Letter

Dear fellow educators,

I am writing this letter in an effort to address my concerns surrounding our students' social, emotional, and moral development.  Let me begin by sharing some observations I have made amongst my students as a means to demonstrate my concerns and direct you down my tunnel of thinking...

Scenario #1: For her ineffective and unacceptable attempts to emerge herself in an game at recess, Student A misses her recess and an opportunity to potentially learn social skills.

Scenario #2: Student A is unable to compose himself during class because of how a situation played out during recess.  Since he is not equipped with the skills to explain to Student B his source of frustration and his feelings of disclusion, Student A is unable to direct his attention elsewhere and, as a result, is completely unengaged in any learning.

Scenario #3: Student A, a neutral party in a disagreement between his classmates, is asked to recall the events leading up to the conflict.  When asked to clarify Student B's involvement, Student A retracts his story, thus providing no testimony and leaving the issue unresolved.

Scenario #4: The objective of a lesson is not met amongst a group of individuals because Student A is not contributing to the team, and, therefore, the progress of Student B and Student C is hindered.

Scenario #5: Student A, while growing academically, is not developing mature social skills to blend in with her peers, and as a sixth grader, he is still struggling to integrate himself.
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Now consider how a character education program would address these common issues in schools...

In Scenario #1, Student A has the social skills to involve herself with her peers in an effective way and, as a result, there is no need for disciplinary action.

In Scenario #2, Student A has the tools and confidence to present his concerns to Student B and is able to focus his attention on academic learning.

In Scenario #3, Student B has the foresight to consider how others may perceive her actions and acts accordingly.

In Scenario #4, Student A has developed cooperative learning skills and, therefore, acts as a productive team-member.

In Scenario #5, Student A is accepted by her peers now that she has gained some insight on ways to maturely engage herself with others, and as a result,  has developed a positive self-image.

Since students cannot learn if they are weighed down by personal conflicts, it is in our interest, morally and professionally, to address the social issues facing our students.  Furthermore, as Jim Fay, director of Love and Logic tells us, "Lessons have price tags.  Price tags are small now."  If we don't teach prosocial skills while our students are still developing, it will be harder for them in the future to learn healthy social skills.  Let us not forget about the hidden curriculum, the teaching of values, for this would be a disservice to our students and society. 

Happy teaching.