Performance character and Moral character. Helping Our Students Become Smart and Good

1.

Performance character and Moral character
Helping Our Students Become Smart
and Good

2.

Smart & Good Schools Initiative
Integrating Excellence & Ethics for Success in
School, Work, and Beyond

3. THE MEASURED EFFECTIVENESS OF CHARACTER EDUCATION At all grade levels, students who have experienced quality character

education
outperform comparison groups not only on
measures of social behavior
but also on measures of
academic performance.
—Journal of Research in Character
Education (2003)

4.

Character has two major parts:
performance character and moral character.

5.

Performance Character
Moral/Ethical Character
Commitment to
continuous
improvement
Respect
• Responsibility to others
Goal setting
Love (Compassion)
Work ethic
Humility
Determination
Integrity
Self-confidence
Justice
Initiative
Moral courage
Creativity

6. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Performance is the outcome (the
grade, the honor or award, the
achievement).
Performance character consists of
those qualities needed to pursue our
personal best—whether the outcome
is realized or not.

7. Moral Character: Doing the Right Thing

Moral character consists of the
virtues needed for ethical
behavior, positive relationships,
and responsible citizenship.
Moral character honors the
interests of others, so that we do
not violate moral values as we
pursue our performance goals.

8.

Only by developing performance
character will schools:
Promote academic achievement for
all students
foster an ethic of excellence, not
just higher test scores
develop scientific and
entrepreneurial talent
produce a competitive, creative
workforce.

9.

Only by developing moral
character will schools:
create safe learning environments
prevent peer cruelty
decrease discipline problems
reduce cheating
foster social & emotional skills
develop ethical thinkers
produce public-spirited citizens.

10.

Respect
Responsibility
A person demonstrates
respect when he believes
in his own self−worth and
the intrinsic worth of all
people.
A person who is responsible
recognises that he has a duty
to
himself,
his
family,
community, nation and the
world,
and
fulfils
his
responsibilities with love and
commitment.
Harmony
A person who values
harmony seeks inner
happiness and promotes
social cohesion.
He
appreciates the unity and
diversity
of
a
multi−cultural society.
Integrity
A person
of integrity
upholds
ethical
principles and has the
moral courage to stand
up for what is right.
CoreValues
Resilience
Care
A person who is resilient
has emotional strength and
perseveres in the face of
challenges. He manifests
courage,
optimism,
adaptability
and
resourcefulness.
A person who is caring
acts with kindness and
compassion.
He
contributes
to
the
betterment
of the
community and the
world.
2

11.

Performance
character and
moral character
are defined in
terms of 8
Strengths of
Character, assets
needed for a
flourishing life.

12.

13. 1. Lifelong learner and critical thinker

Approaches learning as a lifelong
process
Shows skills of critical analysis
Takes seriously the perspectives of
others
Seeks credible evidence
Integrates knowledge
Generates alternative solutions
Demonstrates intellectual humility
(e.g., willingness to admit error).

14. 2. Diligent and capable performer

Strives for excellence; gives
best effort
Demonstrates initiative
Knows standards of quality and
creates high-quality products;
takes pride in work
Sets personal goals and
assesses progress
Perseveres despite difficulty.

15. 3. Socially and emotionally skilled person

Possesses a healthy selfconfidence and positive attitude
Demonstrates basic courtesy
(showing of politeness in one's attitude
and behavior toward other)
Develops positive relationships
Communicates effectively
Works well with others
Resolves conflicts fairly
Has emotional intelligence,
including the ability to understand
and manage one’s feelings.

16. 4. Ethical thinker

Possesses moral
discernment/insights
Has a well-formed
conscience—including a
feeling of obligation to do
the right thing.
Has a strong moral identity;
moral character is central to
“who I am.”
Has the moral skills to
translate moral discernment,
conscience, and identity into
effective moral behavior.

17. 5. Respectful & Responsible Moral Agent, Committed to Consistent Moral Action

5. Respectful & Responsible
Moral Agent, Committed to
Consistent Moral Action
Respects the rights and dignity
of all persons
Understands that respect
includes the right of conscience
to disagree respectfully
Possesses a strong sense of
responsibility to do what’s right
Takes responsibility for
mistakes
Shows moral leadership.

