Teaching Tolerance
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,
Character Counts, but Does Character Education?
Schools in the United States and other developed countries have been teaching character for some years now. At least they say they have. Teachers have learned to tell students that character counts. They are right. Character counts. The question is, does character education count? Character counts, but does character education
Character Education Lesson Plans – Powerful Enough?
Many teachers are looking for character education lesson plans. Teaching character education is not their choice and they lack interest; they lack time; or perhaps they simply don’t know where to begin. Whatever the reason, they don’t want to prepare their own, so they search the Internet for ready-made character
Lack of Character – Bullying by Teachers
Lack of character on the part of teachers can result in bullying of students. Are you surprised? As a school principal, at both elementary and secondary levels, I have seen teachers bully students. Oh, they didn’t stuff them in lockers, or swish their heads in flushing toilets, or demand their
Character Solution to Bullying Problem
Many schools in the northern hemisphere begin a new year tomorrow. Educators launch new goals with new groups of students. Students return with varying degrees of eagerness and trepidation. Before the first week is done, both educators and students are likely to witness bullying. Bullying is an unrelenting problem in
Character in an Anti-Bullying Campaign
Anti-bullying campaigns are beginning to spring up in schools across the U.S. There may be a similar campaign in your nation’s schools. Call them campaigns, initiatives, or programs, the aim is to curb bullying before it digs in its heels and takes root in a school. Usually, students in elementary
Character Counts – In Teachers
Character counts in teachers. That is the logical step my mind took after the last entry in this blog. Like parents, teachers must be sure they have the kind of character described on the character-in-action web site. They must exercise such character themselves before they can build it in students
Character Education Calls for Creativity
You would be amazed at how many ways there are to build character, and to teach character to children. I know I am. Whether it’s character education in elementary school or character education in high school, or something in between, there are many ways to make character education exciting, fun,
Character Education Raises Academic Performance
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
Character – Teaching to the Test
From the first time I met it, as a junior in high school, I have disliked the practice of teaching to the test. Growing up in Pennsylvania, I had learned to study all of the material presented, and be tested on whatever portion of that material teachers included on their
