Character Education in schools

Character Education in Schools
 by: Jamie Cruise

Everyone is a character educator whether you are teacher or student or administrator, custodian or even if you are a school bus driver. You can always help to shape the character and behavior of kids in schools you come in touch with. In fact, it’s the way you talk, the way you behave, the conduct you tolerate, the deeds you encourage and the expectation you may transmit. But the big question, are you doing it in the proper way? Either you might be doing it well or you might be doing it very poorly creating a negative impact.

How exactly would you define Character education? “Character education is the deliberate effort that can help people to understand and act upon core ethical values.” Many people believe that any guidance given to children may be called Character Education. However that is absolutely wrong. Any guidance that may help children to mould and build their career only can be called Character Education. But this thinking does a little or nothing to affect the character of the kids. Also some people think that we should develop independent thinkers. But character education may be very modest where a teacher can do few things right and can always involve everyone in the school.

Only popular wisdom can hold that the best way to implement character education in schools. There are many features of this holistic model which are given below:

• Social and emotional learning should be emphasized with academic learning.

• Teaching of cooperation and collaboration in the curriculum.

• Fairness, honesty, respect and kindness should be included in everyday lessons.

• Discipline, leadership and management should be taught in classrooms.

• The teachers should teach about the social skills so that the kids can be skilled at solving conflicts fairly and evenly.

• There should be a place for the kids so that they can express their decision and can discuss about any problem they face.

• The teacher should share about his personal hero or role model and should explain why he she is his hero.

• Hang character education posters in notice board and class room. Also promoting a project for each class will definitely adds value.

Even though it is challenging, but if it is properly facilitated, discussions like this in class rooms develop student’s thinking skills, provide an experience and engage the kids in deep, kind and meaningful expressions about the kind of people they are or what kind of people they want to be.