Thomas Lickona

Character Matters (eBook, ePUB)

How to Help Our Children Develop Good Judgment, Integrity, and Other Essential Virtues

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Don't Let Our Kids Flunk Life

The novelist Walker Percy once observed, "Some people get all As but flunk life." Succeeding in life takes character. In Character Matters, award-winning psychologist-educator Thomas Lickona offers more than 100 practical strategies that parents and schools have used to help kids build strong personal character as the foundation for a purposeful, productive, and fulfilling life.

Lickona shows how irresponsible and destructive behavior can invariably be traced to the absence of good character and its 10 essential qualities: wisdom, justice, fortitude, self-control, love, a positive attitude, hard work, integrity, gratitude, and humility. He lays out a blueprint for building these core virtues through a partnership shared by families, schools, and communities. Chapters include:

• 14 strategies that help kids succeed academically while building character
• More than a dozen character-building discipline strategies
• 20 ways to prevent peer cruelty and promote kindness
• 10 ways to talk to teens about sex, love, and character

The culmination of a lifetime's work in character education, this landmark book gives us the tools we need to raise respectful and responsible children, create safe and effective schools, and build the caring and decent society in which we all want to live.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Simon + Schuster LLC
• Seitenzahl: 336
• Erscheinungstermin: 10. März 2004
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9780743266994
• Artikelnr.: 37838430

Autorenporträt

Thomas Lickona, author of Educating for Character, winner of a Christopher Award "For Affirming the Highest Values of the Human Spirit"

