“Character education is the way the teacher talks, the behaviours that are modeled, the conduct that is tolerated, the deeds that are encouraged, and the expectations that are transmitted” (Creasy, 2008,p. 3). Even though character education has not been explicitly taught within the school, students are still receiving character education on different platforms throughout the school day such as, learning to play together and that hurting a friend isn’t kind. Schools have always taught students to play nicely together, by slapping new terminology on an already familiar idea just satisfying the publics’ interests? Educators uphold high ethical standards, however recently the public sees students’ behaviour as less then upstanding. Jane’s …show more content…
While character education taught at school through various mediums including age appropriate books, I wonder about opposing viewpoints she sees at home and within her past. Her mom is receiving social assistance while also attending English language classes and I wonder if she is misinterpreting the source of her mother’s income. It is creating conflict when we ask students to pay for something with money they or their parents have earned. All the time? Jane sees money and various other gifts (medical assistive devices, toys) coming her way after they arrived in Canada eighteen months ago. She didn’t have the luxuries (toys) and tools (assistive equipment) prior to her arrival to Canada, her father left the family shortly after her birth and her mother couldn’t afford her daughter’s needs. Culture and experience has made a big difference in how Jane sees the world. Character education needs to be taught in a different manner in this …show more content…
Bring together UNICEF’s Character Matters! framework and Finding Common Ground: Character Development in Ontario schools, K-12 document from the ministry of education (2008), York Region believes that “good character forms the basis of healthy relationships and in turn is a cornerstone of a civil, just and democratic society” (York Region District School Board, 2014, p.1). Staff members are responsible for modelling and embedding the character attributes throughout the school day in within activities (p.2). The interpretation of these documents and policy are left up to the individuals, how they entrench them within their practice is up to them. Within my practice in response to the situations above, I would and have embedded character education regarding responsibility and respect within my curriculum. I choose to focus on these two items not because they are the most important but because I find it is my students’ utmost