Dear MKA Families,
At a recent Upper School assembly, I told an old joke that speaks to the value of practice and rehearsal. In brief, it’s about an aging actor who, after being out of work for a number of years, lands a bit part in a play on Broadway. His part is limited to one line, “Hark, I hear the cannon’s roar!” Because he is an experienced actor with just one line in the show, he forgoes the rehearsals and appears for the first time on opening night. His moment comes, someone gives him a push to step out on stage, and there is a terrific boom of a cannon firing. What comes out of the actor’s mouth is not the scripted line, but an unprintable expletive brought on by his complete surprise at the cannon’s report. He never works again.
In this edition of Moral Conversations, you’ll find descriptions of ways in which we strive to rehearse, practice and fulfill our school’s character standards. Fostering positive character development requires well-chosen and structured lessons in which teachers and students think and feel the moral and ethical framework that supports the eight character standards at MKA. The most artful and effective lessons are those that don’t appear to be lessons at all, but flow from well-chosen books, materials, assignments and experiences, and thoughtful questions informed by understanding that the growth of character is developmental.
In some ways, the trajectory of character development is captured by the three concepts in MKA’s School Seal: Knowledge, Vision, Integrity. In my first address to the entire school, I re-ordered and linked those concepts to our three campuses: Brookside, where integrity is most naturally expressed, Middle School where knowledge grows, and Upper School where vision expands. MKA’s Core Works, curriculum planning guided by the Blauvelt Professional Study Advancement Awards, professional development opportunities for faculty such as The MKA Ethics Institute, and the Leadership and Ethics I and II courses just introduced at the Upper School are all examples of how we weave our teaching and cultivation of ethics and character education into the culture of MKA.
Former Headmaster Peter R. Greer, developed many of these strands in his thirteen years at MKA. It is a tribute to the vibrancy of what he established that the teaching of ethics and character education continues to evolve and gather strength. An Ethics Leadership Team of fifteen faculty led by Director of Curriculum and Professional Development, Karen Newman has helped to transform faculty development in this realm by creating clearer and stronger links between theory and classroom practice. As a result, our students have increasingly varied and sophisticated lessons and experiences in ethics and character education.
There can be no one script for the development of character, but a curriculum that includes opportunities for practice and rehearsal of ethical behavior prepares our students to play their parts and live their lives with confidence and conviction.
Warmest regards,
Thomas W. Nammack
Headmaster
Primary School News
Brooksiders had an opportunity this fall to meet with a delegation of Japanese university professors, sponsored by their government to visit American schools with character education programs. Donna Blanes and Elinor Takenaga share that Brookside’s program will serve as an inspiration for Tokyo’s first character education efforts in elementary and middle schools.
For more information the delegation from Japan, click here.
Second graders studied MKA’s new Character Standards and then used Moodle to write their own definitions of what the standards mean to them, such as: Confident means “to stand up for yourself” or to “believe in yourself.” Friendly means to “give everyone a chance and include everyone” or to “be fair, kind, and caring.” Responsible is seen as “always doing the right thing,” and respectful involves “considering other people’s feelings, listening to others, giving others their personal space and treating others the way you would like to be treated.”
Third graders also reflected on the new standards in their “Character Corner” as well and grappled with questions such as, “How does one earn the respect of others?” and “How can people work together respectfully?” The focus for Brooksiders is to share what the virtues actually look and sound like in action. The standards are hung around the campus to catch students’ attention. Students were inspired by them to make a “Hopes and Dreams” bulletin board about goals for the year, they studied the preamble to the US Constitution, and they concluded by writing a class constitution. Messages about respect were central, such as “doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.”
This fall, Toni Schott led a workshop on bullying, “Understanding Aggressive Behavior,” which stressed the distinction between childhood aggression, which is impulsive and without a power differential; and bullying, which involves a deliberate, repeated imbalance and can involve exclusion. Discussions with parents focused on reasons for behaviors and how parents and teachers can work together as a team to foster the well being of Brooksiders.
News from the Middle School
Three students from the Upper School, Rebecca Bauer, Andrew Culbreth and Katie Davis, shared their enthusiasm for ethics with Middle Schoolers when when they visited the Middle School this fall. As part of a committee that created our new Character Standards, they shared their reasoning behind the revised, clear wording with our students.
