This post was co-written with Linda Kavelin Popov, co-founder of The Virtues Project.

It was a dark and stormy Friday afternoon at Newton Elementary. By 2 PM, Mrs. Adams’ Grade 2 students were restless and cranky, as was Mrs. Adams. Billy, who tended to act the class clown and was often an irritant when peaceful attention was needed, looked surly and about ready to erupt with a caustic comment.

Mrs. Adams took a deep breath, seeking to regain her own peace and patience. She suddenly recalled a tool for encouraging positive behavior — “Catch them in the act of committing a virtue and watch what happens.”

Billy casually looked up at her. She smiled and looked into his eyes.  Tentatively, Billy smiled back. She said, “Thank you, Billy, for your patient and peaceful attention.” He sat up straight and all eyes turned to him and then to her. She said, “It isn’t easy being in school on Friday afternoon. Do any of you feel the same way?” “Yes!” they shouted. “What’s hard about being in school on Friday afternoon?”  Several hands came up. “I can’t wait to go home and see my Dad,” said one boy whose father traveled during the week. “You miss him, Rodney?” Mrs. A. acknowledged. She companioned a few others, then said, “Okay. How can we use our creativity to have the very best hour of the whole week right now?”  Jamila raised her hand, “We could sing.”  “Creative idea, Jamila. Does anyone else have an idea?” “Can we have a story?” one student asked. “We could have a spelling bee!” added an enthusiastic contender. “You’ve just created an excellent lesson plan. What thoughtful teachers you are. Let’s do it all!” said Mrs. Adams. The class cheered. Suddenly, the positive energy in the room rose. Billy was invited to choose the story, another student chose a song, and afterwards, Mrs. A. used several words in the story for an impromptu spelling bee. Five minutes before class ended for the week, Mrs. A. asked, “What did you most appreciate in school this week?” Arnold, a small, thin boy usually reticent to speak, was among many who raised their hands. “Yes, Arnold?” “Today was my favorite day.” “What made it your favorite?” she asked. “We were learning, but it was like playing.” She applauded and the other children did as well. She wrote on the board, “Learning is like playing,” and put Arnold’s name next to it, as if quoting a learned source. Arnold’s face glowed and he seemed a bit taller as he walked past her on the way out.

Both new and experienced teachers cite classroom management as a major concern. This example of Mrs. A. transforming a potentially dark moment into a bright experience for herself and her students illustrates the Five Strategies of The Virtues Project ^tm . The strategies are keys educators, parents, and organizational leaders are using to bring out the best in others and themselves. They are based on the premise that the educator/student relationship and the “teaching presence” are critical factors in both academic success and character development.

Every student is a hero in potential — a hero of courage to face adversity, a hero of kindness to reach out to others, of self-discipline and determination to realize a dream. Educators are mentors who awaken and empower the potential for heroism, by seeing it, naming it and calling for it.

This foundational concept of The Virtues Project is supported by research cited in the ASCD Whole Child Compact:  In 2003, The Center for Adolescent Health and Development at the University of Minnesota convened a conference that teamed researchers in the health and education sectors with government representatives to develop a core set of principles to guide schools on issues of school connectedness. Their statement, Wingspread Declaration on School Connections (2004) included five core elements:

• Student success increases through strengthened bonds with school.

• Students feel connected when they experience high expectations for academic success, feel supported by staff, and feel safe in their school.

• School connectedness affects critical accountability measures, such as academic performance, fighting, truancy, and dropout rates.

• School connectedness increases educational motivation, classroom engagement, and attendance, which can then be linked to higher academic achievement.

• School connectedness can lower rates of disruptive behavior, substance and tobacco use, emotional distress, and early age of first sex.

http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/Whole%20Child/WCC%20Learning%20Compact.pdf

According to the 2005 Report to the Nation: Smart & Good High Schools (Lickona and Davidson), education has two great goals:  to help students become smart and to help them become good. Virtues strategies address both of these goals. Students need to develop performance character, which includes virtues such as diligence, perseverance, purposefulness, and self-discipline to realize their potential for excellence in academic achievement.  Students also need to develop moral character — virtues such as integrity, respect, cooperation, kindness, tolerance and justice in order to be ethical and feel connected to others.

Let’s examine the Five Virtues Strategies as tools for creating a positive classroom.

Strategy 1: Speak the Language of Virtues

Language shapes character. Replacing blaming and shaming words with virtues language creates a positive classroom climate and empowers positive behavior. Virtues language is a catalyst for capacity building. It sets a positive tone for the day and elevates children’s awareness of their own virtues and the virtues of others. Telling children what we DO want, not what we don’t want and using virtues language to acknowledge, guide, correct and thank, makes children aware of the best within them. “That was a kind thing to do.” “What would have happened if you had used your kindness?” When Mrs. Adams described Billy’s smile as “patient, peaceful attention”, she not only empowered him but focused the attention of the entire class on the desired behavior. In that moment, she planted a seed of leadership – a possibility of heroism.

The virtues framework uses positive reinforcement rather than punitive or shaming attitudes to establish desired behaviors.  Considerable research has identified positive reinforcement as an approach that is especially effective in bringing about behaviors that are maintained over time and across settings (Margolin, 2007)

Activities: Debriefing at the end of each day by naming virtues students saw in each other and their teacher sweetens the school experience by creating an authentic basis for self-esteem. Students have reported that being acknowledged for a virtue kept them from self-destructive acts, including suicide.

Inviting family members to do a skit on the “Virtue of the Month”, creating student goal sheets with Strength Virtues and Growth Virtues to be encouraged at home, or simply sending home Virtues Appreciation Cards enlists families to participate in creating positive classrooms.

