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Character
Building for Teens
by
Elizabeth Hamilton, authorCharacter
building for teens is hardly for the faint-hearted. Even those of us who have
been teachers more than 20 years shudder at the challenge. Then again, we pause
to consider what will become of the teens in our temporary care. Many are confident,
arrogant, and so self-absorbed that no one else matters. "What I do with
my life," they say, "is my business as long as it doesn't hurt anyone
else," We realize that they are lost, and as we watch them, we know that
we must help.
Character
building for teens cannot give help if it simply runs a video or sets out
a moral dilemma and urges teens to sit in groups and discuss their values. Teens
need our knowledge, not an opportunity to pool their ignorance. Lost teens need
a rescue party, not more time to follow other lost teens. They need a leader who
has a compass, and knows how to use it. |
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Of
course, if everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, and even the leader
sees no clear points on the compass, our teens are without hope. Character
building for teens must consistently and fearlessly point out the crisp lines
on the compass, and give teens clear guides to follow. Parents and teachers must
help teens strengthen their head knowledge of beliefs and proper attitudes, and
lead them to a realization that actions flow from those beliefs and attitudes.
Furthermore, teens must be brought to a full understanding that every action has
a consequence that must be faced, whether good or bad.
Character
building for teens avoids sermonizing where possible, using books and other
materials that weave character lessons into exciting plots. But, better to sermonize
than to leave our teens wandering a dangerous wilderness without hope. | |
