Being called a “Character” and having character

are two different things…

Kristy Bugg

 

As we all know so well, being a teenager is hard. For most, from middle school throughout high school young people are caught in the struggle of no longer being “a kid,” yet they are not an adult. Most teens, except for maybe a few, want to make the right choices, but no matter how hard they try sometimes things just don’t go as planned, swayed by others or convinced by their own feelings and desires over  that of others. They need guidance. That’s where we come in as teachers—we need to guide them to help them make responsible choices, while providing them with the tools to help them succeed, not only in our classrooms but also in life.

The character strengths of, “zest, grit, self-control, social intelligence, gratitude, optimism and curiosity (Tough,6),”  can  help students to look at themselves and discover what are their good attributes. What do they need to work on? Where do they need to grow? Are they respectful to others? Can they reach beyond self-commitment and realize the fulfillment of committing to others, committing to the responsibilities of life, committing to the responsibility of jobs, and eventually committing to the responsibility of family. As Paul Tough points out, these essential traits of character will not only help our students become more successful in new ways in school, but they will also lead them down the path to a “good life” if they continue to value their importance as they leave  “childhood” and enter into “adulthood.”

I really enjoyed the article. I agree with the premise. First of all, this gave us a different perspective. In my experiences, most times we have focused on average students or struggling students from differing backgrounds. This article was a peek at the more advantaged students—advantaged in more ways than one. It helped me to understand that these students face other types of difficulties and pressures that I had not previously considered. Tough also gave us proof that this works, as well as providing great suggestions. I think he ended the article perfectly by taking us through his life choices and how he came to be so passionate and committed to this cause.

 

List for ideas for curriculum:

Self- resistance/setting boundaries

Compassion

Humility

Courage

Pop Culture- attitude, appearance

Future-job, relationships, family