Inhaltsangabe

Contents
Introduction
Part One -- Why Character Matters
Chapter 1: Why Character Matters
The Right Stuff
The Content of Our Character
Ten Essential Virtues
The Two Sides of Character
What Is the Current Condition of Our Character?
2002 Report Card on American Youth Ethics
Character in the Face of Temptation: The Lost Wallet Experiment
What Motivates Honesty?
Character in the Face of Evil: The Rescuers Study
What Motivated Rescue?
The Roots of Caring
Character as Transformation of Moral Self
The Character of Our Democracy
Sex and Character
The National Character Education Movement
Part Two -- Create Families of Character
Chapter 2: Raise Children of Character
Make Character Development a High Priority
Be an Authoritative Parent
Love Children
Teach by Example
Manage the Moral Environment
Use Direct Teaching to Form Conscience and Habits
Teach Good Judgment
Discipline Wisely
Solve Conflicts Fairly
Provide Opportunities to Practice the Virtues
Foster Spiritual Development
Chapter 3: Build a Strong Home-School Partnership
Affirm the Family as the Primary Character Educator
Expect Parents to Participate
Provide Incentives for Parent Participation
Provide Programs on Parenting -- and Work to Increase the Turnout
Get the Program to the Parents
Assign "Family Homework"
Form Parent Peer Support Groups
Involve Parents in Planning the Character Education Program
Establish an Ongoing Forum for Parents
Form a Parents' Character Education Committee
Make a Moral Compact with Parents
Renew the Compact
Extend the Compact to Discipline
Extend the Compact to Sports and Other Co-curricular Activities
Extend the Compact to Combating the Effects of the Media
Be Responsive to Parental Complaints
Respect the Primacy of Parental Rights Regarding Sex Education
Increase the Flow of All Positive Communication Between School and Home
Let Parents Know What Work Is Expected and Send Home Regular Reports
Provide Family Support Centers and Community Schools
Chapter 4: Talk to Kids About Sex, Love, and Character
Sex and the Human Heart
A Sexually Toxic Environment
Be Clear About What Kids Need in Order to Avoid Premature Sex
Point Out the Positive Trends
Help Kids Understand Why Some Young People Get Sexually Involved
Talk About What Counts as "Sex"
Teach Kids Nonsexual Ways to Be Intimate
Offer a Vision
Talk About the Emotional Dangers of Uncommitted Sex
Discuss the Rewards of Waiting
Talk About Tough Issues
Implement Character-Based Sex Education in Schools
Part Three -- Create Classrooms of Character
Chapter 5: Build Bonds and Model Character
Teach as if Relationships Matter
Use the Power of a Handshake
Get to Know Students as Individuals
Use Bonding to Improve Behavior
Use the Power of Example
Use a Self-Inventory to Focus on Role Modeling
Invite Guest Speakers Who Are Positive Role Models
What the Research Shows
Chapter 6: Teach Academics and Character at the Same Time
"If We Do Character Education, Will Academic Learning Improve?"
Name the Virtues Needed to Be a Good Student
Teach as if Purpose Matters
Teach as if Excellence Matters
Teach as if Integrity Matters
Teach as if Students Can Take Responsibility for Their Learning
Use an Instructional Process That Makes Character-Building Part of Every
Lesson
Manage the Classroom So That Character Matters
Teach Curriculum Content as if Character Matters
Use a Schoolwide Curriculum That Teaches Moral and Intellectual Virtues
Structure Discussion as if Character Matters
Teach as if Truth Matters
Teach with a Commitment to Balance
Model Balance and Fairness in Dealing with Controversial Issues
Teach as if Justice Matters
Chapter 7: Practice Character-Based Discipline
Share the Agenda
Hold Students Accountable
Teach Principles of Responsibility
Involve Students in Generating the Rules
Teach the Golden Rule
Share the Plan with Parents
Practice Procedures
Use the Language of Virtue
Help Students Learn from Mistakes
Have Students Make a Behavior Improvement Plan
Discuss Why a Behavior Was Wrong
Use Time-out Effectively
Design Detention That Builds Character
Teach Restitution
Have Kids Help Each Other
Prepare for a "Guest Teacher"
Give a Difficult Child Responsibility
Design a "Tough Love" Program for Difficult Students
Chapter 8: Teach Manners
Get Kids to Think About Why Manners Matter
Teach the Hello-Good-bye Rule
Teach Alphabet Manners
Implement a Manners Curriculum
Chapter 9: Prevent Peer Cruelty and Promote Kindness
Begin with Character-Based Discipline
Create a Caring School Community
Implement an Effective Anti-Bullying Program
Get Students to Take Responsibility for Stopping Peer Cruelty
Build Classroom Community
Foster Friendship
Do "Anonymous Compliments"
Implement Quality Cooperative Learning
Teach Empathy Through Children's Literature
Have Children with Disabilities Teach Their Peers
Use the Seven E's to Teach Caring
Use the Power of a Pledge
0 Have Kids Keep a Good Deeds Journal
Celebrate Kindness
Have Peers Recognize Peers
Use a Class Meeting to Discuss Bullying
Build Bonds Through Buddy Classes
Create "School Families"
Implement Advisory Groups
Create a Safe and Respectful School Bus
Chapter 10: Help Kids (and Adults) Take Responsibility for Building Their
Own Characters
Teach Why Character Matters
Teach "Nobody Can Build Your Character for You"
Teach "We Create Our Character by the Choices We Make"
Study Persons of Character
Have Students Do Character Interviews
Have Students Assess Their Own Character
Teach Daily Goal Setting
Teach Kids to Make "Goal Strips"
Help Kids Connect the Virtues with Life
Assess "Levels of Responsibility"
Use Character Quotes to Help Kids Set Goals
Do a Goal-Setting Bulletin Board
Have Students Set 100 Goals
Have Students Develop a Portfolio
Have Students Write a Mission Statement
Enable Students to Reflect on Life's Largest Questions
Part Four -- Create Schools of Character
Chapter 11: Make Your School a School of Character
Create a Touchstone
Have a Character-Based Motto
Seek the Principal's Support for Making Character a Priority
Form the Leadership Group(s)
Develop a Knowledge Base
Introduce the Concept of Character Education to the Entire Staff
Consider "What Sort of Persons Do We Want Our Students to Become?"
Consider "What Will Character Education Mean for Me?"
Consider "What Will Character Education Look Like If We Do It Schoolwide?"
Analyze the Moral and Intellectual Culture of the School
Choose Two Priorities for Improving the School Culture
Ask "Should We Commit to Becoming a School of Character?"
Plan a Quality Character Education Program
Choose an Organizing Strategy for Promoting the Virtues
Make Assessment Part of the Plan
Build a Strong Adult Community
Make Time for Character
Chapter 12: Involve Students in Creating a School of Character
Involve Students in Planning and Leading the Character Education Program
Use Class Meetings to Give Kids a Voice and Responsibility
Involve Students in Participatory Schoolwide Student Government
Provide Informal Opportunities for Student Input
Challenge Students to Mount a Schoolwide Campaign
Establish a Mentoring System
Establish a Character Club or Committee
Recognize Student Leadership
Part Five -- Create Communities of Character
Chapter 13: Involve the Whole Community in Building Good Character
Strengthen the School-Community Partnership
Strengthen Families
Commit to Becoming a Community of Character
Create a Leadership Group
Give Everyone a Chance for Input
Identify the Target Virtues
Provide Leadership Training
Get Business Involved
Promote Community Awareness of Character
Integrate Character into All Community Programs
Create a Special Role for Police
Give Kids a Leadership Role
Recognize Good Character
Have Community Volunteers Teach Character in the Schools
Assess the Impact of a Community Character Initiative
Epilogue
Appendix: The Hilltop Elementary School Story
Notes
Index