
trying to suppress them).
That’s why sexual intimacy has
potentially powerful emotional
consequences.
The attempted suicide rate for 12- to-
16-year-old girls who have had
sexual intercourse is six times
higher than for peers
who are virgins.

(Other studies have also found higher depression

rates for sexually active boys.)

D. Orr, M. Beiter, & G. Ingersoll, “Premature

sexual activity as an indicator of
psychosocial risk,” Pediatrics, 87, 141-147.
 Two-thirds of teens (including
77% of girls) who have had
sexual intercourse said they wish
they had waited.

—National Campaign to Prevent Teen

Pregnancy

National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (2003). America’s

Adults and Teens Sound Off About Teen Pregnancy: An Annual
National Survey. December 2003.
“I wish someone had been preaching
abstinence in my ear when I was in
high school. That’s when my sexual
activity started.
“I don’t even want to think about my
college years. I wish I had saved this
for my wife.”
—a 26-year-old husband
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY STUDY
Gender Differences
 Before the hook-up, 34% of college women
“hoped a relationship might evolve. Only
17% of the males did.

 After the hook-up, 80% of females “wished

the hook-up hadn’t happened.”
 A Psychiatrist’s Letter at 33
“I was a virgin when I left at 18 to do a year of
study abroad. Unbeknownst to my parents, I
got an IUD. During that year I was very
promiscuous. The longest lasting wound I
gave myself was heartfelt.
“The sick, used feeling of having given myself to
so many and for nothing, still aches. I never
imagined I’d pay so dearly and for so long. Young
people should know that sex without commitment
is very risky for the heart.”
 Kathy’s Story (at 22)

“I lost my virginity when I was 15. My

boyfriend and I thought we loved each
other. But once we began having sex, it
completely destroyed any love we had.
“I felt he was no longer interested in
spending time with me—he was
interested in spending time with my body.”
Kathy’s Story (cont.)

“After my boyfriend and I broke up, I

resolved to wait for the person I
would marry.
“Every time I said ‘No’ to a guy, I
wrote a letter to my future husband—
telling him I had done that and that I
was waiting for him.”
High school boy: “My girlfriend just told me she’s
pregnant, but I’m not ready to become a father. I’m
thinking of telling her to get an abortion. I’m even
willing to pay for it. What should I do?”
Matt Paquette, M.D.: “We shouldn’t be having sex if
we’re not ready to be a parent. But if you do
become a father before you intend to, the last thing
you should do is to kill your child. Post-abortion
syndrome affects men as well as women.
“There are thousands of couples waiting to adopt.
My mother was 16 when she placed me for
adoption.”
—Just for Guys/Just for Girls, humanlife.org
  “This bold and brilliant
physician has done the
nation and its children a
great service.”
—Robert P. George, McCormick
Professor of Jurisprudence,
Director of the James Madison
Program in American Ideals and
Institutions, Princeton University

Miriam Grossman, M.D.

Sense and Sexuality:
The College Girl’s Guide to
Real Protection in a
Hooked-Up World
 “I am a physician and a psychiatrist.
For more than ten years I worked at a
campus counseling center. Hardly a
day went by without my meeting a
young woman who was in crisis.”
 “By the time she came into my office,
she’d already made decisions she
regretted. She was involved with the
wrong guy or infected with genital warts or
herpes.”
 “Most guys who have an STD don’t
know it. Routine testing of men does
not provide information about HPV or
herpes.
 “Condoms reduce the risk by only 60-
70%.
 “So you may still pay a price, even if
you both are tested and you use a
condom every time.”
 LARRY’S STORY
“Larry had not heard of HPV before he had
sex with his girlfriend. Soon after, he
noticed some bumps on his penis. His
doctor told him he had warts caused by
HPV. The warts did not respond well to
acid treatment, laser techniques, or
surgery. He began to worry if he would
ever be able to marry because of the
warts.”
—Medical Institute for Sexual Health
 “Natural reactions to finding out that
you have an STD are shock, anger,
and confusion. Who did I get this
from, and when? Who will want me
now?”
 “These concerns can affect your mood,
concentration, and sleep. They can deal a
blow to your self-esteem and GPA.”
 “These are huge issues that affect
women more than men.”
 “Thebest course is to delay
sexual activity—or if you’ve
already started, to stop. And
eventually commit to someone
who has also waited.”
 The Rewards of Waiting
1. Waiting will increase your self-respect.
2. Waiting will teach you to respect others.
3. Waiting means a clear conscience (no
guilt,no regrets).
4. By waiting you are developing the
character that will attract a person of
character.
 ANOTHER REWARD OF ABSTINENCE:
GREATER SAFETY
“Teen sexual initiation is associated with a
higher likelihood of experiencing sexual
exploitation (such as statutory rape), dating
violence, and unwanted or forced
intercourse.”

