Now in its third year, the Global Character Day is set for September 22, 2016 with over 75,000 groups signed up to participate in 96 countries. This year’s screen films that will be used for the event are, The Science of Character, The Adaptable Mind and The Making of a Mensch. Anyone can participate: schools, classrooms, churches, companies or families. All resources for the day are provided free of charge.
Research on character development points to its importance in creating safe schools not just in terms of behavior but in terms of maximizing instructional time and meaningful learning experiences. Mansfield, Alexander, Farris & Westat (1991) in their research, documented teachers’ responses (from a national sample of 1350 public school teachers) on their beliefs that classroom behavior can be improved through the implementation of any type of character education program in their classrooms.
Character education programs are not just meant for schools but also for homes. Having seen the results of character education in our family with our daughters, my husband and I believe every child regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to develop and acquire these life traits that ultimately determine life-long success.
For this year’s Global Character Day, I get to visit a marketing class taught by some amazing educators who are dedicated and passionate about their students' success. I get to speak with their students. We will view The Science of Character film that will lead us into some engaging discussions. Excited to hear from these high school students what their thoughts are on character development. It is not too late to participate in the Global Character Day. To access the free resources for the day and participate, click and visit the Global Character Day site. Love & Blessings!
Reference
Mansfield, W., Alexander, D., Farris, E., & Westat. (1991). Teacher Survey on Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-Free Schools. (National Center for Education Statistics NCES 91-091; Data series: FRSS-42). Washington DC : U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
“But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. There is no law that says these things are wrong.” Galatians 5: 22-23 (NCV)