"Wilson Middle School recognized
need for character education"
Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the opening of the school day music
teacher Doug Dahm reads a short story to the student body over the
office public address system at Appleton's Wilson Middle School.
These are not random stories. Dahm has selected each for the character
trait it portrays, hoping to impart bits of wisdom about goodness,
the Golden Rule, conscience, attitude, and integrity.
This past Thursday, for example, Dahm started the day with a story
former President George Bush told about his childhood in Maine.
Bush recalled his first sea adventure and how he and his brother
brought their boat and themselves safely through a storm. Everyone
waiting on shore looked worried, except their granddad who said
he knew they could do it.
"That gave me confidence that's lasted all my life," Bush concluded,
and Dahm went on to tell the kids not to shy away from challenges
because every time they overcome an obstacle they gain more faith
in themselves.
He encouraged the kids to give someone else a vote of confidence
that day and concluded with his familiar farewell: "Make it a great
day ... or not. The choice is yours."
Dahm has been doing his 30-second spots on assorted values for the
last two years, and Wilson's seventh- and eighth-graders have grown
to expect it.
The spots come from a series of short stories called "Project Wisdom"
something Wilson Principal William Harbron found in his ongoing
search for ways to build student character.
Character education and how to teach it has been a staff discussion
topic for the last few years, "because we could see a lack of certain
things in kids that are important to be successful," Dahm said.
A character committee led to a culture and climate committee, and
the school now has a number of tools for targeting values from CHAMP
which recognizes kids who show Creativity, Hard Work, (positive)
Attitude, Mindfulness, and Preparedness, to Wilson's Random Acts
of Kindness recognition and the school's Honors Level Discipline
program.
"We've tried to indirectly infuse values into our programs," Harbron
said. "The bottom line was that we felt adults needed to demonstrate
and model what we want in the environment here. We recognize that
even when you are silent about something it becomes part of the
climate and culture of the school."
Dahm agreed, "Sometimes we err on the side of not saying anything."
The religious vs. secular argument is an issue for public school
educators, but it is resolvable, said Dahm, who has given it considerable
thought in recent years. Research has shown that there are certain
basic values like loyalty and honesty that everyone can agree on
regardless of religion or culture, he said.
"One hundred years ago these sorts of values were clearly taught
because we were a predominantly Judeo-Christian society. Now people
may not say things about religions, even if it is part of history,
because they are afraid they will be misunderstood."
Dahm believes the pendulum is swinging back, however. "There is
less fear about it. We're not in front of the class to proselytize
but we ought to be able to paint them a historical picture."
"I want kids to know the truth and that there are truths in all
cultures and religions. Parents have the responsibility for determining
what direction they want their kids to go in, but it is our job
to help them. This is one way to do that, by planting seeds."
Dahm makes a point of selecting stories that are meaningful and
timely for students to hear. After the Littleton, Colorado tragedy,
as threats of school violence mushroomed nationwide, the Fox Valley
included, and rumors fueled the upset, Dahm read a story about gossip.
"It helped frame our discussions about what you pass around
that's not true," Habron said.
Dahm has found the students do listen,
and more carefully than one might think. "If I don't do it
for awhile, kids will say, "Hey, Mr. Dahm, where's the book?"
Reprinted with
permission
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