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Introduction to Character
(For a High School/Middle School Classroom, as You're Presenting Your Class Rules)

Intro by Teacher

As we start the school year, I want to make clear my rules and expectations for the class. But before I do, let me tell you the reason behind these rules. It’s more than just keeping order. It’s all about developing a classroom atmosphere, a culture, a safe and fun place where we can learn together.

You see, this school should be more than a place to memorize a bunch of facts. It should be a place for you to develop relationships with people you really care about. Because when you get out in the real world, you’ll find that your ability to relate to people will be at least as important as your academic preparation. And people in marketing say that the best way to sell products is to genuinely care for the people you’re trying to sell to. Here’s something for all of us to reflect upon:

A Carnegie Foundation study once showed that only 15 percent of a business person's success could be attributed to job knowledge and technical skills. It showed that 85 percent of one's success would be determined by what they call ''ability to deal with people'' and ''attitude.''

Discussion: What do you think about that quote? Do you agree or disagree? Why?

That’s why we occasionally take out time to focus on “character education,” which addresses our attitudes and how we relate to people.

One of the biggest hindrances to developing relationships is that we have a bad habit of putting people in categories before we even get to know them. People say,

·         “He’s just a stuck-up jock.”

·         “He’s a freak.”

·         “She’s an airhead cheerleader.”

But people are so much more interesting and complex than our shallow impressions. So let’s do a little activity to get to know each other a bit better.

Activity: Beyond the Stereotypes

Give each student a sheet of notebook paper, a pen or pencil and either a safety pin or masking tape. On the paper they should write three statements about things they’ve done or accomplished. Two statements should be true and the other one false, but not necessarily in that order. Tell them not to say anything that’s generally known to their fellow students. Challenge them to be creative. Let them know that their object will be to make it hard for students to guess which statements are true and which are false. They should leave a couple of inches after each statement for other students to write. 

Give them a couple of examples:

·         I had an Iguana named Madonna.

·         I've flown an airplane.

·         I once ate a grasshopper.

·         I had brain surgery.

·         I lived in Canada.

·         I hate Chinese food.

After they've had plenty of time, instruct them to have someone fasten the paper to their backs. Have everyone stand up and go around the room, putting a check by the statements that they think are true. 

After they've had enough time to get around to most people, have everyone sit down and take off their papers. Find out the winner and top five who got the most checks for their false statement. Have them read their statements. You may want to ask them more information on the true statements if they sound really interesting.  

If you want more discussion, allow anyone to share more about their unusual true statements.

Debriefing: What’s this activity all about? (Let them share.) Did you find it helpful?

Putting people in a box keeps us from seeing them for who they really are. What's the stereotype of a cheerleader on TV and movies? (Dingy, air-head, popular). It's too easy to find out that someone's a cheerleader and put them in that box. By finding out that a cheerleader has another life outside of cheering can help you see that there's a real person behind that face who has much more to her than just cheering. 

According to TV and movies, what's the typical jock like? (Popular, bully, heartless, stuck-up). So what happens when you meet a jock who's nice and volunteers his time to teach English as a second language or visit the elderly? (It breaks the stereotype.) 

If we want to develop a learning culture in this classroom – a safe and fun place to learn – I say we begin by rejecting stereotypes and realizing that there's more to a person than his or her school activities or your first impression. 

So during this year, let’s try to make more friends and deepen the friendships we’ve got. Someone you meet in this class just might be the bass player you need in your band or the co-founder of the company you’ll one day run.

And here are some rules that I think will help us to develop a culture that will allow us to do that…