Character Education That Teens Love!

Character education, when listed on high school curricula, is not likely to generate excitement in teenagers. Having taught high school for years, I know whereof I speak. Teenagers seek independence from parents and are in hot pursuit of adult freedoms. Many rebel against lectures on right and wrong, so how can you find character education they love? Character education is abhorrent to teenagers when they think it is being pushed on them. Just as with many other topics, teens shove back when we drive them toward high moral values. They think they can sort out their own values, and they want no help doing it! The trouble is that teens are incapable of sorting out high moral values for themselves. Those who try to do so will always allow room for their own interests and desires. This is true of people at any age. We all try to fashion standards that make our individual lives as easy as possible. We would like to establish two sets of rules: one for self and one for others. Look at these examples of what can happen when you replace strong character education with personal sorting out of values. · People weaken the definition of honesty to allow wiggle room when they don't want to tell the whole truth. They assign a value that finds no wrong in "white lies," "small fibs," "tact," or a "polite facade" in certain situations. They fully expect, however, that others will be totally honest in dealings with them. · Many decide that it is right to respect some people, wrong to respect those they don't like. They decide that respect must be earned before they are obliged to give it. If someone in authority fails in their eyes to "earn" it, they give no respect. Place the shoe on the other foot, and they demand respect. · Some who sort out their own moral values in place of learning through character education settle for a measure of compassion that falls far short of identifying with people in need, unwilling to sacrifice personal interests to meet the need. If they themselves have a need, of course, they expect others to care - to give help. Character education must not be left to teenagers' own sorting if we expect them to develop into mature adults who live uprightly. Character education must not take teenagers' personal preferences into consideration. "Then where can we find character education programs that teenagers love?" you ask. Character education that teens love comes in under their radar, surprising them with clear, hard-hitting information woven subtly into captivating fiction. It takes from the ancient philosophers the wisdom of conveying high moral values through stories. It uses the same approach that wise men have used for centuries and centuries. It uses stories. Character education that teens love is based on moral stories. Ancient Moral Stories Most of us have learned moral values from ancient stories. For example: 1. Have you ever heard the story of "King Midas and the Golden Touch?" That story was used to teach high moral values to young people in ancient Greece. It taught them in a memorable way that greed is wrong. Period. Full stop. It was an ancient character education story. 2. You probably have read "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," haven't you? That was one of the fables of Aesop, a Greek who lived between 620 and 560 BC. Aesop used a lot of stories to teach young people about high moral values. This one taught, of course, that honesty is vital at all times. It, too, was a character education story that made the lesson easy to learn and memorable. 3. Perhaps you have read the story of "The Good Samaritan." Jesus told it to teach adults and young people alike the importance of exercising compassion and love toward everyone, regardless of who it is. This, too, was a character education story; easy to hear and easy to remember. Modern Moral Stories You will say that modern teens don't want fables. I know. Remember, I taught high school for years. Teens today want stories that portray believable teens with whom they can identify. They want hot teen topics. They want excitement, adventure, romance, and all that the world of entertainment has taught them is important. Character education books are the answer. They must be books that are written explicitly for the purpose of teaching high moral values. Such purpose-written books provide what teens need in a format that teens love - entertainment. Purpose written character education books should never stoop to the low standards of the entertainment world lest they lose their own integrity. They can, however, captivate teenagers and help them learn high moral values in a way that they will remember. Conclusion Character education books such as those described have actually become bestsellers in the past years, showing that teens love to learn about high moral values when the topic is presented in the right way. The ancient teachers have shown us the way.

Bring About a Change in Your Kids With Character Education

"Try not to be a person of success, but rather a person of virtue." - Albert Einstein Who doesn't want their kids to inculcate positive character traits? But often in a fit to inculcate all possible character traits in our kids we end up in a mess. This is not done and that too when it comes to the future of your kids. Instead why not take a different approach or rather why not start slow with character education. By starting off slow, your kids will be able to grasp the virtues more comfortably and a greater speed. You can initially start off with the following virtues: Self discipline is possibly the backbone of character education. Hence, make sure to teach your kid to be self disciplined. Being compassionate would be a plus point. Make your kid understand the suffering or pain that an individual undergoes. All understanding wont do, ask him/her never to back off when it comes to helping those in need. Teach your kids the benefits of being responsible. Cite examples if needed. For instance, if he/she has promised somebody to accomplish a task within a stipulated time frame then make sure that they complete it within the deadline rather than delaying. Is your kid friendly? Being friendly is the greatest virtue. A good friend is one who stands for his peer no matter what the situations are or you can say that a good friend is one who protect his/her friend from getting bullied. So, make sure your kid turns out to be a good friend. Teach your kid to maintain a positive attitude and gives his/her very best. Even if your kid finds any task daunting ask him/her not to back off. With sheer perseverance on their part they are sure to reap the benefits of success. Even if your kid is scared of taking the plunge, you need to be there beside his side so that he doesn't feel scared or feels lonely. Instead teach him to stand up for a thing if he thinks that it's right. It would be foolish on anybody's part to believe that success can be attained in one night. This is certainly not the truth. Instead one needs to put in his her best efforts to achieve the desired. Be sure that your kids are aware of this fact as well. Teach your kid to be honest and loyal to his own self as well as to others. Ask your kid to have faith in the Almighty as He is there to take care of everybody's need. Violence, profanity, to a name a few are a couple of negative traits that your kids should avoid. Be sure that your kids maintain a safe distance from tobacco, alcohol and drugs. In a nutshell, ensure that they maintain a safe distance from illegal substances or abusive language. These are only a couple of values and virtues that you need to inculcate in your kids. Once they develop these positive traits to the fullest, you can begin with the next phase of character education.

What is Character Education?

Have you ever asked the question "what is character education" and wondered whether it is something that is important, or relevant to you? It can be described this way: "a deliberate and conscious effort to learn and develop virtues, and values, that are good for you and good for society." So yes, it is important. And, it's something to be aware of as you raise your children. Most people agree that academic achievement is important. But character development is equally important, if not more so. Even if a child doesn't do well academically, their character will still determine how well they do in life. Throughout the world there are many values that are common to all cultures. These virtues include: Upholding human dignity. Helping to promote the well-being of an individual, as well as society. Being clear to ourselves about our rights and obligations. Treating people in the way you would wish to be treated. Behaving in a way, in a given situation, in which you would wish all people to behave given the same set of circumstances. In other words, character education is about learning and building any or all of the following traits: Honesty Initiative Integrity Optimism Perseverance Respect Responsibility When someone describes another person, they do so by describing their character. That person's character is defined by a certain set of qualities, habits or attributes which they possess, and by which they are judged. Children naturally want their days to be filled with happiness, fun, and playfulness. Unfortunately, not all children achieve these wants and grow up having negative thoughts and beliefs about themselves and the world. The good news is that with the right training, these negative thoughts and beliefs can be changed and children can learn to develop positive beliefs about themselves. They can also start to experience feelings of optimism about their future and their life. This type of education gives kids a chance to grow up into happy, well-adjusted, well-rounded adults. They will be able to deal with everyday situations in a positive manner which is beneficial to themselves and those around them. There's no reason you should be embarrassed about character education. <=Click here to get the information you need to effectively teach your kids character. If you're ready to read more about how our book An Exercise in Happiness can help you with character education teachings, visit our character education page and download our free eBook The Ultimate Guide to Kid's Happiness. Join the thousands we have already helped and visit us now.