Character Matters . . .

| By: Committee for Children

My first year of teaching my goal was to have a well managed classroom because I had heard so many of those stories about “the first year teacher” who couldn't control her kids! I was determined that wasn't going to be me, my first year… or ever. I read all the books about classroom management and implemented many strategies, but after a few months, even though my classroom was “managed” pretty well, I still felt there was something lacking in my classroom environment. Even though I was following all the standards and doing a pretty darn good job as a first year teacher designing individualized education for each of my students, there was still some element missing, for me and for them.

I wasn't teaching students how to be good people. That's why I had gone into education. That is why I was a teacher. I wanted to make a difference, not just by raising a child's reading scores, but helping a child to learn that if they worked hard enough they could be a better reader and then be whatever they wanted to be. My current management plan was effective in teaching them how to be good listeners, how to follow directions, how to transition from the rug to their seats, how to walk in the hallway, but I wanted them to learn something more from me… much more. I wanted them to learn the skills to be good people. I wanted them to learn about character traits like: Respect, Responsibility, Citizenship, Compassion, Integrity, Honesty, Trustworthiness, Fairness, Self-Discipline, and Perseverance. I wanted them to use these in my classroom, but also use them once they left my classroom. I wanted to teach them how to have strong character. I wanted them to be strong students and grow to be strong people.

So, I looked for more resources to help me and decided to design my own system. With my $50 annual teaching budget I found a book called, Character Education K-3, published by Carson Dellosa and the character posters to match at the teacher store. Each poster defined the character trait and then gave a few examples. The book gave me ideas for different lessons. As we all know, though, fitting one more thing just wasn’t going to happens, so these “lessons” would have to become part of my behavior management system and woven in throughout the day. I began by creating a “Character of the Month” and aligned each character trait with the month I thought could be most easily integrated with, for example Respect in September when we are first learning how to respect another, our classroom, and school, Responsibility for October when homework began, Citizenship in November during voting time, Compassion during December where we did a toy drive, etc. I created a “Character of the Month” in my family newsletter stating the definition, how I would be looking for this behavior all month long, and ways on how parents could help by talking about it and modeling this character trait as well.

To begin each month we would introduce the character trait and talk about the meaning as a class and give examples. To begin each day all month long we continued to review and give examples. Students would share their stories of someone being “compassionate” during the month of Compassion, I would share about a student I saw working hard even though it was hard and “persevering” during the month of Perseverance. I gave out “post-it” notes to individual kids when I caught them showing the character trait of the month (or past months character trait). They could write their name on these and turn them in to the basket. Integrating math and the idea of probability, the more post-it notes in, the more chance of then being able to draw from the “treasure box”. Of course to encourage whole group participation a handful of marbles into the marble jar when I caught the whole class displaying the character trait would mean closer to their voted upon “party” of choice.

Looking back, from the beginning I can be proud of my work as a first year teacher. Even though I wasn't very skilled in teaching reading or experienced in teaching writing, I had made a great behavior management system meeting needs in all places, the child, the classroom, and, the home. And, indeed my classroom grew in emotional and social skills. I was not a counselor or even an experienced teacher, but I knew there was something missing, and when I discovered it and implemented this recognition, this teaching, this rewarding of character, it worked! Soon the character that once had to be repeatedly rewarded was habit in these children. They were using the vocabulary, they were modeling the behaviors, and most important there was little effort, it was a part of who they were. They were kids with strong character and I was proud to be their teacher.

Years later my first year teacher “behavior management system” even trickled to the whole school where it was adopted as a whole wide school behavior management system in order to create a positive school climate. Assemblies once a month were held schoolwide to honor the child in each class who displayed the “Character Trait of the Month.”

Character Matters. It mattered to me and it should matter to you. What are we teaching our kids, if we aren't instilling in them something to want to be better, to do better? To me teaching then as a first year teacher and teaching today, isn't about the teaching of curriculum, or heaven forbid “teaching to the test”, teaching is about teaching children to love learning, become good citizens, and giving them the tools to be whatever they want to be when they grow up. These tools are social and emotional skills that promote good character. What is missing in your classroom? In your school? Whether you're a first year teacher or have been teaching 30 years, maybe it is time to integrate more social and emotional learning throughout the day. Maybe it's time to create kids with strong character. Kids we all can be proud of because you were their teacher. Character Matters. You matter.