—S . Weed & T. Lickona, “Abstinence Education in

Context,” in Maureen Kenny (Ed.), Sex Education (Nova
Publishers.com, 2014).
 Sexuallyactive high school girls are
almost 5 times more likely to be
victimized by dating violence than
girls who are not sexually active.

(Silverman, Raj, & Clements, 2004).

Brett:
“I’m 19 and saving sex for marriage. I saw my
friends do things they ended up regretting.
“Besides the STDs I’ve avoided, I haven’t had
to deal with breaking up with someone I’ve had
sex with, or becoming a father before I’m ready
for that. It can be tough to wait, but the payoff
will come when my wife and I can enjoy the gift
of sex we’ve saved for each other.”

—Just for Guys/Just for Girls, humanlife.org

“No to sex meant yes to fun.”
 “My high school and college years were
the best years of my life. I learned that no
to sex meant yes to fun. My reputation as
a virgin got out fast. I had more dates,
better grades, and good, quality
friendships. Guys knew they didn’t have to
perform [sexually] for me, so we could
concentrate on getting to know each other
and having a great time.” —Jennifer, 22
 TRUE LOVE CHARACTER TEST
1. Is this person kind and considerate?
2. Does this person ever bully me?
3. Does he/she always expect to get his/her way?
4. Does this person bring out the best in me?
5. Does this person respect my values?
6. Is this person jealous?
7. Can I trust him or her?
8. Does this person make poor decisions?
9. Use drugs or pornography?
10. Would this person be a good role model for my kids?
Does Abstinence Education Work?
 “Nine credible peer-reviewed research
articles have found that particular
abstinence education programs have been
successful in influencing adolescent
sexual behavior.”

—Dr. Bradford Wilcox, “A Scientific Review of Abstinence and

Abstinence Programs,” U.S. Family and Youth Services Bureau
(February, 2008)
For ages 12+:
Fight the New Drug
(www.fightthenewdrug.org)
Porn Kills Love
(www.pornkillslove.com)

 Startedby college students in 2008

 Now a growing global movement
 Explain Why Porn is Wrong
1. It has the negative effects shown by
research.
2. It violates the dignity of the human person
by treating people as sex objects.
3. It’s addictive—it brings short-term pleasure
but then starts to run your life.
4. It can cause problems in marriage.
5. From a faith perspective, pornography is an
abuse of the sacred gift of sex.
An Effective Abstinence Program
 A 2008 peer-reviewed study of the
Reasons of the Heart abstinence
curriculum found that teens exposed to
the program were 50% less likely to lose
their virginity one year after the program.

—Weed, S.E., et al. 2008. “An Abstinence Program’s Impact on

Cognitive Mediators and Sexual Initiation.” American Journal of
Health Behavior 32(1): 60-73.
7. Contributing Community Member
and Democratic Citizen
 Contributes to family,
classroom, school, and
community
 Demonstrates the civic virtues
needed for participation in
democratic processes
 Demonstrates awareness of
interdependence and a sense
of responsibility to all
humanity.
What Research Shows
High school students who are
involved in school or community
service:
 Do better in school
 Aremore likely to treat others kindly
and respect cultural differences.
What Research Shows
High school students who
participate in democratic student
government:
 Grow in their moral reasoning
 As adults are more likely to be
active, contributing citizens.
8. Spiritual Engaged in
Crafting a Life of Noble Purpose
 Considers existential
questions (“What is
happiness?”, “What is the
meaning of life?”)
 Appreciates transcendent
values (truth, beauty,
goodness)
 Seeks a life of noble purpose
 Formulates life goals and
ways to pursue them
 Why Bother?
I see so many people just going through
the motions: get into a good school, so
you can get into a good college, so you
can get a good job, so you can get a better
job, so you can get rich and die.