Are fourth graders too young for Aristotle? Not at MKA! Laura Lemaire shares, “Fourth graders are currently learning about Aristotle and his writing on the meaning of true virtue. People today sometimes get confused about whether or not an action is based on true virtue. For example, during the study of courage, students learned that a stuntman may take risks and overcome his fears before he jumps off a cliff. But true courage is based on the desire to face one’s fears, to use good judgment and to act to help someone in need of help. This stuntman may be daring, but he does not exemplify Aristotle’s definition of true courage. Fourth graders also studied the virtues of friendship, honesty and temperance. Then they looked at the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen to see whether there are lessons about these virtues that can be applied to the 21st century. They wrote greeting cards and newspaper articles, created Venn diagrams and made T-chart that extolled these virtues in their own lives. “Gosh! I never thought about playing too many video games as a temperance problem. Guess I need to find a happy medium,” commented one youngster. “Nice lesson!”
Fourth graders have also been responsible for bringing in gently used picture books and taking them to pre-schoolers at Head Start in Montclair.
Anne Becker reports that fifth graders discussed ethics in archaeology, “touching on some provocative issues in history. Students were asked what they would do if they found an artifact. Many felt that it was not unethical to keep what they found if the object was not significant. We discussed what is significant, and to whom. The students concluded that the importance of an object or remain is subjectively based on whose history the object might reveal, the concept that knowledge belongs to everyone and should be available to everyone, and that the manner in which the object is displayed must be carefully considered.”
Seventh grade social studies students recently wrote essays on admirable leaders of the Western Sudan, especially Sundiata and Mansa Musa of medieval Mali. Using the new character standards, they supported their assessments with specific examples from the kings’ lives. Students were surprised to learn that the “Lion King” is based on a real man, the wise and respectful King Sundiata of Mali. All seventh graders played a cooperative African game, in which no one wins unless everyone does. They compared this cooperative spirit with the competitive atmosphere fostered by their own childhood game, “Musical Chairs.” Recently, thanks to Laura Demaria, the class enjoyed a new experience by viewing “Kiriku and the Sorceress,” an authentic African tale. Students viewed it from many perspectives and used the character standards to compare the video with their Core Work, The Cowtail Switch and Other West African Stories.
During a recent Middle School assembly, the tradition of Community Service Awards celebrated the examples set by some students to responsibly of others without thought of reward. After students from each grade were honored as exemplars, Upper School student Alise Amato spoke about her positive experiences volunteering at TEAM Academy, and fifth grader Olivia Van Kuiken shared how she donated eleven inches of her hair to cancer patients through Locks of Love.
In December, the Ruby Bridges Club introduced a “Mix It Up Day” to help students learn about diversity and acceptance and to focus on breaking down cliques. Students completed a survey and enjoyed a special lunch with students other than their usual friends.
Middle Schoolers are often actively showing their compassion for others. Nancy Pi-Sunyer reports that we broke last year’s record by raising over $3,100 for UNICEF, an accomplishment she celebrated in terms of character development at an assembly. Students also wrote thoughtful holiday greeting cards to soldiers in hospitals and in Iraq. Eighth graders not only went to the Food Bank, but they also participated in a new service opportunity at Goodwill. They performed many tasks, such as sorting, cooking, and clerical work, documented in an i-Movie filmed by Boni Luna.
(Steve—the link goes in here.)
When the seventh grade Jones/Stark homeroom visited Head Start in December, they returned with fond memories of their service experience. Arjun thought it was important to “hear them talk about themselves. It gave them confidence for public speaking.” Ed enjoyed “playing with the kids because they learn and have fun” at the same time. Jeff was impressed that we made the kids “feel happy. It was nice to see them smiling.” “There was a boy I really liked, and all of them liked playing with me,” commented Kevin. Reid got into the play-dough, since it reminded him of what he did back in Pre-K. Emma and Tessa loved “swinging the kids around, playing puppets and dressing-up.” Drew shared, “I am glad I participated, because I feel I made a positive impact on their lives.” “When we left, I could see how happy the teachers and students were, and it made me feel good,” remarked Caroline. Kira was totally surprised our two hours were up. Scott even enjoyed the work like cleaning and raking. He spoke for the entire homeroom when he wrote, “Listen to your heart. Helping others is fun.”
