Character education at home and in school is vital.
Good character leads individuals, organizations, communities, and nations ahead.
To exhibit good character is a lifelong goal--we can always work to better our character.
As an educator, I used this list to guide character conversations:
The challenge is to think about how you display the qualities of good character. Fostering discussions about this in classrooms and amongst teammembers in any group or organization can build collective character. These questions may help?
- How do we show respect to one another? What protocols and routines are in place to make respect a regular part of how we work together?
- What are you responsible for? How do you demonstrate personal responsiblity? How does your team work in responsible ways together?
- Do you persevere when goal and objectives are tough? Rather than give up easily, what do you do to persevere?
- Are you grateful for the people and events that contribute to your overall happiness, success, and good living? Do you make time to recognize the good in your life, and show gratitude for that?
- Are you courteous or do you use behaviors and words that are disrespectful, overwhelming, or hurtful? Do you speak and act with kindness?
- Do you demonstrate restraint, self-control, and discipline or do you act without these traits doing whatever you want whenever you want with no concern for others?
- Are you honest with yourself and others, or do you lie to prop yourself up, fool others, and avoid responsibility?
- Do you cooperate with others? Are you a good team player? How do you work successfully as a positive team member?
- Do you demonstrate tolerance and acceptance in the face of diverse ideas, lifestyles, cultures, communities, and decisions? Do you take on broad and inclusive perspectives or do you hold on to narrow minded, exclusive attitudes and actions?
- Are you a good friend? Are you there to support others in friendly, caring, selfless ways?
- Do you display the courage to do what is right and good even if it is frightening and challenging?
- Do you have a sense of humor which allows you to add levity to life's foibles, struggles, awkward moments, and failures?
- Are you humble? Do you recognize that no one has it all, and we're all a mix of goods and not-so-goods?
The more we move towards good character, the more our lives and communities will improve. We can do this?