"Rocking" Good Character

Character education is a huge part, in my opinion, of what makes schools successful. It can be difficult for children to function effectively in school when behaviors, either their own behaviors or the behaviors of their peers, are less than stellar. However, getting students to buy in to character education can be a struggle. It is important to make the character education plan fun, relatable, and rewarding for students.

At my school, a few years back, an awesome committee of teachers and staff developed six "keystones" of good character to be highlighted throughout the course of the school year. Each keystone has it's own definition and expectations, and through different activities each keystone is introduced throughout the course of the school year. The keystones are: responsibility, conservation, respect, citizenship, trustworthiness, and appreciation.

This year, our keystones are being celebrated with a "you rock" theme, which was inspired by Entirely Elementary School Counseling's "You rock kindness" bulletin board. I used several of the same ideas, but modified it to include each keystone of good character.


At the end of October, we had a school wide "Keystone Kick Off Assembly". The assembly included 12 students from out 5th grade class that helped present each of the keystones. Six of the students read the definition of each keystone. Next, we had six students who each had an actual rock with a keystone written on it come up to the stage. On the stage, we had a camera focused on a bowl of water. Each student took their rock, placed it in the bowl of water, and discussed the "ripple effect" that occurs when students are responsible, respectful, trustworthy, appreciative, or when they are good citizens, as well as when they conserve. The students talked about the effects their good behavior and character can have on the entire school population.

To go along with our "YOU ROCK" theme, we have tickets to be handed out to students when they are "rocking" the keystone that is the focus of that month. For example, this month, the keystone is "responsibility". When students do something responsible, they get a "you rock" ticket, which is put in an envelope. At the end of each week, one student from each class has their name randomly chosen from the envelope, read over the announcements, and then they come to the office to receive a pencil and get their picture taken for the "YOU ROCK" bulletin board.

The response to the program has been outstanding so far. The students are very into the "YOU ROCK" tickets and the staff has been very supportive, making sure that they hand out tickets to reward good behavior. Hopefully, things continue on this path for the rest of the keystones! :-)