A student was asked to answer the following question in her journal: Imagine telling a student 100 years from now about her life and school. This student wrote that Calvert will "teach you to be a selfless servant, to have moral courage, and commitment.”
It's sinking in....
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tragedy, Redemption, and Class
I found this story on Yahoo! and thought it was a great real-life example of people caring for each other, honoring each other and their sport, and how mistakes can make people stronger.
Check it out:
http://arkansasvarsity.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=992976
Check it out:
http://arkansasvarsity.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=992976
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Path to Respect
"Respect yourself"
"Respect the process"
"Respect your elders/teachers/parents"
"Respect the power of nature"
"With all due respect..."
"I get no respect"
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find out what it means to me..."
At Dictionary.com the word respect has sixteen definitions, eight as a noun, four as a verb, and four uses as an idiom. Almost every one of those definitions has multiple synonyms. According to Dictionary.com the word originated between 1300-1350. Obviously, it is a hugely important word in the world and even more important concept. We could use it in almost any context we wish, and often do, as we see from the phrases above.
However with common usage comes overusage which is followed quickly by meaningless. Has the idea of respect become meaningless? Has commonality of usage led to a commonality of practice? Perhaps not.
We can look at the headlines and see pop stars disrespecting each other or football players complaining about a lack of respect because the quarterback only threw to them once. It is unfortunate these are the images many of our middle schoolers see each day when they go home because they distort the meaning of respect.
I think my favorite definition of the sixteen possible is this one:
esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability.
So, in order to respect someone, we must identify a personal quality or ability of that person. If we teach our students to search for the worth of a person, we are teaching them how to respect a person. With the action of identification, we breathe meaning back into word respect.
We teach our students to always find the excellence in a person. This, I think, is a much more positive notion of respect. In situations where disrespect is shown, we can now have discussions searching for worth and excellence of the offended person. Teachers help students develop strategies and tactics for seeking quality or ability in a person. Most importantly we teach our students to find excellence within themselves.
"Respect the process"
"Respect your elders/teachers/parents"
"Respect the power of nature"
"With all due respect..."
"I get no respect"
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find out what it means to me..."
At Dictionary.com the word respect has sixteen definitions, eight as a noun, four as a verb, and four uses as an idiom. Almost every one of those definitions has multiple synonyms. According to Dictionary.com the word originated between 1300-1350. Obviously, it is a hugely important word in the world and even more important concept. We could use it in almost any context we wish, and often do, as we see from the phrases above.
However with common usage comes overusage which is followed quickly by meaningless. Has the idea of respect become meaningless? Has commonality of usage led to a commonality of practice? Perhaps not.
We can look at the headlines and see pop stars disrespecting each other or football players complaining about a lack of respect because the quarterback only threw to them once. It is unfortunate these are the images many of our middle schoolers see each day when they go home because they distort the meaning of respect.
I think my favorite definition of the sixteen possible is this one:
esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability.
So, in order to respect someone, we must identify a personal quality or ability of that person. If we teach our students to search for the worth of a person, we are teaching them how to respect a person. With the action of identification, we breathe meaning back into word respect.
We teach our students to always find the excellence in a person. This, I think, is a much more positive notion of respect. In situations where disrespect is shown, we can now have discussions searching for worth and excellence of the offended person. Teachers help students develop strategies and tactics for seeking quality or ability in a person. Most importantly we teach our students to find excellence within themselves.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday Ponderance: The Three Pillars in Action
As I was searching for something to say during today's Monday Ponderance, I found the video below at The Responsibility Project from Liberty Mutual Insurance. The video is based on true events from a college softball game in 2008. I think it perfectly demonstrates the traits we work to instill in our students. Please check it out:
http://www.responsibilityproject.com/films/landing/the-home-run/
http://www.responsibilityproject.com/films/landing/the-home-run/
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Parents' Night Comments on Honor 2009
Below are my comments for Middle School Parents' Night:
Hello,
My name is David Skeen and this is my third year as Dean of Students at Calvert. I’d like to thank you in advance for your time tonight as I lay out the foundation of character development in the middle school.
Calvert believes that character development is an integral part of a student’s education. We dedicate significant time and resources to the development of a robust ethics program. Last year at this meeting I laid out the three levels of character education at Calvert: the Calvert Canon, the schedule, and the Dean’s Office.
Each of these areas is interconnected and includes multifaceted approaches to character.
The Calvert Canon, or those writings at Calvert which elucidate our core values, sets the context for character development. Our mission statement, philosophy, and various faculty- and student-derived documents are all products of discussions about our core values.
The schedule is the structure (or framework) through which we employ our most valuable resource, time, to character education. We have opportunities every day to meet in advisories, small groups, or as a middle school to touch on honor.
Finally, the Dean’s office oversees the implementation of the character development programs such as teachable moments, Points’ raffles and auctions, Monday Ponderances, discipline, outreach, and communicating a clear vision of the Honor Code at Calvert.
Last year, I introduced the Honor Code, which had three pillars: Selfless Servants, Moral Courage, and Commitment. I challenged (and continue to challenge) the students each day to live up to these ideas.
We’ve made progress. In fact, just the other day a student came to the Middle School office to return a key a fellow student had borrowed. After this student had returned the key to Mrs. Conkling, he hovered around her desk, like a bell hop awaiting a tip.
Mrs. Conkling asked, “Are you waiting for a reward or Points?”