Steve: we have photos of Laura’s class (She sent you one some time ago) and of my class at Head Start (snapshots—Alan’s digital ones aren’t too good.)
News from the Upper School
Paul Cunningham’s ninth grade English class enjoyed some great discussions on ethics after they read Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, in which the protagonist, Pip, longs to be a gentleman. “However, this means neglecting his poor family and friends, along with everything else about Pip, which makes him the boy that he is. Students grappled with big questions like, ‘Do the ends justify the means?’ and ‘What price will people pay for fame or fortune, or even to see through the realization of one’s dream?’ Students were also faced with designing criteria that would qualify someone today as a gentleman or a lady.” Paul found that students discovered this text was more relevant to topical discussions today about behavior and adolescents than they would have thought, and that they enjoyed rooting for Pip.
Nate Burroughs writes that the “Diversity Film Series, which convenes once a month, provides an opportunity for students, parents and faculty to discuss issues of equality, morality and diversity. Thus far, we have screened ‘Multi-Facial,’ a short film that focuses on the expectations and perceptions associated with racial identity; ‘The Laramie Project,’ an acted documentary based on the actual killing of a homosexual man in a small, Midwestern town; ‘Murderball,’ an Oscar-nominated documentary that follows the lives of quadriplegics who play a fiercely competitive sport; and ‘Promises,’ a story about the relationships between Israeli and Palestinian children. Some memorable discussions have ensued; for example, following the viewing of ‘Multi-Facial,’ two students perceptively discussed how the film shows that racial stereotypes affect the way individuals view themselves. With such contributions from the community, the program will continue to prosper.”
Kerry Verrone shares how she used her Blauvelt Professional Study Award and the summer Ethics Institute to design two new ethics courses, Ethics and Leadership I and II, which were introduced this fall. Ethics and Leadership I is a semester-long course for ninth graders, while Ethics and Leadership II is a year-long course for tenth grade students. The mission of these two courses, taught by Kerry and history colleague, Carol Spencer, “is to offer students the chance to examine their own character development, while simultaneously strengthening MKA’s commitment to developing the ‘whole’ student, both morally and intellectually. These new classes are not intended to replace the discussion of ethics that naturally arises in the various disciplines but rather to serve as a focal point for the Character Education Program at the Upper School.”
“At the heart of Ethics and Leadership I and II are MKA’s newly-revised Character Standards, a document rooted in the cardinal virtues and the ideas found in the philosophical writings of Aristotle. Together with our school motto, ‘Knowledge, Vision, Integrity,’ it serves as the foundation of our school’s ideals. So a goal for these new classes is to encourage each student to reflect on the development of his/her own character, particularly in relation to the high standards set by MKA.”
The 9th grade Ethics and Leadership I class focuses on self-identity with the Character Standards and service to MKA. First, students consider the relevance of the Character Standards to their own lives, and each Character Standard is examined in depth. For example, in the study of honesty, students discussed the effects that steroid use has had in professional sports. Likewise, to help students better understand the concept of fairness or justice, issues of race are introduced through a discussion of key themes in the film Mississippi Burning. Towards the end of the semester, once students are in the midst of grappling with their understanding of the Character Standards, they will engage in acts of service that benefit different areas of the school, from Admissions to the Learning Lab to the Clubs Program.
The 10th grade Ethics and Leadership II class continues the themes introduced in the 9th grade course and encourages the students to reflect on leadership and decision-making. While discussing contemporary ethical issues, ranging from stem-cell research to preserving the environment to the welfare system, students must examine both sides of the debate, while devoting particular attention to the choices leaders have made in each area. Towards the end of the course, the tenth graders will consider in depth the question of “good” leadership, both at MKA and in the larger community, and, in particular, we will consider the impact that students have had in shaping judicial decisions.
Together, these two courses, while providing a strong foundation for all students to reflect upon their own ethical development, also reaffirm MKA’s commitment to the Character Education Program.