18. 6. Self-Disciplined Person Who Pursues a Healthy Lifestyle

Demonstrates self-control
Pursues physical, emotional,
and mental health
Makes responsible personal
choices that contribute to
ongoing self-development, a
healthy lifestyle, and a
positive future.

19. 7. Contributing Community Member and Democratic Citizen

Engage students in service
learning
Resolve school conflicts
democratically, with respect
for differences of
conscience
Demonstrates awareness
of interdependence and a
sense of responsibility to
all humanity.

20. 8. Spiritual Engaged in Crafting a Life of Noble Purpose

Considers existential
questions (e.g., “What is
happiness?”, “What is the
meaning of life?”)
Appreciates transcendent
values (truth, beauty,
goodness)
Seeks a life of noble
purpose
Formulates life goals and
ways to pursue them

21. 100 GOALS 1. Write/say 10 goals you’d like to achieve in your life. 2. Divide them into categories (career, family, adventure,

service, major
accomplishments, etc.)
3. Select your top 10 goals.
4. Write a paragraph on your #1 goal.

22. In a Smart & Good School, character education is the process of maximizing the development of performance character, moral

In a Smart & Good School,
character education
is the process of
maximizing the development
of performance character,
moral character, and the 8
Strengths of Character
within an
Ethical Learning Community.

23.

24. 4 Groups Comprise the Ethical Learning Community (ELC):

1. Faculty and staff
2. Students
3. Parents
4. The wider community

25. All members of the ELC support and challenge each other to do their best work (performance character) and treat each other with

respect and care
(moral character).

26.

ELC PRINCIPLE 1:
Develop shared purpose
and identity.
Promising Practice 1:
Build a unified school culture
around excellence and ethics
through consistent high
expectations for learning and
behavior.
Develop an honor code

27.

1. I will be honest in all my actions.
2. I will treat others the way I want to be
treated.
3. I will extend courtesy and kindness to all
people.
4. I will respect our school building and every
individual’s personal property.
5. I will take pride in our school programs.
6. I will have the courage to report bullying,
drugs, and weapons in our school.
7. I will uphold this Honor Code and exhibit
these behaviors when I represent our
school off campus.

28. ELC PRINCIPLE 2: Align practices with desired outcomes and relevant research.

Promising Practice:
Challenge parents
to align parenting
practices with
relevant research.

29.

ELC PRINCIPLE 3:
Have a voice; take a stand.

30. ELC Principle 3: Have a voice; take a stand.

Promising practices:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Develop student voice.
Develop faculty and staff
voice.
Develop parent voice.
Develop community voice.

31.

ELC PRINCIPLE 4
Take personal responsibility for
continuous self-development.

32.

Promising practice:
Promote ongoing self-reflection on
the quest for excellence and ethics.
Example: Journal:
What can you do to improve in each of
your academic subjects?
What keeps you from doing better?

33.

ELC PRINCIPLE 5
Practice collective responsibility for
excellence and ethics.

34. ELC Principle 5: Practice collective responsibility for excellence and ethics.

Promising practice:
Create a school norm of
collective responsibility
and structures that
institutionalize it.

35. School structures that foster collective responsibility: “Brother’s Keeper” Culture of critique Advisory groups Concern

meetings

36.

ELC PRINCIPLE 6
Grapple with the tough issues—the
elephants in your living room.

37.

38.

Character is
destiny.
—Heraclitus
38

39.

Seminar tasks
1. Understanding Character and Citizenship Education.
2. Moral education
3. Using storybooks as a character education tools
4. Child development theories and applications for character formation
5. Identity process and Transformative Pedagogy
6. Educating for character, how schools teach respect and responsibility
7. Character and community development
8. Ethical education of younger pupils
9. Alphabet of moral education: Manual for the teacher
10. Moral Development: A guide to Piaget and Kohlberg
11. Role of work in a life of character
12. Building an intentional school culture
13. Effective teachers like good parents