Character Education, Teacher Strikes and "Reform"
Back when it was a Hot New Thing, my school wanted to institute some kind of character education program. We didn't have the cash to purchase one of the glossy whole-school "value of the month" programs (complete with hip posters, prepackaged lesson plans and even daily P.A. announcements) that were popping up--we were the do-it-yourself, discount model of character educators. We read books, formed a committee with parents and tried to figure out how to embed positive moral elements in our--pretty traditional--daily practice.
Which is harder than it looks. But well worth the effort and time spent discussing the human qualities that uphold knowledge-building, citizenship and industry--a fair summary of the purpose of public education. One of the most interesting questions that emerged in both adult and classroom-based discussions was this: Are there values--character traits and actions--that some people see as virtuous and others perceive as harmful, or even dangerous?
What about standing up for yourself and your beliefs, for example? Are the Chicago teachers, walking the
Which is harder than it looks. But well worth the effort and time spent discussing the human qualities that uphold knowledge-building, citizenship and industry--a fair summary of the purpose of public education. One of the most interesting questions that emerged in both adult and classroom-based discussions was this: Are there values--character traits and actions--that some people see as virtuous and others perceive as harmful, or even dangerous?
What about standing up for yourself and your beliefs, for example? Are the Chicago teachers, walking the