At Colorado Academy with 950 students, there are thousands upon thousands of human interactions that occur on a daily basis. These include everything from opening a door for a friend, greeting a visitor, sitting down next to someone in the Dining Hall, cheering on a peer in a sporting match, congratulating a friend for a great artistic performance, or reaching out to a teacher for help.  At CA, our underlying work to develop the whole child is a deliberate effort to promote character education.

 

That has meant using extensive brain research, providing faculty professional development, and incorporating mindfulness into our character education program: we focus on helping students to be courageous and kind; to be responsible and inclusive; and to demonstrate grit and gratitude on a daily basis.  Of course, this does not mean that students will not make mistakes--they will. Our goal at CA is to develop a common language that helps students better understand how to make positive decisions and how to learn from mistakes when they happen.

 

As psychologist and New York Times best-selling author Dr. Wendy Mogel advises, “Prepare your child for the road, not the road for your child.”  This can only come through experience. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day… [with] protracted and patient effort.”

 

What does that effort look like at CA?  Teachers at each grade level offer some examples of what takes place in their classrooms:

 

Pre-K: In Pre-K, we point out and share in our morning meeting acts of kindness that the children see and do. (Pre-K Director and Instructor, Judy Pansini)

Kindergarten: In Kindergarten, we start by reading a story about kindness, and then brainstorm what examples of that look like.  Students note things like “teaching a friend how to swing on the monkey bars” and “sharing toys with others.” (Kindergarten teacher, Kass Patterson)

 

In First Grade, we introduced a series of mindfulness and team-building activities for the children. Among them, I have a Hula Hoop to which the children tie ribbons after sharing something for which they are grateful. (First Grade Teacher Diana Giarusso)

 

In Second Grade, we’re using the book series Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud. In the book, a bucket is an imaginary heart full of feelings. When you fill another’s bucket, you also fill your own. Students shared pictures of their interactions, and said “All day long, we are either filling up or dipping into each other’s buckets by what we say and do.” (Second Grade Teacher Cullen Brink)

Third Grade:  How to Be Cool in the Third Grade, a book by Betsy Duffey and Janet Wilson, is the starting point in third grade. We talk about “outside” coolness (shoes, hair, etc.) and then dive into “inside” characteristics (being a good friend, being kind, etc.). (Third Grade Teacher Lori Noricks)

 

Fourth Grade: Kindness and courage are at the center of the book Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, and we began the year with this book.  E.B. White wrote: “All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world.” (Fourth Grade Teacher Suzanne Kolsun Jackson)

 

Fifth Grade: At the beginning of the year, students reflect on their past successes and challenges, and from that, they develop their goals for fifth grade. We post these on a board in our room. We frequently reflect on these, and we reflect a great deal on what we are practicing in our learning community and how is it helping us move forward. (Fifth Grade Teacher Mary Singer)

 

Sixth Grade: I have students think about a character's journey and have them reflect on their own journeys. Such writings produce reflections from my students such as, "I learned this year that if I persevere and believe in myself, I can overcome adversity," and "As I've started making these decisions, I've realized that the best decisions are usually the hardest to make." (Sixth Grade Teacher Eric Augustin)

 

We help students develop an affinity for others through projects like creating models of micro housing for Denver's homeless populations. Students find that, despite different experiences, it is always possible to find points of empathy and connection. (Seventh Grade Teacher Dr. Dani Goldstein)

 

Eighth Grade:  When on an outdoor trip with students, I try to work with students to understand that everyone has different comfort zones. What might feel easy to one might be miserable to another. While in the middle of a river crossing with a heavy pack, they should look up and see if others might be in a place where they need some help. Then, they will find someone looking out for them when they are in a moment of need. (Eighth Grade Teacher Sue Haviland)

 

Ninth Grade:  I use literature, such as our summer reading selection, The River King by Alice Hoffman, to teach that human beings are neither good nor evil, but that they can be redeemed through the choices they make, and that love, friendship, and loyalty outweigh minor infractions. (Upper School English Teacher Betsey Coleman)

 

Tenth Grade: In my classroom, I want every student to be able to say: “Fear of failure does not prevent me from trying things.” I want them to show courage and resilience in their problem solving. To keep students from associating mistakes with failure, I endorse and solicit conversations about flounders on the path to a problem’s solution. Our mathematical discourse focuses more on the thinking process than on the “right answer.” We learn from our mistakes, and we become better students. (Upper School Math Teacher Charity Smith)

 

Eleventh Grade:  I ask students to write and sign a statement of honesty attesting that the work they are handing in is their own.  I have a discussion at the beginning of the year that their signature is their word, and their word is very powerful and should be trusted.   (Upper School Math & Science Teacher Holley McBroom)

 

Twelfth Grade:  Students must exhibit a healthy vulnerability in a discussion setting.  To this end, I encourage everyone to extend invitation through both verbal and nonverbal communication with one another.   Anchored in kindness, this invitation nurtures a safe learning climate--one where ideas and arguments take on greater importance. (Upper School History Teacher Luis Terrazas)

 

I have a quote posted by my studio desk that says, "The greatest act of kindness is to be present."  When students walk into our creative space, it is important for them to feel safe, welcome, and important. A message that I hope my students take with them is that our daily interactions with other people are the true gift of life. (Katy Hills Upper School Art Teacher)

 

Athletics: I tell our players, “During good games and bad games…we will only be as strong as the guy to our left and to our right. No matter how strong, fit, or fast you are as an individual, our team will only be as strong as our teammates.” I think it challenged our players to think about the workouts not just in terms of how they could get through it…but how they could help their teammates push a little harder to be better. (Senior Class Dean and Varsity Soccer Coach Gabe Bernstein)