The Ethics Leadership Team Study, Reflection, Action
by Linda Stark
This is truly a transformative year for character education at MKA. During the summers of ’06 and ’07, dedicated teachers from all three campuses participated in Ethics Institutes, led by Dr. William Wians, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Merrimack College, and MKA’s Director of Curriculum and Professional Development, Karen Newman. This summer’s Institute focused on intensive studies of Plato and Aristotle, reflections on our recently revised Ethics Program Signature Book, and proactive plans for invigorating our “program” at MKA. This summer, we formed the new Ethics Leadership Team, with five or six members from each of our three campuses. As Donna Blanes shares, “We had the opportunity to truly reflect on the importance of character education across all grade levels, and we looked at the meaning and purpose of character education for potential global citizens and leaders of the 21st century. We came away with the realization that WHAT we teach, and HOW we teach, are of equally dependent importance to fulfill our mission to graduate students with the abilities and competencies to attain knowledge, develop visions, and act with integrity in an increasingly complex world. Character education is not simply another ‘subject’ added to an already ‘full plate’ of curriculum…it IS THE PLATE!”
Effective character education requires a wide repertoire of skills and insights that will include all areas of the curriculum, social and emotional development, insights from understanding by design, service learning and diversity, and ancient and modern approaches to character development. This will involve much modeling and ongoing reflection and dialogue by teachers, parents, administrators and students alike.
Members of the Ethics Leadership Team, as well as numerous other faculty members, have been hard at work this fall, translating these lofty ideas into action for our students. Four members, Erica Budd, Laura Doto, Ruth Miller, and Kerry Verrone, correlated their research as winners of Blauvelt Professional Study Awards with their Institute projects. For example, Kerry developed curricula for two new ethics courses at the Upper School (see above), and Erica and Laura worked on “Instilling Habits that Promote Excellence,” (featured below).
The current members of the ELT are:
Primary School: Donna Blanes, Marissa Burgermaster, Donna Carrara and Toni Schott.
Middle School: Susan Fitzgibbon, Ruth Miller, Sharanya Naik, Cheryl Piegaro, Linda Stark and Jenny Zagariello
Upper School: Erica Budd, Laura Doto, Laura Gerard, Boyd Herforth and Kerry Verrone
Instilling Habits that Promote Excellence
Erica Budd and Laura Doto
Our Blauvelt work provided us with a lens, a language and a framework for communicating with our students, our advisees and their parents. It effectively established an explicit connection between MKA’s Character Standards and our students’ academic success. Amazing, but true; here’s how it happened:
As a result of the week-long Ethics Institute during the summer of 2006, a pilot program was developed for use with the 9th grade via the advisor system during the 2006-2007 school year. The advisor activities were rooted in helping students visualize what an independent learner looked like, using a rubric. This rubric was a direct result of the Ethics Institute. Our work originated in the study of ethics and moral development and has since developed into a multi-dimensional perspective that pervades many aspects of our thinking and curriculum design efforts.
Where our Blauvelt started . . . .
What began as a journey into creating an advisor curriculum that supports not only the mission of the school, but also the character development of 9th and 10th graders, has led us into exciting new discoveries and applications.
We spent a substantial part of our summer reading about and researching brain-based learning strategies, cognitive psychology and character development. We discovered the connections and ideas that John Dewey, Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg shared with Aristotle and Plato. We plugged in the ideas that Drs. Matt Davidson and Thomas Lickona introduced in Smart and Good High Schools, realizing that we could take the practical ideas shared in this modern book and craft activities and conversations that were grounded in the Ethics conversations we’ve shared over the years with Dr. Bill Wians and Karen Newman during summer professional development opportunities.
The personal impact . . . .
This work, that pervades our thinking and hopefully our actions as well, has made the time and effort that we spent this summer even more worthwhile and rewarding. We truly understand that performance character and moral character are inextricably linked. If we as advisors, teachers, grade-level chairs and educational counselors can help a student develop to the best of his/her ability and to feel confident about it, then we are engendering a code of excellence that not only resonates in the classroom, but can also effectively carry him/her through life.
So where are we headed ?
