This year, schools will teach character
In addition to teaching reading, writing and arithmetic, many Warren County teachers this school year will also be teaching such things as caring, trustworthiness, respect and responsibility.
A $25,000 grant recently received by the school system from the state Department of Education will be used this year to implement a system-wide character education program.
According to Sheila Gann, one of several teachers at Dibrell Elementary School responsible for obtaining the grant, character education has been mandated by the state for a number of years. Proponents of character education believe teaching positive character traits to children will improve their behavior and lead, ultimately, to greater academic performance.
Dibrell educators Leda Roberts, Sharon Cantrell, Cheryl Priest and Marissa Young were also instrumental in obtaining the grant.
Before now, Warren County has had no system-wide standard for character education. Instead it’s been left up to individual schools and teachers. Now that there’s a standard in place, Gann said, the county’s character education will be much stronger, as there will be more community reinforcement.
“It is our hope these character education programs will bring about better educational opportunities, help discipline problems decrease and, as a result, we’ll see the effects spill over into the community,” said Gann.
A program called Love in the Real World will be implemented daily in all K-8 classrooms in the county. The program lasts 30 weeks and teaches a different character trait, such as honesty, kindness and courage, each week. Daily lessons will last 10 to 15 minutes and will involve, among other things, stories, problem solving, role playing and skits.
As reinforcement tools, newsletters (in both English and Spanish) will be sent home with students every six weeks informing parents of the character traits being taught.
While most of the grant money received will spent on the Love in the Real World program, high school students will not be denied character education. Through their history classes they will receive the program Character, Heroes and Heritage, which uses the stories of little-known figures from American history to highlight how their positive character traits contributed to the course of our nation’s history.
The cost of the two programs is $28,270, meaning even with the grant the school system still needs $3,270. Gann is hoping local businesses will contribute to the fund as “businesses are always asking for employees who have the traits these programs will teach.”
Anyone interested in donating to the character education programs can do so by contacting school system Director of Instruction Bobby Cox at 668-4022.