—High School Graduate

 An Analysis of My Life
1. Are you generally satisfied with what you have
done so far in your life? Explain.
2. What obstacles, if any, have interfered with your
personal growth? What can you do to overcome
them?
3. What is the most valuable lesson you have
learned in your life thus far?
4. What goals have you planned for your future?
What are you presently doing to pursue them?
—John Perricone, Zen and the Art of Public School
Teaching
 100 Goals
1. Write 100 goals you’d like to achieve in your
lifetime.

2. Divide them into categories (career, family,

adventure, service, major accomplishments, etc.)

3. Select your top 10 goals.

4. Write a paragraph on your #1 goal and why that’s

#1.

—Hal Urban, Lessons from the Classroom: 20 Things Good Teachers Do

Hal Urban: I’ve had students write to me
10 or 15 years after graduation, sending
me their list of 100 goals with the ones
checked off that they’ve already achieved.
They say:

“If you didn’t have us do this assignment, I

never would have even dreamed of most
of these goals, let alone achieved them.”
 A Personal Mission Statement
1. What kind of person do I want to be? (with
regard to character)
2. What do I want to do?
3. What unchanging principles or values will
be the basis for my being and doing?
4. Imagine you are at your own funeral. What
do you want people to be saying about
you?
A H.S. Boy’s Mission Statement
 Have confidence in yourself and others.
 Be kind and respectful to all people.
 Set reachable goals; never lose sight of
them.
 Never take the simple things in life for
granted.
 Appreciate other people’s differences.
 Ask questions.
 Speak with your actions.
 Make time to help the less fortunate.
 GETTING STAFF
INVOLVED in
Creating a Smart &
Good School

531
 Increasing Faculty Voice
1. Give faculty a voice in setting the agenda
for faculty meetings.
2. Maximize participation in meetings (by
conducting the meeting in a circle; do
small-group sharing of a successful
practice or current problem).
3. Give faculty a voice in program and policy
decisions, including character education.
 Character Education Decisions
1. What classroom strategies will we use to
develop our target virtues?
2. What schoolwide strategies will we use?
3. What structures (e.g., multiple committees) will
we use to share leadership of the practices we
decide to implement?
4. How will we measure our success and use data
to guide program improvements?
5. How will we seek the involvement of other ELC
stakeholders (students and parents)?
 Building the Professional Community

1. Do common reading to develop a shared

knowledge of quality character education.

2. Involve all staff; create shared ownership.

3. Share successes and challenges—

through a buddy system, faculty
meetings, and department meetings.
 APPRECIATION NOTES
“Staff morale in our school had been very
low. We got a new principal.”
1. She taped a large envelope (8 ½ x 11”)
on everyone’s classroom or office door.
2. She sent a letter to all staff, parents, and
students inviting them to leave
“appreciation notes.” The envelopes
began to fill up. Faculty: “This is the most
important thing we’ve done in 10 years.”
535
A CARING ADULT COMMUNITY
 “I’ve worked in 6 different schools. In this
school, people really care about and
support each other. An experienced
teacher will coach a new teacher, but it
goes the other way as well.
 “People find out what you’re good at and
want to learn from you. This goes on
informally during school, after school, and
in our summer professional development
program.”
536
 Leadership of Character Ed
1. When possible, use the school’s existing
committees (such as “School
Improvement” or “School Climate”).
2. Divide the labor. Maximize involvement
through multiple committees, each with a
different task.
3. Make sure all groups—including
secretaries, custodians, and other non-
instructional personnel—are included.
 SHARING THE LEADERSHIP
One elementary school had 3 Character
Education Committees:
1. Curricular Integration Committee
2. Parent Involvement Committee
3. Assessment Committee (collected
survey data and office data on bullying,
respect, discipline problems, etc.)

538
One high school recruited faculty to
serve on 8 Character Ed. Committees:
1. Curricular Integration
2. Co-Curricular Integration (sports, etc.)
3. Honor Code
4. Character Messages around the Building
5. Service Learning
6. Parent Involvement
7. Recognizing Student Acts of Character
8. Assessment.
539
 FACULTY MEETING SHARING

First 20 minutes of every meeting:

1. Teachers sat on floor in groups of 4.

2. Each person had 5 minutes to share
something positive from that week’s
teaching or a challenge they were facing.

540
“SEND ME YOUR BEST IDEA”

Principal:
 “At the end of every month, I asked all my
teachers to send me an email with a
paragraph describing their most
successful character education lesson or
activity of the past month.
 “The secretary put all these together and
sent them to the whole staff.”
541
GETTING PARENTS
INVOLVED
As Full Partners

542
1. Affirm parents’ importance
1. The family is the first and most important
influence on a child’s character.

