Three Lessons In Character Education Self-Knowledge/Empathy, Honesty, and Respect

byRosa Lee Coley

Self-Knowledge

I am somebody.The me I see is the me I'll be.I can be respectful, responsible, and resourceful.I can succeed.

Compassion/EmpathyWhen I show compassionI try to understand…Exactly how you are feeling…I lend a helping hand.

I want to know if I can help.I’m there if you are sad.I listen very carefully…We’re friends and I am glad!

I want to be compassionate.I try to help and care.Compassion starts inside us…And reaches everywhere.

What to say to students: Compassion means that you

try to understand and care about someone who needs help. It is forgiving that person and being kind because he or she is important to you. Sometimes you have to forgive someone who hurt you.

Compassion is feeling someone’s pain if that person is in trouble-even if you don’t know the person.

How Can I Show It? When you are compassionate, you

are a good listener and that shows other people that you care. You use kind words when someone is sad or in trouble. When you show compassion, you let others know that they are not alone and you try to be understanding and patient. You show forgiveness if a person has hurt you because you know how badly that person is feeling. When you have compassion, you notice when someone needs help. You reach out, even outside your community.

RespectWhen you show respect to others…In all you say and do.The respect that you have offered…Will be given back to you.

How do you show respect , you ask?Here’s something I have learned…Try to always give to peopleThe respect that they have earned.

Speak with courtesy and kindness…And honor rules- with pride.Listen, learn, and treat others well…Self-respect will grow inside!

What to say to students:Respect involves treating peoplewith courtesy and is reflectedIn how we speak and how wetreat other people’s possessions.Respect also involves honoringothers and caring for theirrights. It is important to respectelders-your parents,grandparents, and teachers. Selfrespect means protectingyourself, your own rights anddignity as a human.

How Can I Show It?When you show respect, you treat others as you would like to betreated. You ask before usingsomeone else’s things, and treatother’s homes and possessions as ifthey were your own.When you are respectful, youexpress strong feelings courteously,especially when speaking to adultsand elders. You wait to speak and do notinterrupt. Honoring the rules of yourfamily, school and community showsrespect. Self-respect is shown when youact with pride, value yourself and standup for yourself.

HonestyHonesty means always telling the truth…Even when it’s hard for you.Honesty is making that choice every day…Because it’s the right thing to do!

Honest people always say what they mean…And mean every word they say.Best friends who are honest tell you the truth…They won’t let you down- no way!

To be a good friend, you need to be honest…With yourself and others too.Don’t be afraid to speak up and be heard…Honest words are always true.

What to say to students:

Honesty means telling thetruth no matter whathappens. It involvestruthfulness and couragebecause you are speakingthe truth even when it coulddisappoint or upsetsomeone. People who are honestmeans doing what you sayyou will do.

How Can I Show It?When you are honest your actionsmatch your words and people knowit. Displaying honesty involvestrustworthiness. People know theycan trust you to tell the truthbecause you don’t lie, cheat or steal.People believe a person who ishonest. You practice honesty by notpretending to yourself thatsomething doesn’t matter when itreally does. When you are honestyou are true to yourself and youmake promises you can keep. Youadmit your mistakes.

Summary Statement

During this course I found that my core personalvalues are respect, honesty, and empathy. I grewup with a lot of negativism from familymembers, school officials, and just a lot of badexperiences.

All of my trials I had made me a stronger person.They made me become the passionate, honest andrespectful person that I am towards children andadults.

In my classroom I model respect and honesty. I never tell my children that I am goingTo do something and do not follow through with it because I know how it feels to bepromised something and it be broken. I raised my children the same way and theyremember their upbringing and they are raising their children the same way.

Summary Cont.In the years to follow, I would like to find myselfreaching my lifelong goal as a caring, loving andpassionate educator who believes that CharacterEducation is an important key for children tobecome adults who can survive in this chaoticworld.

My next goal is to find ways to include parentsand family in their children’s education. That is mySoap box. I have found out in the few years I havebeen in education that children perform so muchBetter when their parents or primary caregiver isInvolved in what they are learning in school.

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22: 6