Character Education

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Why it works

Character education, developing virtues and ethical dispositions like honesty, responsibility, perseverance, respect, fairness, and kindness, is a long-standing aim of schooling that complements social-emotional learning (SEL focuses on skills; character focuses on virtues and ethics). Research and effective practice show character is developed less through isolated lessons and more through modeling by adults, a shared language of virtues, a school and classroom culture that expects and lives them, opportunities to practice (service, responsibility), and reflection. It is caught and cultivated more than taught in a unit.

The research: Character education research (Character.org framework).

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: cultivate character intentionally

Teachers leave with a plan to model and build culture around a virtue.

Pick a virtue or character focus (honesty, responsibility, perseverance, respect).
Model it yourself and name it with a shared language.
Build a culture that expects and lives it.
Give opportunities to practice and reflect.

Character is cultivated, not just taughtCharacter grows through modeling, a shared language of virtues, a culture that lives them, and practice, more than through isolated lessons. Cultivate it intentionally.

Facilitator notes

Model the virtues, and use a shared language.
Build a culture that lives them.
Give practice and reflection.

A character unit alone does littleCharacter is caught and cultivated, not delivered in a lesson. Model it, build a culture around it, and give opportunities to practice and reflect.

Adapt it

Elementary: modeling, shared language, practice, stories.
Secondary: virtues, culture, service, reflection.
All settings: modeling, culture, practice, reflection.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Character Education: cultivate virtues

Caught and cultivated: model the virtues, use a shared language, build a culture that lives them, and practice.

The virtue or character focus:
How I model it and name it:
How I build a culture that lives it:
The opportunities to practice and reflect:
Where I have relied on a one-off lesson:

Make it stick

Cultivate virtues:

Cultivate character intentionally.
Model and build culture.
Bring a character practice to the next PLC.

Common questions

Isn't character something families teach, not schools?

Both. Schools have always helped shape character, and do so whether intentionally or not. Teaching virtues intentionally, through modeling and culture, develops ethical dispositions alongside families.

How is character education different from SEL?

SEL focuses on social-emotional skills; character education focuses on virtues and ethical dispositions (honesty, responsibility, respect). They complement each other.

How do I teach character?

Mostly by modeling it, using a shared language of virtues, building a culture that expects and lives them, giving opportunities to practice, and reflecting. It is cultivated more than lectured.