2. The school’s job is to reinforce the

positive character virtues (hard work,
respect, honesty, caring, etc.) being
taught at home.
2. Expect Parents to
Participate
3. Provide Incentives
4. Provide Programs on
Parenting—and Work to
Increase Turnout
5. Get the Program
to the Parents
 6. Family Homework
Example:
 Parent and child, independently,
each make a list: “Who are 5 of
your heroes? Why?”

 Then compare and discuss lists.

 7. Parent Support Groups
 Meet every 6-8 weeks in someone’s
home.
 4 couples with students at the same
developmental level.
 Parents choose the topic for the evening.
 Parents share success stories and
challenges around the focus issue.
 8. Involve Parents in
Planning/Having a Voice
 9. PARENTS CHARACTER ED
COMMITTEE
1. Organizes school-based, character-
related events for parents (e.g., special
assemblies, parenting talks, family film
nights, common book project).
2. Helps parents model and teach character
in family life (e.g., monthly “Character
Corner” newsletter).
3. Develops a parent resource center.
 10. A MORAL COMPACT WITH
PARENTS

 Askparents to “sign on”:

“We commit to working with the
school to promote good
character.”
11. PROVIDE PARENTING TIPS
AND RESOURCES

553
 TEACH KIDS THE ART OF
CONVERSATION
Back-and-forth questions (take turns):
1. How was today on a scale of 1 to 10—where
1 is “terrible” and 10 “terrific”? Why?
2. What happened that you didn’t expect?
3. What did you accomplish today that you feel
good about?
4. What did you learn today—in school or just
from life?
5. What’s an interesting conversation you had?
At all developmental
levels, the most
confident, capable, and
morally responsible
children have
authoritative parents.
 Ifkids don’t—early on—get the
idea in their heads that they
should obey mom and dad,
parenting is ten times harder.

 Many parents have never taken

the time to explain to children why
they should obey.
 HOW TO EXPLAIN TO KIDS
WHY THEY SHOULD OBEY
 “Mothers and fathers have the job
of being in charge of the family.
 “Kids have the job of obeying their
parents—doing what we ask you to
do.
 “That helps make a happy family.”
 “It’sthe same in school. A teacher
is in charge of the classroom. Kids
have to follow directions and do
what the teacher says.

 That helps make a good classroom

where the teacher can teach and
kids can learn.”
 “So when we ask you to do something,
you have to obey. You can’t say, ‘No.’

 “If you forget, we’ll give you one reminder:

‘Remember our talk about obeying.’ This
is a chance to obey.’ If you continue to
disobey, then there has to be a
consequence. Let’s talk about what that
should be . . .
 “We’d also like you to obey cheerfully,
without complaining. Obeying cheerfully
is a way of showing love—a virtue.”
 MAKE A BIG DEAL
OF THE FAMILY MEAL
Harvard’s Family Dinner Project:
www.thefamilydinnerproject.org
Studies show, regular family meals are linked to:
 healthier eating habits in kids
 lower rates of anxiety and depression
 stronger resilience and self-esteem
 reduction of teen drug use and pregnancy
 better grades.
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Sign up for free online easy dinner recipes
and conversation starters such as . . .

 “What makes you feel loved?”

 “What are 3 things you can do to make
others happy that don’t cost anything?”
 “What do you wish we did more often as a
family?”

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 Family Meetings
1. “How can we all make this a good week? What’s
a problem we need to work on?”
2. Go around, giving everyone a chance to speak:
(1) their views of the problem, and then (2) their
suggestions for solving it fairly.
3. Combine ideas into an agreed-up plan; all sign
and post the agreement.
4. Have a follow-up meeting: What’s been better?
Any areas where we can improve?
Sheila Stanley, “The Family and Moral Education,” in R. Mosher
(Ed.), Moral Education: A First Generation of Research and
Development. New York: Praeger, 1980.
 USE THE FAMILY MEETING TO
FOSTER KINDNESS
James, 7, and Elizabeth, 5, “fought constantly,”
usually because Elizabeth would try to do
whatever James was doing. Their mom would yell
at them, which only made everyone more upset.
In a family meeting, mom and kids made this plan:
(1) No hitting or yelling by anyone; (2) James will
play with Elizabeth at least once a day; (3)
Elizabeth will try to play by herself sometimes; and
(4) Everybody should try to say and do nice things.
The mom says:
“We posted our solutions on the fridge. Next
to that was a list for writing down nice things
said and done during the next two days.
James agreed to record Elizabeth’s
additions.
“In our follow-up meeting two days later, we
read all the nice things people had said and
done. We decided that everyone had indeed
tried to be kinder.”
 Familymeetings make kids co-
creators of a happy family.