The boy responded, “Absolutely not, Mrs. Conkling. I was merely being a civil servant.”
So, while the words are seeping into the subconscious (partly!) there is still work to be done to clarify the meaning of Selfless Servant, Moral Courage, and Commitment.
These first steps established our goal, but we need to know how to get there. I mentioned last year that we would be having conversations throughout the year with the goal being to outline what it would take to be selfless servants demonstrating moral courage and commitment.
The result of our conversations is our updated Honor Code, which includes the three pillars plus five characteristics meant to explain the meaning of the three pillars. The Honor Code now reads:
We strive each day to be selfless servants demonstrating moral courage and commitment.
We aim to accomplish this by respecting all people and things, being honest with ourselves and others, taking responsibility for ourselves and others, putting forth maximum effort at all times, and seeking ways to reach out to the community.
While we continue to challenge our students to live up to the Honor Code, we have now given them a road map to help them navigate their way through the windy roads of middle school life. We know students strive to meet the code but will fall short during their time with us. However, we believe this is the place to learn from the journey.
As Coach John Wooden said,
I am not what I ought to be,
Not what I want to be,
Not what I am going to be,
But I am thankful thatI am better than I used to be.
The constant and vigilant pursuit of the Honor Code is a lifetime goal we hope our Calvert students will take with them to their next school and beyond.
Thank you.
Hello,
My name is David Skeen and this is my third year as Dean of Students at Calvert. I’d like to thank you in advance for your time tonight as I lay out the foundation of character development in the middle school.
Calvert believes that character development is an integral part of a student’s education. We dedicate significant time and resources to the development of a robust ethics program. Last year at this meeting I laid out the three levels of character education at Calvert: the Calvert Canon, the schedule, and the Dean’s Office.
Each of these areas is interconnected and includes multifaceted approaches to character.
The Calvert Canon, or those writings at Calvert which elucidate our core values, sets the context for character development. Our mission statement, philosophy, and various faculty- and student-derived documents are all products of discussions about our core values.
The schedule is the structure (or framework) through which we employ our most valuable resource, time, to character education. We have opportunities every day to meet in advisories, small groups, or as a middle school to touch on honor.
Finally, the Dean’s office oversees the implementation of the character development programs such as teachable moments, Points’ raffles and auctions, Monday Ponderances, discipline, outreach, and communicating a clear vision of the Honor Code at Calvert.
Last year, I introduced the Honor Code, which had three pillars: Selfless Servants, Moral Courage, and Commitment. I challenged (and continue to challenge) the students each day to live up to these ideas.
We’ve made progress. In fact, just the other day a student came to the Middle School office to return a key a fellow student had borrowed. After this student had returned the key to Mrs. Conkling, he hovered around her desk, like a bell hop awaiting a tip.
Mrs. Conkling asked, “Are you waiting for a reward or Points?”
The boy responded, “Absolutely not, Mrs. Conkling. I was merely being a civil servant.”
So, while the words are seeping into the subconscious (partly!) there is still work to be done to clarify the meaning of Selfless Servant, Moral Courage, and Commitment.
These first steps established our goal, but we need to know how to get there. I mentioned last year that we would be having conversations throughout the year with the goal being to outline what it would take to be selfless servants demonstrating moral courage and commitment.
The result of our conversations is our updated Honor Code, which includes the three pillars plus five characteristics meant to explain the meaning of the three pillars. The Honor Code now reads:
We strive each day to be selfless servants demonstrating moral courage and commitment.
We aim to accomplish this by respecting all people and things, being honest with ourselves and others, taking responsibility for ourselves and others, putting forth maximum effort at all times, and seeking ways to reach out to the community.
While we continue to challenge our students to live up to the Honor Code, we have now given them a road map to help them navigate their way through the windy roads of middle school life. We know students strive to meet the code but will fall short during their time with us. However, we believe this is the place to learn from the journey.
As Coach John Wooden said,
I am not what I ought to be,
Not what I want to be,
Not what I am going to be,
But I am thankful thatI am better than I used to be.
The constant and vigilant pursuit of the Honor Code is a lifetime goal we hope our Calvert students will take with them to their next school and beyond.
Thank you.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday Ponderance 9.14.2009
The Monday Ponderance has returned. Each Monday, at the morning assembly, I will present a quote or a story that I hope the community will take a moment to ponder and try to apply to their daily life. Below is today's Ponderance:
A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.
- John Burroughs
The idea of owning our mistakes is an integral part of the Honor Code. As we heard the other day, we expect that we will all
“…respect all people and things, be honest with ourselves and others, [and] take responsibility for ourselves and others…”
When we make mistakes or slip up: get a bad grade, miss a shot, lose a game at recess, forget a homework, find ourselves in a place we shouldn’t be or leave a laptop unattended, (which WILL happen because we all make mistakes), we aren’t failures until we shirk accountability. We can all control how we react to failure, and the most successful people embrace it as an opportunity to learn.
A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.
- John Burroughs
The idea of owning our mistakes is an integral part of the Honor Code. As we heard the other day, we expect that we will all
“…respect all people and things, be honest with ourselves and others, [and] take responsibility for ourselves and others…”
When we make mistakes or slip up: get a bad grade, miss a shot, lose a game at recess, forget a homework, find ourselves in a place we shouldn’t be or leave a laptop unattended, (which WILL happen because we all make mistakes), we aren’t failures until we shirk accountability. We can all control how we react to failure, and the most successful people embrace it as an opportunity to learn.
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