Matthew Davidson - Thomas Lickona - Vladimir Khmelkov
Teacher A wants her sixth-graders to take more responsibility for their grades. She would like them to see their grades as something they earn rather than as something she "gives" them. Simply exhorting them to do so hasn't made much of a difference.
Teacher B, in an effort to inspire his students to care about the quality of their work and the way they treat others, begins each of this grade 8 health education classes with a "character quotation." (Example: "Everything can be taken from us except one thing—the freedom to choose our attitude in any set of circumstances."—Viktor Frankl.) He asks students to write the daily quote in their notebooks and encourages them to "keep it in mind as you go through your day." But he wonders whether they really do.
During his tenure as a high school principal, Principal A has seen a steady deterioration in students' language. Profanity is increasingly common on the schoolyard, in corridors, and even in classrooms. Some parents have complained about the inappropriate language they hear when they come to the school, and many faculty feel that such language detracts from the learning environment and is disrespectful toward those who don't wish to hear it. However, students, when confronted about their inappropriate language, typically say, "That's just the way we talk." Reminders during morning announcements about "using our best language" have had no noticeable effect. There is a rule in the School Handbook that officially prohibits vulgar and profane language in school or on school grounds, but it hasn't been enforced for years. The principal wonders what, if anything, can be done about this problem.
Each of these educators faces a character-based challenge. Character-based challenges call for character-based solutions. All three educators, in their own ways, have attempted to influence students' character, but not as effectively as they would like. Their interventions need more power.
Booker T. Washington said, "Character is power." Click here for the complete article.