 Making the family work and keeping

the peace become a shared
responsibility—not just mom and
dad’s job.
 GIVE KIDS CHORES
 Children who have household
chores—jobs they aren’t paid to do
but ones that they are expected to do
as contributing family members—
develop a greater concern for others.

—J. E. Grusec, “Household Work and the Development of

Concern for Others,” Developmental Psych., 32, 1996.
 HOW TO ORGANIZE CHORES

Irene Freundorfer, Canadian

mother of ten: www.10kids.com
 READ BOOKS THAT
CULTIVATE KINDNESS.
 Children’s books that depict peer cruelty
and everyone’s need for friendship—
such as The Hundred Dresses by
Eleanor Estes and Wonder by R. J.
Palacio—are good for parent-child
sharing of relevant experiences.
 What have we done when we’ve seen
someone being mistreated?
 What could we do in the future?
The article, “Children’s Books That Show
Kids the Goodness in the World,” describes
picture books that show the inspiring ways
people do good (www.readbrightly.com).
Discuss: How can we make a positive
difference in the world?
“5 Books That Teach Kids What It Means
to Be a Good Person”
(www.readbrightly.com)
“HELP ME BE GOOD” BOOKS
 Joy Berry’s series of 29 “Help Me Be Good
Books” have sold more than 80 million
copies. Each book uses entertaining
cartoon art to focus on a specific bad habit
and how to replace it with a socially
appropriate behavior. Sample titles:
Being Selfish, Being Greedy, Being Bossy,
Being Rude, Being Destructive, Being
Careless, Gossiping, Lying, Breaking
Promises, and Disobeying.
 HOW TO HELP KIDS BREAK
A BAD HABIT
Each of the “Help Me Be Good” books:
1. Defines and describes a particular
misbehavior.
2. Explains the causes of the misbehavior.
3. Shows the negative effects of the
misbehavior on self and others.
4. Shows how to replace the problem
behavior with positive behavior.
GET CONTROL OF
SCREENS.
 WHAT SCREENS PROMOTE
 2000+ studies find that a high level of viewing
media violence increases aggressive behavior and
desensitizes kids to violence.
 Kids who play violent video games exhibit less
empathy and more aggression.
 The more teens watch television and movies
featuring sexual content, the more likely they are to
engage in premature sexual activity.

”The Impact of Media Use and Screen Time on Children,

Adolescents, and Families,” Nov. 2016 www.acpeds.org
 WHAT SCREENS DISRUPT

 Higher use of screen time and

nighttime use of electronic devices
result in shorter sleep and poorer-
quality sleep.
 Sleep deprivation is linked to learning
problems and hyperactivity.

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 CREATE A FAMILY MEDIA PLAN
Have a family meeting: “What screens policies are
best for our family?”
“The use of media in our family is a privilege, not a
right. That privilege has to be exercised with our
permission—in a way that is consistent with our
family values.
“So, for any TV show, movie, magazine, music CD,
video game, Internet site, or social media platform,
here’s the question: Is it consistent with what we
value and believe as a family? Let’s come up with
a Family Media Plan that will work for our family.”
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RECOMMENDED SCREEN POLICIES

American College of
Pediatricians, www.acpeds.org

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 SCREEN RESOURCES
 www.resetyourchildsbrain.com

 www.commonsensemedia.com

 www.screenit.com

 the App Screen Time

 Integrity Online (provider service)

578
www.ProtectYoungMinds.org
Good Pictures Bad Pictures
by Kristen A. Jenson and Gail Poyner
In gentle language, this read-aloud book
teaches children a CAN DO plan if they
encounter pornography:
1. Close my eyes.
2. Always tell a trusted adult.
3. Name it when I see it.
4. Distract myself.
5. Order my thinking brain to be the boss!
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 Teach a Vision about Sex
“Sex is so special, it deserves a special
home. It is most meaningful when it’s part
of something bigger. When you are
married, your sexual intimacy expresses
your total commitment to each other.
“The ultimate intimacy belongs within the
ultimate commitment.”
 TRUE LOVE CHARACTER TEST
1. Is this person kind and considerate?
2. Does this person ever bully me?
3. Does he/she always expect to get his/her way?
4. Does this person bring out the best in me?
5. Does this person respect my values?
6. Is this person jealous?
7. Can I trust him or her?
8. Does this person make poor decisions?
9. Use drugs or pornography?
10. Would this person be a good role model for my
kids?
 If You Have Religious Faith,
Share It With Your Kids
Teens who regularly practice a faith and rate
their religion as important to them are:

 More involved in service activities.

