Magness Creek Elementary School Character Education

A review of the "Just Do The Right Thing" Character Education Program at Magness Creek Elementary School.
Classroom Use

Teachers go over the 10 questions with the students daily. All students, kindergarten – fourth grade, earned their bracelet within 4 weeks time. When teachers see students making bad choices, teachers redirect students throughout the day by asking the questions that are appropriate to the situation.
Schoolwide Use

At the end of the morning announcements, I always have a Question of the Day. This question is one of the 10 questions of Just Do the Right Thing. I give students a couple of seconds to respond and then I state the answer to the question. I end the announcements by telling the students to have a great day and Just Do the Right Thing.

The counselor, assistant principal, and I also utilize the questions throughout the day as needed.

When any of us see students for various reasons, we incorporate the questions. This could be with students who are sent to us or students we come across throughout the day. I have also used the questions when talking with parents and asked parents to ask their child some of the questions.
Common Language

The use of this program has given us all a common language to use with students to try to instill good decision making in terms of their behavior and actions. There have been several times when I have been able to specifically tie a question to some special event. Some specific examples are:

1. We had a Go Green environmental awareness week where some students gave suggestions of what we all could do to help the environment. Our question that tied in with this week was - Respect? When I stated the answer – Yourself and the world around you, I told students that they could respect the world around them by taking care of the environment.

2. During testing week, I used the question – Life is? When I responded – Performance based, I explained to the students that this testing was an example of being performance based.

3. When we talk to students about peer pressure, we use the question – Show me? When we answer – Your friends and I'll show you your future, we explain that friends can have a real impact on what they eventually become.


Summary

We really feel this program has had a positive influence on our students. Our fourth grade students have experienced these questions only for one year. However, our kindergarten students who will have been with us for five years will have heard and answered these questions over 900 times during their early elementary years. As they are asked and state the answer to the questions every day, we hope we are instilling values in them that will take them through life.

-Kelly Whiddon
Principal
Magness Creek Elementary School


By: Francis David








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