A couple of weeks back I heard a speaker at a Rotary breakfast who was talking about taking the work of his organization from “nice to necessary.” It’s a sticky phrase that concisely distills what we have been arguing about the kind of transformation needed in the field of character education. There are reasons that the field of character education is a fringe field, a reason why it has had little relevance to date in competitive environments (like high schools, post-secondary schools, workforce, etc.), less still in struggling schools, urban schools, alternative schools. It’s nice–nobody is against it, or thinks it’s a bad idea–they simply don’t see it as necessary for reducing their most persistent challenges, or enhancing their core mission.
It’s a tough economy; it’s a tough educational climate. Everybody’s focused on the bottom line. That means, unfortunately, that some important things get left out, some important initiatives simply aren’t going to take place, and it’s possible that a short term view is adopted that is not in the best interest of kids. However, it’s also possible that the tough economic and educational climate forces schools to stop doing some of what we’ve always done, simply because they’ve always done it. Too often schools operate as an “Old Country Buffet” of programs and initiatives. However, in our experience the best schools operate more like a fine dining experience—there is often less overall (on the menu and on the plate), but it is incredibly well constructed, integrated, and distinct. No element of a fine dining experience is extra; each is absolutely essential to the enhancing the experience—and oh that that were true in all schools!
In the past educators could walk past the Character Education Buffet and see lots of nice things–some posters, an ice-breaker, a word of the month, a moral of the story, an assembly, how-t0-strategies for a good handshake, etc.–and yet rarely did they find something that was absolutely necessary to reducing their most persistent challenges or enhancing their core mission of teaching and learning–which is why schools haven’t dedicated many resources (i.e., money or time) to it. It’s not that much of what has been done in the past in character education isn’t nice or good or important at some general level. It is (although, there is certainly some stuff out there that is cheesy and contrived and void of a theory of learning, or evidence of impact). However, it’s simply not viewed as necessary.
When the bottom line of performance matters, organizations rightfully want to know the old WIFM–or, “what’s in it for me?”. We’re answering by showing them that we can provide them intense and intentional ways of teaching students to do their best work, to respect and care for one another’s ideas, their work, and their continuous improvement; we can teach them how to manage their stress and to demonstrate emotional intelligence and ethical behavior; we can teach them the role of effort, and attitude, and the habits for excellence needed to maximize their potential; we teach them to give and receive criticism, to collaborate, and to be creative–these are not nice if you can get ‘em; these are dead if you don’t have ‘em as the foundation for teaching and learning. Without the character and culture of excellence defined by the presence of these skills, the best teachers in the world, using the best pedagogies will not reduce or alleviate their most pressing challenges, or realize their potential for excellence.
What are we doing to develop transform our programming from nice to necessary? The Power2Achieve™ approach:
- develops the essential character competencies and cultural assets NEEDED FOR effective teaching and successful learning.
- is authentically aligned with the major educational standards and theoretical frameworks.
- integrates and distills the research educators need to know and be able to use.
- respects and empowers faculty and students through flexible programming that delivers compelling content (music, literature & videos), interactions with peers, and experiential activities, and by equipping them with the replicable tools and strategies needed for success in school, work, and beyond.
- provides comprehensive assessment for and of learning.
We are still working hard to transform our own programming, and to transform the perspective of educators so that they can begin to see that character education, properly conceived, is absolutely necessary for realizing the core mission of schools.
