Character Development

"Good Character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are to some extent a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to built it piece by piece - by thought, choice, courage and determination." John Luther
"Character is the firm foundation stone upon which one must built to win respect. Just as no worthy building can be erected on a weak foundation, so no lasting reputation worthy of respect can be built on a weak character" R. C Samel
Character Education:
The main goal for Character Education is to help schools create a frame work that will help shape the lives of children in assisting them to become fully developed and well-rounded persons, who will become contributing members and assets to their society.
Character Development
The Finding Common Ground: Character Development in Ontario Schools, K-12 is the Ministry mandate which involves a community consultation process to identify character traits that everyone can embrace to infuse Character Development into the curriculum. In late fall, the Director, Gerry Connelly, shared the Character Development consultation process developed to engage school communities in helping to define what character really means for all of us in the TDSB. Some of you may have seen her speak on a video as she spoke to a group of grade sixes at Pierre LaPorte Middle School.
In her Director’s BLOG, Gerry expresses the shared belief that student success is dependent on a safe, caring, inclusive learning environment where every student feels valued. She stated that, in addition to academic improvement, we continue to focus on the social, physical and emotional development of our students. Much of this starts with teaching our students about the value of character – respecting themselves and each other, making positive contributions to their school and community, thinking critically and creatively. By supporting the heart and art of teaching and learning in our classrooms, hallways, and our communities, we are nurturing the joy of learning. From there, everything is possible.
Following are the attributes Chosen for TDSB schools:
Respect, Co-operation
Responsibility, Teamwork, Honesty
Kindness & Caring, Empathy
Integrity, Fairness and Perseverance
To see the Director's announcement click here.
Useful Websites on Character Educatuon
Ministry of Education:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/literacy/booklet2006.pdf
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/shared.pdf
http://www.curriculum.org/edu/character/
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/character.html
Other Sites
http://www.charactermatters.ca/
http://www.character.org/
http://www.cfchildren.org/
http://www.characterfirst.com/education/index.html
http://www.charactercounts.org/
www.positivecoach.org/
http://www.giraffe.org/
http://www.ethicsed.org/
http://www.amenetwork.org/
http://globalethics.org/
http://www.devstu.org/
http://www.characterplus.org/
http://www.bu.edu/education/caec/
http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/
http://www.ethics.org/
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/SchoolsOnline/character.html
http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Chacter_Education/
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?activity_id=5399
http://www.cortland.edu/www/c4n5rs/
http://www.ascd.org/
http://www.makeadifference.com/
http://www.dontlaugh.org/
http://education.ufl.edu/web/?pid=305
http://www.nncc.org/Perents/ga.angry.html
http://www.tweensandteensnews.com/index.php
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/inclusiveeducation/findresources/behavioursupporttoolkit.asp
http://sitc.education.ed.ac.uk/Dealing_With_Disruption
http://lacoe.edu/
http://www.actsofkindness.org/
www.hwdsb.on.ca/characterbuildshamilton/
http://www.freethechildren.com/
http://www.futureaces.org/
http://www.kidsareworthit.com/
http://www.metowe.org/
http://www.moralintelligence.com/
http://www.cfchildren.org/
http://www.tribes.com/
http://www.realdiscipline.com/
http://www.characteredu.com/
http://www.primaryideas.co.uk/index_files/otherstuff.html
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/banda/behaviour_nqt_course/ (This is a complete management course for new teachers.
http://www.senteacher.org/wk/certificates.php#
Signs(sign language ) for classroom management
http://www..drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2006/08_August/pg06a.html
Quotations
Looking for inspirational quotes on particular topics? Try the following websites.
http://www.quotationspage.com/qotd.html
http://www.quotesandsayings.com/finquoteframes.htm
Books
Character Matters: How to Help our Children Develop Good Judgement, Integrity, and Other Essential Virtues by Dr. Thomas Lickona (Simon & Schuster, New York)
Growing Character: 99 Successful Strategies for the Elementary Classroom by Deb Austen Brown (Character Development Group Inc., Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Once Upon a Time: Storytelling to Teach Character and Prevent Bullying by Elisa Davy Pearmain (Character Development Group Inc., Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Parenting for Good: Real World Advice for Parents by Marvin Berkowitz (Character Development Group Inc., Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Shouting Won't Grow Dendrites by Marcia L. Tate (Corwin Press, California)
Smart & Good High Schools: Integrating Excellence and Ethics for Success in School, Work, and Beyond by Drs. Matthew Davidson and Thomas Lickona (Center for the 4th & 5th R's, State University New York, Cortland)