 Less likely to steal, be violent, or use drugs
and alcohol.
 Less likely to have sex.
—Child Trends, “Religious Involvement and Children’s
Well-Being” www.childtrends.org
“One of the ways religion deters
adolescents' involvement in self-
injurious or anti-social behaviors is by
influencing them to choose friends who
do not engage in those activities.”
—J. M. Wallace and D. R. Williams, “Religion and adolescent health-
compromising behavior.” In J. Schulenberg et al. (Eds.), Health risks
and developmental transitions during adolescence. (New York:
Cambridge University Press, 1997).
 WHAT WOULD a SMART &
GOOD SHOOL LOOK LIKE IN
AN INNER-CITY
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL?

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 JEFFERSON JR. HIGH
 Gangs, drugs, and violence swirled around
Jefferson Jr. High, Washington, DC.
 Theft, vandalism, and fighting were
common.
 Test scores were among the lowest in the
city.
 12-15 girls got pregnant each year.
 Its new principal, Vera White, brought
together faculty, school administrators,
student leaders, parents, and members of
the community—including the churches.
(As an African-American woman of faith,
she felt strongly that the faith community
had to be involved.)

 She asked, "How can we save our

school?"
 Jefferson’s leadership group decided
they needed a 5-year plan with a yearly
theme. Year 1 focused on planning
objectives and strategies and prioritizing
goals; Year 2 on positive attitude; Year
3 on conflict resolution.
“We decided we didn’t want to talk about
‘values’ but about character. Our school
is now totally centered on character
development.”
 “Ourparents must come to school for
Back to School Night. We do a lot of
personal outreach to make that
happen—calling people personally.

 “We have a dish-to-pass supper to

create a family feeling and an
atmosphere of trust. You feel
welcome when you go into our
school.”
 “Wealso tell parents that they must
come to the teacher-parent
conferences during the school year.

 “Our message is, ‘We can't do

this without you.’’’
 PrincipalVera White also asked all
parents—90% of whom were single
mothers living in poverty—to give at
least 20 hours a year of volunteer
service to the school.

 Most met or exceeded that.

Year 2’s Theme: Attitude Counts
 “You carry your attitude everywhere you
go—into school, into the workplace, and
into your family. If you have a positive
attitude, people will react positively to that.

 “If you have a negative attitude, they'll

react negatively to that. Your attitude
makes the difference.”

592
Principal White:
“In morning homeroom we role-played
situations with the students, practicing how
to respond in a positive way when
somebody does something you don’t like.

‘Excuse me, but I didn’t appreciate it

when you . . .”

593
 Another year’s theme was community
service. "We did this to counteract the
vandalism in the community. On the way
to school, some of our students were
destroying the high-rise projects.
 “Now every student does community
service. Vandalism is no longer a serious
problem. You can't tear something down if
you're building it up.” (If you want to inhibit
a negative behavior, strengthen its
psychological opposite.)
 BUILDING PERFORMANCE
CHARACTER
 Bolstering Jefferson's academic curriculum
has been aided by a partnership with a
nearby business, the COMSAT
Corporation.
 A grant and technical assistance from the
company have helped the school develop
a state-of-the-art program in math,
science, and technology.
595
Personal responsibility (including
academic responsibility) became
the focus of:
 morning homeroom discussions
 weekly assemblies.
CHARACTER-BASED SEX ED
 To combat early sexual activity and
pregnancy, Jefferson adopted three
character-based sexuality education
programs.
 All of them teach students the value and
skills of abstaining from sexual activity.

597
 SEX AND CHARACTER
Kevin Ryan, founder of Boston University’s Center
for the Advancement of Ethics and Character and
author of Building Character in Schools:

 “How we live our sexual lives is

intrinsically a moral matter. Sex both
involves and affects others. It has strong
personal and social consequences. It can
bring new life into the world.”

