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Character
Education
by
Elizabeth L Hamilton, authorCharacter
education challenges educators today as few other subjects do. Schools have
always taught character, in one manner or another. Even the schools of ancient
civilizations had character education, so it is neither a recent discovery nor
a new discipline.
What
is new about character education is a tendency to be isolated. Often treated as
a small blip in a bulging curriculum, it receives little more than lip service.
This was not true in ancient schools, or even in schools of 50 years ago, where
character education permeated the life of schools and students. |
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In
times past, character education began with respect for the teacher in both home
and school. Beginning students learned this respect, and graduating students still
practiced it. Character education
permeated the 3 R's. Reading class used stories written purposefully to illustrate
character in action. Writing class featured proverbs that proclaimed moral virtues.
Arithmetic exemplified integrity and honesty. When history entered the young students'
curricula, it encouraged discussion of the character traits shown by great men
and women. The challenge of the educator was to provide character education through
total immersion. Today's
teacher or administrator faces a much different challenge: character education
in limited time with limited funds; realization of character education's benefits
while treating it as a peripheral subject like music. This is a huge challenge,
for children learn more from the value placed on character education than from
the character education itself. What
value do students see when character education …
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is taught by volunteers/counselors instead of classroom teachers? | | • | receives
½ to 1 isolated hour per week instead of the 5 hours lavished on many
other subjects? | | • | is
involved in little or no cross-disciplinary teaching? | | • | receives
little or no budget as opposed to large budgets for sciences, mathematics, and
even sports? | | • | is
taught without materials, unlike other subjects? | | • | is
taught only, or mainly to the elementary students, while other disciplines continue
throughout secondary levels? |
Character
education is a challenge, and the good educator will take on that challenge,
first in personal character education, and having built his or her own character,
in permeation of the classroom with quality character education, from elementary
through tertiary levels. Character
education is worth our best time, effort, and finances. | |
