Very timely read. Two of our end of year meetings revolved around increasing the “visibility” of our character education program as well as ensuring it is woven into the culture and climate of our Lower School. Our second meeting focused on our 2016-2017 school year initiative titled Slow Start Leads to Success. Two of the goals under this initiative include: getting to know our students and families in order to increase opportunities to support and encourage them; and instilling the act of student reflection in our practice to include “thinking about thinking.” This fits nicely into the mold revealed through the research presented in Paul Tough’s book How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character.
Interestingly enough, the main point is that character education must be tangible and visible. We must articulate, define and explain our characteristics and virtues, model them, and strategically integrate them into the culture and climate of our schools. I emphasize tangible, visible and strategic. Our school has always put character education front and center. It is simply time for us to dust off the character education shelf, and display some new frames that acknowledge it, name it, and showcase it. In essence be able to demonstrate how and why it is working in our community. We agree it is powerful and that it gives power to our students in order for them to be successful, so we don’t want it to be “hidden.” Let’s see what the year holds for us!
The characteristics from which I refer to above, virtues and values, for example, respect, responsibility, compassion enable us to both understand and interact with others. Tough, referring to a study by Seligan and Peterson puts the above mentioned values into character education that focuses“moral values.” And then considers other values as “performance values.” These are, for example, zest, optimism, social intelligence, curiosity, and grit. From my point of view the “moral values” help us understand others, while the “performance values” help to move us forward to succeed as individuals. As educators we need to understand these “performance values” in order to plan and infuse them into our lessons. Strategic activities and language should build upon these values that help strengthen performance. Our two Slow Start goals will help us to a). Identity the strengths and interests of our students, which will help us to look for pathways to strengthen the “performance values” and b). Help students reflect upon, understand and articulate their strengths, challenges and interests as they “think about their thinking.” When educators intertwine these moral and performance values students have a strong rope to hold onto helping pull them toward academic and personal success.
Tough also emphasizes the necessary influence of parents and caregivers in helping to form and support children specifically to build up these characteristics. Focusing on identity and character is a difference maker for academic advancement. A student who is confident and has a strong moral character will make a bigger difference than a strong student with a high GPA, multiple AP courses and high SATs (my bias). I have experienced this first hand, and it is long lasting. Mid way through my primary schooling, it was clear that I struggled. I went through a full battery of psycho-educational tests. Nothing “precise” surfaced. That was over 40 years ago, and not all learning differences were yet known. I could easily speculate at this point, what was going on in my brain. Nevertheless, I had parents who believed in me; acknowledged every positive step I made no matter how small; encouraged me; provided opportunities to follow my passions and interests; put me in environments that supported my success; and were always satisfied with my personal best. This all created an inner drive that pushed me to succeed in academics and beyond. I used to call it persistence; Duckworth and Tough call it grit. I encourage you to take the Grit Test.
(On another note, my experience as a child, student, teacher and administrator has been in privileged environments. I fully respect and acknowledge the challenges that surface in more challenging circumstances and applaud the research/push to facilitate this work in ALL environments.)
In summary, character matters, performance skills matter, adult and caregiver support all matter - each serve as a knot upon the intertwined rope that students pull on to gain success. It is a hard tug of war at times, but worth the pull - as a student and educator - it has supported my success. Paul Tough’s book How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character, will help us win the tug of war within our schools.
