Character Ed

A lot of schools are making a big push for character education these days. Traits such as empathy, responsibility, kindness and sharing are featured each month. Students who manage to catch the teacher's attention while they are showing off these qualities are rewarded, usually during an assembly where they receive a nice coloured ribbon along with some of their peers. Sound familiar? Now don't get me wrong, this is an admirable idea. The problem is, it is often just another school project with little connection to the rest of the academic agenda the kids are receiving. What we need to do is make sure this whole thrust has real meaning. It needs to be integrated into everything being taught. Staff must show they are able to exhibit the same attributes they are hoping to see in their students. Character cannot be taught the same way as a math concept. It needs to be built into every aspect of school life, and needs to be nurtured at home. Bring the parents on board and encourage them to teach by example. This is a good direction we are moving in, but it shouldn't become just one more directive from above, one more assembly to plan, or just another thing for teachers to evaluate. Make is a living, growing experience where kids begin to expand beyond themselves to become the best version of themselves they can be.