Character Development
Developing Character in Junior Students
The first of the Standards of Practices describes a commitment to facilitate the development of contributing citizens. The development of character through positive interaction and charitable community work is an authentic opportunity for Junior students to practice good citizenship and develop positive character traits.
After having my students reflect on their year in 5th grade today (our school year ends in March in South Korea) I decided to include an example of character building mentioned by many of my students in their writing. One part of their writing task was to share the most important thing that they learned this year, regardless of it was learned in class, on a field trip, or outside of school. A significant portion of the students in my class mentioned our annual charity read-a-thon as the learning activity that taught them their most important lesson this year.
Charity Read-a-thon
For the entire first semester of the school year, our students have the chance to participate in a charity read-a-thon in which they gather pledges for the number of hours that they’ll read over the course of the semester. The pledges received are donated to a famous church in Seoul with a ‘baby box’ that accepts and cares for babies abandoned by their parents. Almost every student participates, though it is not mandatory.
Implementation
At the beginning of the read-a-thon, students learn about the church and the work that they do. Teachers and students engage in discussions about the challenges of the abandoned children, and contrast their lives with those of the abandoned kids to develop empathy and gratitude. Students who wish to participate in the read-a-thon are asked to write a brief reflection explaining why they want to help before they are given a pledge sheet.
Over the course of the semester, students tally their reading hours on a weekly basis and canvas relatives and family friends for pledges. Parents confirm and sign-off on their children’s reading logs.
At the end of the semester, the donations and hours of reading are tallied and celebrated on the school broadcast system. There are no prizes awarded for the highest-pledge class or student, but my class was proud to have collected almost $1,000 for the charity. Student volunteers from each class deliver the donations to the church in-person and meet the children that their efforts support.
Over the course of the semester, students tally their reading hours on a weekly basis and canvas relatives and family friends for pledges. Parents confirm and sign-off on their children’s reading logs.
At the end of the semester, the donations and hours of reading are tallied and celebrated on the school broadcast system. There are no prizes awarded for the highest-pledge class or student, but my class was proud to have collected almost $1,000 for the charity. Student volunteers from each class deliver the donations to the church in-person and meet the children that their efforts support.
Character Building Rationale
I feel that this is an authentic opportunity to develop character in my students while encouraging independent reading. The Ontario Ministry of Education (2008) lists statements that define character development in Ontario schools that I feel are exemplified by our charity read-a-thon.
- Students reflect on their personal reasons for participating and engaging with marginalized members of society (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2008, p. 7).
- Parents and teachers work together to support students throughout the semester as they become more caring, and socially responsible members of society. (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2008, p. 8).
- Rather than ‘teaching’ character, students actively participate and take action in their community and are pivotal in affecting positive change in the community (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2008, p. 8).
- While the medium for character education is a fund-raiser, it is not ‘cheerleading’ as it is not heavily promoted throughout the semester. The only school-wide celebration occurs at the end of fundraising after months of reading and canvasing for pledges (Schaps et al., 2003).
- The program and follow-up visit help to support a respect for diversity and inclusion in the students as most of the babies abandoned at the church have physical or intellectual impairments that were present at birth that are commonly stigmatized in Korean culture (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2008, p. 20; Choi & Lam, 2001, p. 81).
- Taking responsibility for youngsters in need helps students to discover what it means to be a citizen (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2008, p. 23).
While our charity read-a-thon is certainly not a new or terribly innovative idea, I think that that spirit in which it is pursued in our school helps to make it an authentic means of developing character in our students and teachers. The fact that it was listed as the most meaningful learning experience of the year by almost 20% of the students in my class today speaks to how engaged students become in the process. I think it speaks to the value of students ‘doing’ good character, in addition to teachers ‘teaching’ it.
References:
Choi, G., Lam, C.S. (2001). Korean students differential attitudes toward people with disabilities: an acculturation perspective. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, 24(1), 79-81.
Ontario Ministry of Education and Training (2008). Finding common ground: Character development in Ontario schools, K-12. Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario. Retrieved from: http://ddsb.ca/Students/SafeSchools/Documents/Finding_Common_Ground.pdf
Schaps, E., Schaeffer, E.F., & McDonnell, S.N. (2003) What’s right and wrong in character education today. Retrieved from: http://www.peace.ca/Character%20Education2.doc
Choi, G., Lam, C.S. (2001). Korean students differential attitudes toward people with disabilities: an acculturation perspective. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, 24(1), 79-81.
Ontario Ministry of Education and Training (2008). Finding common ground: Character development in Ontario schools, K-12. Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario. Retrieved from: http://ddsb.ca/Students/SafeSchools/Documents/Finding_Common_Ground.pdf
Schaps, E., Schaeffer, E.F., & McDonnell, S.N. (2003) What’s right and wrong in character education today. Retrieved from: http://www.peace.ca/Character%20Education2.doc