598
 “Our sexuality is therefore an area of our
lives that calls for the presence of
virtues—self-control, a strong sense of
responsibility, prudence, and often the
courage to withstand strong sexual
desires.”
—Kevin Ryan

599
 Best Friends was developed by Elayne
Bennett for 5th-9th girls, first piloted in
inner-city schools in Washington, D. C.,
and then replicated in more than 15 cities
across the country.
 Best Men for boys came later.

600
 Girls
in Best Friends pledge to stay
away from sex, drugs, and drinking
through their school years.

 Every girl gets an adult mentor who

spends at least an hour a week with
the student.

601
All the girls take a class that teaches:
 how to avoid drugs
 say no to their boyfriends
 deal with sexual "pressure lines"
 practice modesty
 distinguish a good friend from a destructive one
 set and work toward goals, including getting an
education.

Best Friends members also plan and do many

activities together as a group, including fitness
classes and community service.
602
Outcomes for Girls in “Best Friends” and
Boys in “Best Men”
Lerner, R., Adolescent and Family Health, 2004, 3 (4)

Compared to non-participating D.C. peers, Best

Friends girls were:
 More than 6 times less likely to have sex
 8 times less likely to use drugs
 2 times less likely to use alcohol
Best Men boys were:
 33% less likely to use drugs
 22% less likely to use alcohol
 20% less likely to have sex
603
 Five years after it began its
schoolwide character education
initiative, Jefferson Junior High had
won two U. S. Department of
Education Blue-Ribbon Awards for
excellence in academics and
character.
 Ithad a waiting list of more than 500
students.
 VeraWhite received the distinguished
McGraw Prize for Educational
Leadership. She personifies the
"hands-on" principal.
 She is nearly impossible to get on the
office phone because she is almost
always somewhere in the building
talking with parents, teachers, or
students.
605
 When a Jefferson athletic team heads off
to a game, she's usually there at the bus
to wish them well. When they arrive back
at school later that night, she's sometimes
still there to welcome them home.

 "She's like a mother to these kids," says a

teacher. Her staff are inspired by her
example.

606
 BE A SERVANT LEADER
 Great school leaders are servants first.
 As character educators, they walk the talk.
They appeal to people’s values, touch
their emotions, and create connections.
 They tap what is important to people and
what motivates them. This is morally
based leadership—a form of stewardship.

607
 Noble purpose—loving, compassionate service
 Humility—values others’ opinions; open.
 Courage—takes risks, tries new approaches.
 Gratitude—shows and promotes appreciation.
 Empowerment—believes in the value of every
individual; supports contributions/growth of others.
 Foresight—envisions goals & how to get there;
mentors leaders; future-minded.
 Stewardship—promotes service by all to school’s
values & objectives; high standards; sets example.
—Qualities of the “virtuous school leader” identified by the
University of Missouri at St. Louis school leadership project,
Bier & Berkowitz (www.characterandcitizenship.org)
A Servant Leader: Rich Parisi, Morgan
Road Elementary School
 “The first thing I did as the new principal was to
invite every staff member—every teacher, every
member of the support staff—to meet with me to
share their experience at the school. When we
met, I said:
 “Please talk to me about your time here. What, if
anything, has changed? What do you
experience as good things about the school?
What could we improve?”

609
A Morgan Road teacher:

“In central New York, we get a lot of snow

and ice in the winter.
When that happens before the end of a
school day, you can see Mr. Parisi out in
the school parking lot, scraping the snow
and ice off teachers’ windshields.”

610
 THE GREATEST DANGER
 The greatest danger facing character
education is that severe social problems
will be met with only weak educational
interventions.
 When weak interventions fail to bring
about significant improvement, people will
say, "We tried character education, and it
failed."
 EVERYONE’S JOB
 SMART & GOOD SCHOOLS are clearly
something all of us have a stake in, not just
educators and parents, but everyone who cares
about a decent society.
 The premise of the character education movement is
that the disturbing behaviors that assault us daily—
violence, greed, corruption, incivility, drug abuse,
sexual immorality, and a poor work ethic—have a
common core: the absence of good character.
Educating for character goes to the root of these
problems—and therefore offers the best hope of
improvement. 612
 Character education is the shared duty

of all those who touch the values and

lives of the young, starting with families

and extending to schools, faith

communities, youth organizations,

business, government, and the media.

613
 The hope for the future is that we
can come together in common
cause: to elevate the character of
our children, our own character as
adults, and ultimately, with God’s
grace, the character of our
civilization.

614