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Today's Poll!Teachers told ‘character education’ most important part of their work
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Teaching values during school is a teacher’s most important job, a character education expert told Jefferson City School District teachers and staff Monday morning, during the program launching the 2011-12 school year.
“Character education is more important than test scores,” former teacher Hal Urban said. “And I think they’re even more important than the test scores that kids get in our individual classes — not that those are unimportant.”
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Comments
JCLifer 1 year, 9 months ago
If Character Education is most important, why do they test for academics?
"What gets measured gets done, what gets measured and fed back gets done well, what gets rewarded gets repeated." - John E. Jones
Gabrielle 1 year, 9 months ago
Interesting quote - worth the ponder.
JCLifer 1 year, 9 months ago
People and organizations say the darndest things, but they seldom walk the talk. The world would be a better place if everyone would be honest with themselves and with others. Saying that Character Education is the most important, but then spending the entire school day teaching academics, testing for academics, and grading on academics demonstrates that talk is cheap, and it is actions that speak loudest. In this case, students learn that it is appropriate to say one thing and then do another, especially when it is the hypocritical Character Education guy who is saying it, doing it, and teaching it.
Gotigers 1 year, 9 months ago
I am sure his comment wasn't meant the way it came out but, "Character education is more important that test scores!" Really? That is what is wrong with society. Parents should be responsible for raising their children not a government school. We are the only country in the world that does not rely on the family to teach right from wrong.
tonto 1 year, 9 months ago
The first yahoo to get fired should be that so-called character education expert.
Gabrielle 1 year, 9 months ago
I would hope the parent and school work together to instill 'good character' in our young children. I rememberf walking into a school a few years ago and seeing a bulletin board that said something like 'Respect is earned'. I had a problem with that - still do. Maybe it is a good idea to understand why a person would say this - teach this. As I see it - there is certain element of respect every person deserves - even if their behavior might illicit a desire to spit in their face. In general, words keep it respectable.
tonto 1 year, 9 months ago
That quote about earning respect is both moraly and logically wrong. A person can and should learn to behave in a respectable manner, but respect is a gift and has almost nothing to do with the recipient. You could waste your life working to earn respect from people who don't have it to give. The JC Public Schools people have had this problem forever; they confuse obedience with respect.
Gabrielle 1 year, 9 months ago
Valid point, tonto - about working to earn respect from people who don't have it give! The other thing that comes to mind as I read your comments is - the importanct of self-respect and how that might play out in various scenarios....just thinking out loud.....
tonto 1 year, 9 months ago
In my opinion, self-respect is a fragile thing. It would come from the person realizing that they are or have become respectable, and vowing to treat himself (herself) with respect. In that regard, school authority figures are uniquely unqualified to teach anything about respect in the classroom. They would have to step back from the authority position and be human for a moment or so. Then they would have to get back into the authority role again.
The coach, the band director, and the club sponsor are much better situated to teach or demonstrate respect and respectability by living it. The parents, family friends, and neighbors are also better situated to teach respect. Trying to teach it at school is a losing proposition.
tonto 1 year, 9 months ago
Agreed.
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