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<\/a>The idea for this blog came from one of our colleagues who lives near a botanical garden park and sent me pictures of several flower gardens.\u00a0 <\/span>A garden has been suggested as a good metaphor for life and that \u201cnature\u201d (the natural world) is a great teacher. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nPlant the seeds of good character in your classroom.\u00a0 <\/span>If you plant the wrong seeds you will not have a garden that you like. The foundation of a beautiful garden (life\u2019s goals and dreams) require good soil, water, fertilizer, pruning, and weeding.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s visit our character education garden and share six snapshots for our character education scrapbook.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n MAY is the month of flowers.\u00a0 <\/span>It may be of interest first to get a perspective.<\/p>\n May, more than any other month of the year, wants us to feel most alive<\/i>.\u2014Fennel Hudson<\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Think about \u201cpositive attitudes.\u201d<\/p>\n The world’s favorite season is the spring.\u00a0 <\/span>All things seem possible in May.\u2014Edwin Way Teale<\/i> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Thank about \u201cpossibilities,\u201d they are there if one looks for them.<\/p>\n If you tend to a flower, it will bloom, no matter how many weeds surround it<\/i>.\u2014Matshona Dhliwayo\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Think about \u201cZoom and room.\u201d<\/p>\n If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden<\/i>.\u2014Frances Hodgson Burnett<\/i> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Think about \u201cpositive thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n Flowers grow back, even after they are stepped on.\u00a0 <\/span>So will I.<\/i>\u2014Unknown<\/i><\/p>\n Think about <\/i>\u201csecond chances.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our job as teachers and parents is to help young people learn to make good, positive, ethical choices, and learn to take responsibility (a virtue)<\/b> for their actions; to be willing to accept the negative consequences of their actions\/behaviors and to do something about them\u2014being responsible.<\/b><\/p>\n Responsibility is knowing and doing what is expected of a person; that is, doing what is right, being dependable, and fulfilling what one agrees to do even is if it means \u201cunexpected sacrifice.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sir Josiah Stamp writes:\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Joan Didion, American journalist, notes that:\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cCharacter is the willingness to<\/i> accept responsibility<\/i><\/b> for one\u2019s own life<\/i>\u2014it is the source from which self-respect springs.\u201d We know that positive<\/b> relationships can help reduce the negative effects of stress and boost one\u2019s self-esteem.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We know that it starts with the teacher taking time to build trust <\/b>with each student.\u00a0 <\/span>We know that trust must be a joint responsibility between a teacher and his\/her students. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Teachers tell us that we need to pay more attention to the relationship factor<\/b> because strong relationships help reduce behavior issues, improve classroom climate, enhance student attitudes and attention, and contribute to student achievement.<\/p>\n James Comer, professor of child psychiatry at Yale University, notes that, \u201cNo significant learning can occur without a significant relationship.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cCharacter Development is a relational process.<\/i>\u00a0 <\/span>Character<\/i><\/b> is a construct that links the person positively to his or her social world.\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>Relationships<\/i><\/b> are the foundation of character.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Tuft\u2019s Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development<\/p>\n William Hersey Davis, Positive Thoughts, <\/i>September 25, 2016,\u00a0(bolded words are mine)<\/p>\n Snapshot 4: CIVILITY<\/b><\/p>\n Civility is a character trait and habit that include behaviors, such as, showing good manners, being respectful and reasonable, and politely disagreeing without disrespect, seeking common ground as a starting point for dialogue about differences, listening past one\u2019s preconceptions, and teaching others to do the same.<\/p>\n \u201cCivility goes beyond being polite and courteous; it involves listening to others with an open mind, disagreeing respectfully and seeking common ground to start a conversation about differences.\u00a0 <\/span>Acting with civility requires children to be respectful, reflective, and self-aware.\u00a0 <\/span>Learning the skills of perspective taking, empathy and problem-solving helps children understand that their actions and words affect individuals as well as their entire community, encouraging them to rise up and act with civility in tough situations….By teaching skills like empathy, problem-solving and perspective taking, we can help nurture civility in our children.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Melissa Benaroya, How to Teach Civility During Divisive Times<\/i>, Committee for Children<\/i>, February 24, 2017<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>Snapshot 5:\u00a0 <\/span>KINDNESS\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Kindness is contagious.\u00a0 <\/span>Kindness makes one feel good.\u00a0 <\/span>Kindness brings joy.\u00a0 <\/span>Kindness requires and promotes good manners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Studies show that helping children (students) engage in acts of kindness makes them happier, reduces stress, improves self-esteem, and helps them feel calmer and more optimistic.\u00a0 <\/span>In addition, research shows that kindness is the most important predictor of satisfaction and stability in a relationship, and when children feel that they are treated with kindness, it helps them develop a feeling of gratitude. When they show kindness to others, it increases compassion, \u201cone of the most important values parents can instill in their children.\u201d<\/p>\n Snapshot 6: THE ROOT<\/b><\/p>\n In the 1800\u2019s, Margarethe Meyer Schurz opened the first Kindergarten in the U.S., passionately noting that Kindergarten was a garden for the crop called children.<\/b><\/p>\n A compelling curriculum that puts character at the core \u201cpromotes equity, empowers students through active learning protocols, and studies character through real-world and literary examples. Such curriculum creates opportunities to connect texts to local issues, take students out into the community, and builds students\u2019 capacity to give back to their community<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ryan Maxwell, \u201cWhen Character Is Center Stage, Teens Rise Up,\u201d<\/p>\n ASCD Express<\/i>, May 9, 2019\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIntegrated character education resulted in <\/i>an improved school environment<\/i>, increased student pro-social and moral behavior, and increased reading and math test scores.\u00a0 <\/span>In addition, schools became more caring communities, discipline referrals dropped significantly\u2014particularly in areas related to bullying behavior\u2014and test scores in moderately achieving schools increased nearly 50%.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Marshall, Caldwell, and Foster (2011)<\/p>\n THE QUESTION<\/b><\/p>\n What\u2019s in your classroom\/school\u2019s <\/b>character education garden<\/b>?<\/b><\/p>\n Ed DeRoche, Director, Character Education Resource Center, Department of Learning & Teaching, School of Leadership & Education Sciences, University of San Diego,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/charactermatters.sandiego.edu <\/a><\/p>\n Help us if you can: mailto:annualgiving@sandiego.edu.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/a>
\nSnapshot 1:\u00a0 <\/span>RESPONSIBILITY<\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nSnapshot 2:\u00a0 <\/span>RELATIONSHIPS<\/b><\/p>\n<\/a>
\n<\/span><\/b>Snapshot 3: REPUTATION<\/b><\/p>\n\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n