I wonder if educators who are required to teach character education courses realize the full potential of what they have been asked to do.
A good character education program is powerful in many ways. One of its most amazing abilities is the power to raise academic performance. I would think this alone would get educators excited! Even without programs such as “No Child Left Behind,” those who are teachers at heart want to do everything in their power to help each student raise academic performance, and this is a tool that can do just that.
I urge teachers not to leave this on the table when they are working to help students excel. Experience taught me that improvement in moral excellence is a giant step forward for a student who needs to improve grades. Students who have been underachievers for years can quickly become honor roll students through the use of a good, well-taught character education program.
Jacob and John, twin 16-year-olds in a high school at which I served as principal, had failed school every semester from age 9 onward. They were never held back, for whatever reason, but were socially promoted each year – to once more endure the stigma of failure. Both boys detested study by any name, so when the family moved to our state, where the legal dropout age was 16, Jacob and John refused to enroll for the new school year.
Their frustrated parents requested that I visit the home, as principal, and talk to the boys. I was willing, but Jacob and John came out of their corner fighting. They dredged up feelings of total inadequacy and hatred. They pointed out that they wanted to be car mechanics like Dad, and didn’t need more schooling. They were adamant. They would not go back to school!
As the evening wore on, however, I persuaded them to give me just one semester. If they still hated school at the end of the semester, they could quit. The twins grudgingly agreed – for a semester!
From day one, I made sure Jacob and John received strong character education. They gained knowledge regarding responsibility, diligence, patience, determination, trustworthiness, and everything else on my list of character traits. They learned to apply those character traits, and when they did so, received positive reinforcement at school and at home.
Gradually, a metamorphosis took place. The boys’ impatience to leave school faded. They began to pass tests – with low grades. Then they began to get average grades. Then they began to get above average grades. Character education was having its effect.
Red-letter day came on the same date for Jacob and John – both boys passed history tests with perfect scores! Their quarterly reports held only A’s and B’s.
Did the boys remain in school? Definitely! They were granted permission to drop out at the end of that semester, but they no longer felt inadequate. Their social interaction was as satisfactory as their grades, and they were happy to remain.
A powerful character education program effected enormous improvement in academic performance for these boys, and for the first time in seven years, they earned promotion to the next grade level.
So why are we reluctant to give character education top priority?
That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?