Character Education: Why It's Important to Me

As an Assistant Principal at an elementary school, I work with students from ages 3-10. I have an opportunity to see children grow and mature from their first school experience(for some) to their fifth grade experience. One thing that all of these students have in common is the fact that they are all children-young impressionable children. Dealing with children makes my job as an educator one of great importance. It is also one that I take very seriously. I want to find ways to help students become respectful and productive citizens in society. Therefore, I have decided to find ways to help them by teaching them character traits while they are at school.

As a teacher, I spent an enormous amount of time building community in my classroom. This required me to teach character education throughout the year in many of my units of study. I felt that my teaching only reached a small number of students. However, as an assistant principal, I work with over 700 students and I still find myself trying to teach character to all of my students through example and through curriculum.

I know that I cannot change the world, but I do feel that as an educator I have an enormous amount of influence with the young people that I come into contact at least 180 days a year. So, I have a new challenge as an educator, to help our youngsters realize that Character Counts!

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