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(Ed. Note: Presented at the 29th annual meeting of MATEP on Oct. 6, 2000, at Miami University of Ohio)
There are a number of ways we as educators can help children and teenagers grow into caring and responsible persons and the trend in schools today is to employ a method often referred to as character education. Character education is not new; it has been used since time immemorial.
Children must learn what is right and what is wrong. They must grow up as valued members of the society, each one contributing to the smooth functioning of the home, the work place, or in whatever context they find themselves to be.
Children are instructed in such values as cleanliness, obedience, care of property, truthfulness, and dependability; all with the expectation that these traits will continue into adulthood. Character education is based on the universally accepted premise that adults know better than children what is proper and are therefore responsible for the acculturation of the children within their care.
I have in my possession a little book entitled Fifty Hints and Helps in Character Education that was published in 1931 (King, 1931). I was immediately attracted to it because it reminded me of what my teacher emphasized when I was in kindergarten several decades ago. In it is the same chart she had called "Clean Hands Honor Roll." The pupils' names are listed down the left hand column and the days of the week-Monday through Friday-across the top. Each child's hands were inspected, both palms and back with careful scrutiny to fingernails. Each child who passed inspection got a star. One who did not received a scolding.
Cleanliness is listed in this book as one of 31 qualities that make for a good character. It is suggested that the teacher select three or four a month so that all can be covered during the year. For example, in September she can stress cleanliness, honesty, health, and kindness. In October she can take up reliance, courtesy, promptness, and order. In November, cheerfulness, cooperation, patriotism, and peacefulness; in December, courage, truthfulness, obedience, and thoroughness. Character is defined as "what God and the angels know you are ... the sum total of ideas, aspirations, attitudes within the brain,...