You’ve probably heard of eating pie “a la mode” – meaning pie served in the current fashion or style. I’m thinking today about respect in the current Hollywood fashion or style. I use “Hollywood” to stand for the whole of the global entertainment industry: movies, TV, music, etc. How does respect look when it is […]
Over the weekend, I was privileged to drive through a picturesque part of Montana. The roads were bare, but snow still covered the ground; the many, small lakes we passed were still frozen solid. Two white tail deer raced across one frozen lake, while many more white-tails rested under fir and western larch trees. A […]
As we began the new year last week, I had occasion to read several things on the Internet about teaching tolerance to children and teenagers. Most educators and those teaching character lean toward teaching tolerance as acceptance – of nearly everything.
The exercise of tolerance, educators and coaches tell us, involves acceptance of other people’s individual […]
Mr. Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidate, released an ad this week in which he says that government needs honesty. Well – not quite. Mr. Obama said the country needs honesty when it comes to talking about Social Security. Honesty, claims Mr. Obama, is the only way to fix the system.
Honesty in government? That would be […]
Character education attacks bullying by providing convincing, clear teaching on compassion. Compassion is sometimes referred to as “caring” in character education circles. While there may be actual differences in meaning, the teaching of either can do much to eradicate bullying.
Caring is a word that most children and teens readily understand on a basic level. It […]
Character education attacks bullying with forceful, clear teaching on authentic responsibility. Responsibility is not a difficult character trait. That is, it is not difficult to understand the meaning of responsibility. It is another matter entirely to accept and fulfill responsibility.
Character education attacks bullying when that education models responsibility, defines it clearly and completely, and helps […]
Character education attacks bullying with total immersion in the concept of authentic respect for others. Respect is seen in those who: know that others have value; and always show that they value others appropriately.
Character education attacks bullying by helping young people understand and embrace this vital quality, putting it into practice consistently.
If you tell the […]
Character education attacks bullying - and character educators know that they can make an enormous difference by attacking bullying with character. They don’t tell the students that. They simply teach character with every ounce of strength they have, and let the character building effort attack bullying.
Character education attacks bullying by immersing all students totally in […]
Character education attacks bullying. Why? Isn’t bullying just a part of growing up? Don’t you remember when you were a bully – or the victim of a bully? Bullying is commonplace. In the United States alone, statistics tell us that 16 percent of students are involved in bullying. Of that proportion, nine percent are victims […]
Character demands integrity, which requires courage.
Yesterday, we looked at Michael Vick’s cowardly approach to an apology for his crimes. Afraid of the pain of authentic honesty, he hid behind generalities, misnomers, and other excuses. He pretended to take the high road by saying that he would not point the finger at others who were involved. […]