Hollister High School Character Education Program Analysis

The purpose of education is to prepare students for their futures with both knowledge as well as fundamental life skills. I believe students are highly capable beings who have a desire to be productively challenged. To empower students to meet and exceed high expectations set forth by the state, school, or teacher, it is imperative that educators “teach for enduring understanding through partnerships and by drawing on brain-based education, students ' multiple intelligences, and culturally appropriate curriculum innovations” (Laster and Johnson). Beyond guaranteeing students can read, write, and perform basic math functions, we should be producing graduates who are responsible individuals positively contributing to society, reliable workers, and devoted family members. Whether students receive a scholarship to attend college or go to work immediately following graduation, we must train them to conduct themselves with integrity, have an admirable work ethic, and solve challenging problems they may face throughout their lives.

The needs of the students go unheard and are masked by insufficient teachers, cliques, and the need to prioritize popularity and attractiveness. According to Let Teenagers Try Adulthood, "By the time those who graduate from high school go on to college and realize what really is at stake in becoming an adult, too many opportunities have been lost and too much time has been wasted." Instead of promoting individuality in students and offering educational opportunities, vain ideals are promoted and have little effect outside of high school. Students have thus neglected their education because of false expectations which are promoted along with unsatisfactory educators. To address the issue high schools must promote the importance of receiving education instead of focusing on vain ideals which students believe define their importance. Also, qualified teachers and faculty members should be put in charge of molding and shaping students into successful individuals who are prepared for life beyond high

“Learners will develop the values, commitments, and ethics that positively impact the educational community as well as the educator’s own professional growth.” (COE-GCU Framework, 2010).

In chapter 5, Reforming America’s Schools, I learned many things that affect me as an educator. An important fact that interests me was that there are four goals that schools should follow. The first one is academic, including a broad array of knowledge and intellectual skills. The second one is vocational, aimed at readiness for the world of work and economic responsibilities. The third one is social and civic, including skills and behavior for participating in a complex democratic society. The fourth one is personal, including the development of individual talent and self-expression. This will affect me as an educator so that I can follow and do my best to complete these goals. Now I am aware of what should be done in a classroom.

Hartman, E. (2006). Can We Teach Character? An Aristotelian Answer. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 5(2006), 68-81.

The mission at Zebulon B. Vance High School “is to graduate young adults who are self-directed, intellectually engaged citizens ready for college, career, and life.” Furthermore, it is a communal belief that “all students can learn and achieve at a high level; that an open channel of communication among faculty; students and parents is vital to cultivating student respect, responsibility, and independence; a commitment from all stakeholders creates a safe and nurturing environment through academic performance, extracurricular activities, involvement, positive behavior, and respect for diversity; a secure and supportive climate fosters school pride and citizenship; high academic standards motivate students to realize their highest potentials; cross-curricular instruction and utilization of technology will prepare students for future challenges in work and in life; providing teachers and staff with resources and professional development opportunities promote individual and instructional growth; support from local businesses, universities, and community organizations help students develop life skills and decorum necessary for success in a diverse” world.

Today in many JROTC classes are focusing on centering their curriculum on building character and responsibility.

In James Baldwin’s speech “A Talk to Teachers,” he says, “The paradox of education is precisely this -- that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated.” During elementary and middle school, a very impressionable time period in students’ lives, children are taught what will be the foundation of their moral compasses. While learning is not entirely the responsibility of the education system, it still does have a major impact. Despite the fact that teenagers’ minds have matured, high school is still a very pivotal and confusing time in their lives. This is the point at which students are examining the society in which they are being educated, in some cases they are even encouraged to do so. While the foundation may have been laid, it can still be altered and built upon. As teenagers search to find themselves, the education system “assists” them in the

Reflecting upon Kelemen’s (2015) article, I was struck by her comment that all people require education to develop from childhood to adulthood and schooling is the cornerstone to becoming social beings. It is the school’s responsibility to train children to become social beings who can think critically and act rationally and responsibility in our American Democracy. As I think about the students who enter my classroom each day, I realize that they are about two years away from turning eighteen and will be able to vote. Therefore, I have the tremendous responsibility of providing them with an education that includes both achievement and integrity (Shirley, 2017). Kelemen (2015) states that education should align with the practical aspects

High schools implement reforms that build student character, skills and commitment to the community. Berman, S. wants to know how to engage students to become more effective citizens. He believes that building a strong academic program for the students is important but the teachers also need to create a school that is open and welcoming.

It bears mentioning that I care a great deal about excellence in instruction. My pedagogical stance is based in the power of the narrative. Whether I am teaching multivariate statistics, persuasion, research design or social and behavioral attributes of public health—I approach it as though I have a story to tell. I want students to learn, of course, but I also want them to be inspired to be their “best self”. I firmly believe that students are our most valued asset. If students believe the school to be their “home” and the people within the school

From my interview with Joanna Taylor I learned just how important character education is. Ms. Taylor should know she is a department chair/teacher with thirty-five years experience and has seen it all. I can now understand that the aim of public education cannot only be geared toward cognitive achievement but must also strive to produce better all round human beings. In today’s world children become exposed to violence, peer pressure and aggressive actions over which they have little power. All these influences take a toll on children and can lead to lack of empathy, no sense of moral value, miss behavior or worse. It is therefore, like Miss Taylor stated important to have character education in public schools. The over all belief is to start teaching values as early as possible, starting at home and continuing through out the educational years. Parents and the church community play a vital role in helping to reinforce character principles. Most parents are helpful and want their children to be good citizens. Vary few parents appose of character education once they understand the concept. Some teacher would rather stick with the academic agenda. Miss Taylor gave me a comprehensive overview of how character education looks like in her school. She mentioned bring in role models to motivate students to act right. Local civic and service clubs come to school to talk about their various missions. Different classes and clubs participate in community services by

With the help of the competency workshop, I was able to identify five values – being trust worthy, happiness, relations, respect, and justice – as being the most important to me. During this workshop, I came to the realisation that my values have changed significantly from the commencement of my university life to present. This realization was aided with the help of questions 5, 9, and 3, from the workshop. Values corresponding to question 9 were acknowledgement, social status, and success; these were the values my family held in high regards. Values corresponding to question 5 (when the bucket list was created) were identical to that of my family values. My bucket list consisted of graduating from the university, having a successful job,

I read five articles on character education. These articles helped me to better understand the importance of character education and useful techniques and methods to teach children values and morals.

Through this curriculum students are expected to have competency attitudes, skills and knowledge are much better so that later they can be successful in dealing with various problems and challenges of his time, into a better future.