{"id":362,"date":"2018-10-19T09:16:42","date_gmt":"2018-10-19T17:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.sandiego.edu\/character\/?p=362"},"modified":"2018-10-19T09:16:42","modified_gmt":"2018-10-19T17:16:42","slug":"all-about-character","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.sandiego.edu\/character\/blog\/2018\/10\/19\/all-about-character\/","title":{"rendered":"All About Character"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

October 2018 Blog
\nBy Edward F. DeRoche, Ph.D.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Politicians, the press, the public, and most educators are excited about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM), and, of course, the ever present thrust for more testing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Most of us know that knowledge keeps no better than fish\u2014use it or lose it. But the one thing that we carry with us for a lifetime is our \u201ccharacter.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Recent polls of public attitudes toward schools show that Americans want schools to prepare the young to be academically competent, and career ready. But they want more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

The public is urging educators and others to help children and youth develop character strengths such as kindness, gratitude, self-control, social skills, teamwork, diligence, perseverance, strong work ethic, positive attitudes, ingenuity, integrity, justice, caring, respect, and responsibility\u2014all of which are learned.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

What do we know about character? We know that:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u2022 Character is learned\u2014taught to the young by the entertainment industry, the media, the Internet, the environment they live in, their peers and role models, and hopefully by parents, teachers, schools, youth agencies, and religious institutions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u2022 Character is about strengths and virtues that guide an individual \u201cto act in an ethical, pro-social manner.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u2022 Character is about choices\u2014the ones we make daily (good or bad, ethical or unethical). It is about decision-making\u2014the circumstances, the risks, the chances, the consequences, and the rewards.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

\u2022 Character is about relationships and social skills\u2014skills such as sharing, participating, following directions, and listening. It is learning how to be a friend, how to care for others, how to appreciate others, how to be polite, respectful, courteous, and how to resolve conflicts peacefully.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n