In action, character education includes all explicit and implicit educational activities that help people develop virtues in others; it’s more than just a subject. There’s no one size fits all approach to teaching character education. Rather, each organization should create their own character education goals by determining the approach and content that will enhance virtue formation and moral decision making based on the needs and culture of their stakeholders and community. As described from the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, character is caught through implicit modeling, taught explicitly and hopefully sought.2 When considering how to develop your approach to character education, plan for how it will be caught, taught and sought.
Caught character is what students learn from what they see, hear and experience from others. Their environment should promote good sense and positive virtues, the ethos of the community, relationship building in school and positive interactions with others. Modeling character includes exhibiting positive virtue dispositions, demonstrating moral decision making that considers all stakeholders and the betterment of society and developing a school ethos that embodies the same.
Teaching character is also explicit. Explicit teaching might include focusing on character virtues and decision making and taking the time to teach both across subject areas. Consider the curriculum you want to incorporate, the way character will be taught and learned and what resources you will use. Consider integration across the curriculum and subject areas. Develop character in students and provide opportunities for them to demonstrate character, develop character in others and enhance their character through enrichment, volunteering and service learning.
