Building character in 2015

This year and my position in it was in limbo for so long. I didn’t know for certain where I would be or what I would be doing until late in 2014 after months of waiting. So now I know I am back at my school for five years I have the opportunity to build some traditions and classroom culture for myself.
Enter Coursera. I may get addicted. Some friendly soul posted on facebook about a course that was being held over the summer holidays called Teaching Character and Creating Positive Classrooms (). I have attended many different wellbeing professional development courses over the years and continue to implement the ideas in my pedagogy but the ideas presented in this course provided a fresh approach to include them all.
Write about learning.
Implementing these ideas will probably change in the future but the positive aspect for me this year is that it was initiated by my students. I made some posters, stuck them on the wall and waited for an appropriate time to start. But day 2 N could no longer wait. He is a student I have for the second year and he knew this was different.
‘What are these posters for? What do Grit and Zest mean?’
So I ran through the 7 character skills and what they mean. I told the class about the research backing up the ideas and how these skills were indicators of future happiness. As always, I shared which skills I felt were things I could work on as I takes about growth mindsets. They were fascinated.
C asked ‘But why does Self-Control have a marshmallow on it?’
I explained about the marshmallow test and how kids learnt skills to wait so they could have more marshmallows – a bit like the gummy bear commercial. This is something my sister does with her JP class each year. (we’ll be doing it Tuesday on student insistence)
On Friday I brought in the aspect of identifying skills and strengths. I talked about Australian of the Year Rosie Batty and how she took her sad event and helped others. The students talked and shared their ideas about what skills she exemplifies and why – grit, optimism, social intelligence and self control (and that she teaches this to others).
Next I talked about knighthoods and the controversy of Prince Phillip. It always fascinated me the tidbits they choose to remember and share (the Prince Andrew scandal!). We talked about Angas Houston and his skills. One student pointed out he must have been curious about finding lost aeroplanes.
The final part of this was for students to choose someone to research who shows character skills. I explained my admiration for Sia – her past, her home town, her achievements after so many years. Students then had time to choose who they would research. Wow! Their choices! Stephen Hawking, Nelson Mandela, JK Rowling, Johnny Depp, Beyoncé Knowles, Li Cunxing…
I can’t wait to read their biographies!

Community

There is always a sense of trepidation around evenings at schools when families are invited – will people turn up? This week we had our second ‘Meet and Greet’ evening after a successful year in 2012 with a more informal evening format. We start with a barbecue followed by staff introductions then open classrooms. My night started with an ex student and her mother approaching me to talk about her first three weeks at high school. They asked for help and advice about her new laptop and when she would need an Internet connection at home for her school work. It was lovely to think that a parent with limited English still saw our school and her daughters ex teacher as a safe place to seek help and advice.
Following many chats with my current students parents, future students parents and former students parents and lots of ‘show and tells’ in my classroom, I headed out to my car. I was greeted by two ex-students (one who I’d seen earlier in the evening) who were a bit disappointed to find out the open night was pretty much over. This was at 7.30pm!
I left school marveling at the community we have built at our school. We are clearly a place students feel safe and happy to return to and share with their families.