Character is a person’s inner motivation to do what is right.

The T.W team views character development as the harmony of heart and mind towards becoming a better human being.

We have included literature, folktales, stories and legends from a diversity of cultures to demonstrate that being good to oneself and others is universal.

The fundamental traits of goodness encompass honesty, compassion, courage, perseverance, self discipline, responsibility, friendship, and work ethic, just to name a few. Our goal is to give children some specific reference points and guide posts. A few of the virtues will be defined here for clarity.

“Self discipline” means that one makes a “disciple” of one’s self. In psychological terms, it is the self-regulation part of emotional intelligence.

“Compassion” is the ability to understand others’ feelings, inner lives and emotions. caring response is given as needed.

“Responsibility” means being accountable for our behavior, for our actions and words.

“Friendship” requires taking the emotion and perspective of friends.

“Work ethic” is about applying purpose toward life. It is about what we do with our life, and not what we do for a living. It is not about job or pay.

“Courage” is the disposition to feel an appropriate degree of both fear and confidence to meet the challenge. A courageous person stands his/her ground, and advances or retreats as wisdom dictates. It should not be confused with fearlessness.

“Perseverance or steadfastness” is a continued effort to achieve something despite difficulties, failure or opposition.

“Honestly” means being real and genuine. It expresses self-respect and respect for others. Honesty is not just truth-telling. It is the mutual trust in human exchange and interaction.

“Loyalty” is a strong feeling of support towards a person, a group or an institution.

“Faith” is the source of discipline and power. A shared faith binds people together. It is a complete trust and confidence in someone or something, or a strongly held belief or theory.

Why is character development so important?
We all have just experienced profound and challenging changes. (The pandemic, racial tension, climate changes, economic uncertainty, and what else?) None of us were prepared for this. None of us knew how to react to all these changes.

Very young children learn and perceive the world through their parents. Parents are the first teachers and models that shape their character as discussed in the “Parenting” pages. As their world expands, habits and attitudes they learn from home and outside can last a lifetime. Thus, we need to imprint in our new generation the right habits and attitudes. We need them to solve our future global problems. We need great inventors, designers and listeners who will become pattern recognizers and big-picture thinkers. Steven Covey, the author “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic,” 1989, stated:

“Primary greatness has to do with a person’s integrity, work ethics, treatment of others, motives and level of motivation. It has to do with a person’s character, contributions, talents, creativity and discipline.”

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

 Habit 1: Be Proactive
I am a responsible person. I take initiative. I choose my actions, attitudes, and moods. I do not blame others for my wrong actions. I do the right thing without being asked, even when no one is looking.

 Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
I plan ahead and set goals. I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom and contribute to my school’s mission and vision, and look for ways to be a good citizen.

 Habit 3: Put First Things First
I spend my time on things that are most important. This means I say no to things I know I should not do. I set priorities, make a schedule, and follow my plan. I am disciplined and organized.

 Habit 4: Think Win-Win
I balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for what others want. I make deposits in others’ Emotional Bank Accounts. When conflicts arise, I look for third alternatives.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
I listen to other people’s ideas and feelings. I try to see things from their viewpoints. I listen to others without interrupting. I am confident in voicing my ideas. I look people in the eyes when talking.

Habit 6: Synergize
I value other people’s strengths and learn from them. I get along well with others, even people who are different than me. I work well in groups. I seek out other people’s ideas to solve problems because I know that by teaming with others we can create better solutions than any one of us alone. I am humble.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
I take care of my body by eating right, exercising, and getting sleep. I spent time with family and friends. I learn in lots of ways and lots of places, not just at school. I take time to find meaningful ways to help others.

Muriel Thomas Summers, the principal of A. B. Combs Elementary in Raleigh, North Carolina, was deeply inspired by Dr. Covey. She thought, “If children learned the 7 habits at an early age, how different their lives might be and how different our world might be. (The Leader in Me, Stephen R. Covey p. 22-33). The result and change in the school after using the 7 Habits as the behavior guide is self-evident.

Mr. and Mrs. Cherng, (Founder of Panda Express), after a visit to the school made these comments. “What I saw was beyond any preconceived expectations… the students at A. B. Combs are all leaders, and all are taking ownership for the school.” Andrew Cherng.

“When we recruit leaders, we like to see people who are able to project their passion, who have self-confidence, and who have the right attitude to really face the unknowns and the uncertainties that we face every day in our personal or our career lives. I saw all those traits in the children at A. B. Combs.” Peggy Cherng (A video of the Cherngs can be found at “The Leader in Me.”)

Many countries consider the 7 habits as important as academic skills and test scores. In Singapore, the ministry requires that all students be taught character building as part of a civic and moral education section. The same is happening in Japan and Malaysia.

For more information, visit:

www.stephencovey.com
www.theleaderinmebook.org

For children’s stories inspired by the 7 Habits: “The 7 Habits of Happy Kids,” by Sean Covey
www.seancovey.com

Heart-Mind

 The 7 Habits teach us what to do to build great character. But how do we do it successfully? As a teacher who had gone through the 7 habit training, I observed that not every school came up with the same result. The difference is:

Successful schools put their minds, hearts, bodies and spirits to achieve their goal. Many other schools just go through the motions with a noticeable lack of heart.

Personally, I think the heart is the first and foremost element needed for anyone or anything to be successful. Western culture has traditionally focused on a one-sided perspective of how the heart responds to the brain.

Recent scientific investigations have shown that “Communication between the heart and brain actually is a dynamic, ongoing, two-way dialogue with each organ continuously influencing the other’s function”. (Science of the Heart. Exploring the role of the Heart in Human Performance: The Heartmath Institute)

“Every thought we think, every word we speak, every choice we make is closely linked to our heart and affects all our relationships, health and character. We are able to reach the state of ease when the heart, mind, and emotions are in alignment and co-operation. (Gregg Braden: Heartmath Institute)

Using the Heart

As a 1st grade teacher, every morning my class started with a “personal pledger” after all other pledges. It is:

With all my Heart: 一心

I have a dream.

I can make my dream come true if I believe in me with all my heart: 信心

I have a dream.

I can make my dream come true if I try my best with all my heart: 用心

I have a dream.

I can make my dream come true if I pay attention to everything I do with all my heart: 專心

I listen with my heart: 聽

I think with my heart: 想

And I love everything I do with all my heart:  愛

Just knowing what to do with our head is half the way. Classroom rules and regulations are external controls. But when the heart is involved and evoked, this is self-regulation or self-discipline.

Look at the Chinese character

Heart = 心

See the heart shape and the arteries?

Most of our feeling words, positive and negative, have the heart 心 as part of the word.

A short list of single words