| |
Character
Education for High Schools
by
Joseph Ritchey, high school teacherCharacter
education for high schools is an intriguing topic. The potential of such a
discipline is astounding. It promises to revolutionize high schools. It promises
to remove the need for converting them into ever-stronger fortresses. It appears
to me that character education is really the key to safe schools. It is not a
guarantee, but I believe an all-out emphasis on character education in high schools
would radically change the atmosphere of our schools.
The
catch is that character education is so often relegated to lower grades. We who
teach high school use it sparingly, assuming that children learn these things
before age 10, and what has been built has been built. We do try to remind students
of how they should act, but we no longer offer a structured discipline. We are
making a big mistake in that. |
| | |
Character
education for high schools is an opportunity to challenge maturing minds with
the deeper meanings of specific character traits. It is an opportunity to help
them wrestle with the implications of these traits. What does it mean to be responsible?
You're old enough to build on the answer you learned in third grade. How does
responsibility affect your sex life? How does it affect health? How does it affect
behavior in the chemistry lab? What responsibility do you have regarding weapons
in school? As you leave high school and become an adult, what responsibilities
will you face, and are you prepared to handle them properly? These
topics deserve more than occasional mention. What character traits, if any, are
important in the election of government officials? What character traits are of
value in the job market? Is it true that character counts for parents? Students
will be faced with such questions all too soon, and they need solid answers. What
they learned before age 10 will not suffice.
Character
education for high schools is an opportunity to involve every facet of their
learning. It is an opportunity to nurture and develop the whole student for a
whole life, not a life devoid of character. Only as high schools teach character
overtly will students move from the childish end of the adolescent spectrum to
the adult end. Intriguing, isn't it? We can make that enormous difference in our
teens, or we can let them continue in their childish idea that character means
sticking to white lies and stealing only small items. We can let them graduate
with a little head knowledge on character, or we can aggressively push them to
manifest character in actions. I see that as a challenge for high school teachers.
I hope you do, too. Together, we can revolutionize our high schools into safe
schools and our teens into better citizens. | |
