Character-Building Ideas and Activities for School

[:en]Teaching children to treat each other with respect is an important part of school that can make the difference in the success of your classroom. Try some of these activities, broken out by age group, to help mold student behavior throughout the year. 

Character-building Activities: Elementary 

1. Bucket-filler Friday – Take time once a week to have students encourage each other. This could be via written notes or circle time to give each other compliments.
2. Recipe for Success – Students post “ingredients” for the recipe of what good character looks like. You could do a group brainstorming session or have children write and draw their recipes. If space allows, make a bulletin board with the ideas.
3. Make It Mine – Let kids define character traits in their own words and share an example of someone they know who displays that positive characteristic.  
4. Puppet Role Play – Use puppets to have students act out a conflict and resolution. This can also give insight into the interpersonal issues your students are facing.
5. Growing Gratitude – Use the door of your classroom to build a paper tree or flower and put things your class is grateful for on the branches or stem. Make it a weekly activity.
6. Walk in my Shoes – Trace feet and stand in someone else's footprint while discussing examples of empathy.
7. Button Pushing – Cultivate a classroom culture that identifies “buttons” that cause stress or anger and have students work toward avoiding button pushing.
8. Interactive Character Notebook – Compile ideas for handling anger or bullying, as well as suggestions for acts of kindness and how to show a teacher respect. Review the notebook on a regular basis to reinforce good behavior.
9. A Bad Case of the Stripes – This book by David Shannon is a great jumping off point for talking about individuality, laughing at others and incorporating other character issues.
10. Workplace Ethics – Many older elementary programs incorporate a unit on business ownership or careers, and this is a great time to talk about the idea of ethics and good business character.

Whether it’s a simple catchphrase you repeat every day or planned character lessons throughout the school year, shaping your students’ behavior is an important matter. With the right guidance, you’ll be making a difference for years to come. 

Julie David lives in Charlotte, N.C., with her husband and three daughters. She’s a former teacher.  

Posted by Julie David

 [:zh]Teaching children to treat each other with respect is an important part of school that can make the difference in the success of your classroom. Try some of these activities, broken out by age group, to help mold student behavior throughout the year.

Character-building Activities: Elementary

1. Bucket-filler Friday – Take time once a week to have students encourage each other. This could be via written notes or circle time to give each other compliments.
2. Recipe for Success – Students post “ingredients” for the recipe of what good character looks like. You could do a group brainstorming session or have children write and draw their recipes. If space allows, make a bulletin board with the ideas.
3. Make It Mine – Let kids define character traits in their own words and share an example of someone they know who displays that positive characteristic.
4. Puppet Role Play – Use puppets to have students act out a conflict and resolution. This can also give insight into the interpersonal issues your students are facing.
5. Growing Gratitude – Use the door of your classroom to build a paper tree or flower and put things your class is grateful for on the branches or stem. Make it a weekly activity.
6. Walk in my Shoes – Trace feet and stand in someone else's footprint while discussing examples of empathy.
7. Button Pushing – Cultivate a classroom culture that identifies “buttons” that cause stress or anger and have students work toward avoiding button pushing.
8. Interactive Character Notebook – Compile ideas for handling anger or bullying, as well as suggestions for acts of kindness and how to show a teacher respect. Review the notebook on a regular basis to reinforce good behavior.
9. A Bad Case of the Stripes – This book by David Shannon is a great jumping off point for talking about individuality, laughing at others and incorporating other character issues.
10. Workplace Ethics – Many older elementary programs incorporate a unit on business ownership or careers, and this is a great time to talk about the idea of ethics and good business character.

Whether it’s a simple catchphrase you repeat every day or planned character lessons throughout the school year, shaping your students’ behavior is an important matter. With the right guidance, you’ll be making a difference for years to come.

Julie David lives in Charlotte, N.C., with her husband and three daughters. She’s a former teacher.

Posted by Julie David

 [:id]Teaching children to treat each other with respect is an important part of school that can make the difference in the success of your classroom. Try some of these activities, broken out by age group, to help mold student behavior throughout the year.

Character-building Activities: Elementary

1. Bucket-filler Friday – Take time once a week to have students encourage each other. This could be via written notes or circle time to give each other compliments.
2. Recipe for Success – Students post “ingredients” for the recipe of what good character looks like. You could do a group brainstorming session or have children write and draw their recipes. If space allows, make a bulletin board with the ideas.
3. Make It Mine – Let kids define character traits in their own words and share an example of someone they know who displays that positive characteristic.
4. Puppet Role Play – Use puppets to have students act out a conflict and resolution. This can also give insight into the interpersonal issues your students are facing.
5. Growing Gratitude – Use the door of your classroom to build a paper tree or flower and put things your class is grateful for on the branches or stem. Make it a weekly activity.
6. Walk in my Shoes – Trace feet and stand in someone else's footprint while discussing examples of empathy.
7. Button Pushing – Cultivate a classroom culture that identifies “buttons” that cause stress or anger and have students work toward avoiding button pushing.
8. Interactive Character Notebook – Compile ideas for handling anger or bullying, as well as suggestions for acts of kindness and how to show a teacher respect. Review the notebook on a regular basis to reinforce good behavior.
9. A Bad Case of the Stripes – This book by David Shannon is a great jumping off point for talking about individuality, laughing at others and incorporating other character issues.
10. Workplace Ethics – Many older elementary programs incorporate a unit on business ownership or careers, and this is a great time to talk about the idea of ethics and good business character.

Whether it’s a simple catchphrase you repeat every day or planned character lessons throughout the school year, shaping your students’ behavior is an important matter. With the right guidance, you’ll be making a difference for years to come.

Julie David lives in Charlotte, N.C., with her husband and three daughters. She’s a former teacher.

Posted by Julie David

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