Currently we are putting into practice the advisor curriculum that we crafted this summer and making notes based upon feedback from our colleagues. This framework is informing and enriching our conversations in the classroom with our students, in advisor group with our advisees and with our faculty colleagues. We hope that the handouts and curricula we delivered to the Upper School faculty, specifically 9th and 10th grade advisors is providing our colleagues with similar resources and opportunities. Of course, as we move through this year and continue to expand our conversations, we can’t help but ask ourselves , “What next ?”
Reflections on “The Ethic of Caring”
Donna Blanes
In April, Donna Deutsch and I, along with several colleagues from the Upper School, were privileged to attend the Spring Institute at the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character, in Boston, entitled, The Ethic of Caring. Experienced educators administrators and teachers alike attended this two-day institute.
Dr. Bernice Lerner, director of the institute, introduced the conference by presenting and initiating a discussion about the virtue of “caring” as a complex issue. What is caring?... feelings of concern, love, to look after, to attend to, to provide for, were some attempts at defining this virtue. It was also realized that while some individuals display this virtue to the outside world, it is sometimes lacking within one’s home!
Research supports that it is necessary for teachers to communicate this to their students. All students need to feel that their teachers care about them, if they are to flourish. They need confirmation that their teachers are interested in knowing about their lives and keep them” safe” by creating an autonomous environment where students are allowed to make mistakes, have a voice, shape the rules, learn responsibility and act in accordance with beliefs. Students should feel a sense of belonging and need to believe that their peers have friendly feelings towards them.
Teachers also have the responsibility of helping students to achieve competence by mastering skills, developing self-esteem and motivation to keep learning. When a student is “unpleasant,” teachers must draw on ethical caring… recharge, take care of one self, and ask for support! Teachers need to emphasize empathy and caring through modeling and stories. Children need to develop the ability to” care about” and to “care for.” Teachers need have the vision that they are educating students for global citizenship…. to care about something “bigger.”
During the Art of Learning presentation, Dr. Rosanna Warren took a position that our culture is becoming passive and that the push for technology is resulting in a restriction of the inventive capacities of the child. Research on neuro-cognitive development supports the use of “hands” on brain function. Test-driven standardization stifles creativity.
Some thought-provoking issues brought forth from theological panel that ended the institute included the following:
- The world needs to take more time to learn about people…more human contact.
- If we have no peace it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.
- Bring love into your home.
- “One of the greatest diseases, is to be nobody to anybody”…Mother Teresa
This workshop afforded me the opportunity to confirm my belief that the ethic of caring is necessary to preserve civilization and to bring us all to a higher level of humanity. I am confident that we continue to evolve as an exemplary school of character that takes this ethic seriously.
Donna BlanesCEP National Forum: The Power of Words
by Kerry Verrone
Here at MKA, we devote much time and energy to discussing the power of words and the impact that they can have on our school community. Various Morning Meeting presentations and advisor group activities have encouraged students to monitor their words, and the Diversity Film Series has often focused on the harmful ways that students have used their words against others. During the annual National Forum on Character Education, hosted by CEP (Character Education Partnership) in Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to explore this topic further. With a multitude of keynote addresses, workshops and breakout sessions to choose from, I was most interested in learning about new ways to encourage our students to consider that offensive speech can be as harmful as physical violence. Certainly, the sessions focusing on hurtful speech and bullying did address these subjects well. In fact, we even explored the significance of inappropriate words spoken by many of today’s more infamous role models, including such young celebrities as Brittany Spears and Lindsay Lohan.
However, what grabbed my attention and held my interest even more were the presenters who discussed how words and speech can be used to uplift an individual and build up a community. Indeed, one prominent leader in character education, Dr. Hal Urban, reminded the group of the importance of displaying quotations in order to inspire our students to persevere and try harder. In addition, another workshop emphasized how the written word, in the form of stories or poetry, can serve to prompt our students to take action and to make a difference in the form of service learning. Looking beyond the student, I was also reminded about the positive impact that my words, as a teacher, can have on my students’ motivation and enthusiasm for learning. Clearly, a few brief teacher comments on a student’s test paper have the power either to discourage or to stimulate him/her to press on. Although these thoughts on the power of words to inspire students to strive for success are not radically new ideas, I was grateful for the reminder that words, either in speech or written form, can do more than harm. Instead, they can unite us, inspire us and motivate us to be and to do better.