Strategy 2: Recognize Teachable Moments

Using everyday events as opportunities to develop the virtues refocuses negative behavior and continually invites improvement. When normally aggressive students behave peacefully, that is a teachable moment in which to “catch them in the act of committing a virtue” by acknowledging their peacefulness. “You played very peacefully during recess today.” This increases their awareness of their own capacity to develop a Growth Virtue. When the same child “forgets” about peacefulness and acts aggressively, this is another teachable moment. “How can you get your friend’s attention respectfully?”

Eliminating shaming is essential to character development as well as academic achievement. When you talk to adults who have had negative experiences in school, it was usually just one act of public humiliation that broke their spirit and literally dis-couraged them from learning.

The Teachable Moment approach is not a Pollyanna, falsely positive approach. It calls students to rigorous accountability. Rather than doling out guilt that discourages, the virtues approach requires critical thinking by students in continually taking personal responsibility for their actions.

Academic instruction provides many teachable moments. Even very young children can identify the Strength and Growth Virtues of characters in stories. “What virtues did Curious George show?” “What virtues did he need to grow?”

Strategy 3: Set Clear Boundaries

This strategy applies to school-wide discipline in several aspects:

1) Using authority in service of the child’s learning, in a context of developing the virtues of character.

2) A shared vision statement or “Class Promise” naming the 3 or 4 virtues you want to practice together this year — “We dare to care. We treat each other, belongings and our school with respect at all times.”

3) Restorative justice  — what to do when the promise is broken, such as asking “How can we be peaceful with each other right now?” or “What do you need to make it right with James? What do you need from him?”

4) In order to elicit virtues, school rules need to be stated positively. (“We show consideration by walking in the halls.”) rather than  negatively (“No running.”)

Consequences for behavior that violates the vision are educative rather than punitive, restorative rather than retributive. In retributive justice, the adult is a detective asking “What was the crime? Who did it? How can we punish them?” In restorative justice, the adult is a mentor asking “What happened? Who was hurt, (including the perpetrator)? What do they need? What amends can be made?” Detention becomes the “Reflection Room” or “Peace Place” where students create a plan for restoring relationships. They don’t just sit there twiddling their thumbs.

Jeff Grumley, a restitution counselor, works with large inner-city schools in Illinois. When he introduced restorative justice into the discipline system, there was a 40% drop in discipline referrals within two years. Academic performance in classrooms where restoration was used was 20% higher than in other classrooms.  Jeff says, “Over 95% of students chose to ‘make it right’ and repair the damaged relationship with their teachers  without any extrinsic motivation. Students want to mend broken relationships with their teaches and peers.” (cited in The Virtues Project Educator’s Guide, by Linda Kavelin Popov).

Strategy 4: Honor the Spirit

We honor the dignity of each person by looking for and celebrating even a glimpse of goodness in a child or an adult. The school vision can be reinforced with arts such as a virtues tree in the classroom with leaves acknowledging each time a student shows an exceptional act of kindness, or reliability or self-discipline, and by montly bulletin boards on the virtues theme. Having a “peace corner” with Virtues Cards to pick from each day builds positive school spirit. In the front hall, one middle school displayed photos of teachers with descriptions of their Strength Virtues “I am strong in joyfulness. I love teaching my students, ” and their Growth Virtues “I am growing in patience. I take a breath and choose to use tactful language.” In the classrooms, students’ photos in dramatic poses illustrated their Strength Virtues with speech bubbles saying “I am strong in confidence”, for example. A label on each desk identified their Growth Virtue with footprints identifying the steps they were taking to develop it.

Service learning is a powerful way to create strong school and community connections and to tap the natural generosity and idealism of students.

Strategy 5: Offer Companioning

Companioning is being fully present, if only for a moment. It is compassionate curiosity to get to the heart of the matter. “What” is the magic word, and sometimes “How”. “What were you feeling or thinking when the fight started?” “What would have helped you to call on your assertiveness and peacefulness in that moment?” If a student says, “This is boring,” the teacher would ask, “How can you use your creativity to make it more interesting for you?”

Most classroom teachers are not trained as counselors. However, companioning allows us to see students’ behaviors in acting up as “something’s up”. By listening for a minute, you can often learn what is at the heart of the matter and help them find their own solution. If a student feels stupid or stuck on a math problem, or afraid to go home, they need us to breath a little bit of courage and support into them. Literally we inspire them in that moment. Taking a couple of minutes to listen not only turns their day around; it changes the whole culture and climate of the class.

Gurian makes the case for the importance of creating opportunities for students and staff to develop close relationship with one another.  (Gurian, Boys and Girls Learn Differently, 2001) Companioning is a simple yet powerful way to nurture close relationships and create a community of caring.

When schools apply the five simple strategies of The Virtues Project for bringing out the best in children and themselves, they find that students are empowered to act on the qualities of their character.  Bullies transform into leaders, and students find they can overcome negative habits and become heroes who make a difference. Attendance increases because students feel safe, valued and connected.  Student achievement increases because students are more available for learning.  Discipline referrals decrease because students feel heard and do not need to act out for attention.  The overall climate of the school is more peaceful and joyful, resulting in less stress for everyone, allowing staff and students to thrive.

REFERENCES:

See http://www.virtuesproject.com/virtueslist.html#assertiveness for a list of virtues definitions.

Wingspread Declaration on School Connections (2004) http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/Whole%20Child/WCC%20Learning%20Compact.pdf

2005 Report to the Nation: Smart & Good High Schools (Lickona and Davidson),

Popov, Linda Kavelin, The Virtues Project Educator’s Guide, 2000, Pro-Ed.