Anchoring curriculum on character

We live in a society where people compete in everything, to be "the best" at something, and often in very public venues. Yet, fairly few people's lasting happiness comes from a perfect score on one of these measurement scales.

One of the missing elements in our society's focus has been the importance of what used to be called good character. Our grandparents knew that success comes from the choices we make, which are the extensions of the character we have built within. Things like honesty, faithfulness, compassion, sacrifice, fairness -- these are the invisible qualities that create visible responses in one's life, and in the impact one has on the world.

I recently attended a training seminar in character education given by the husband and wife team of Alan and June Saunders, consultants and authors who travel the world to train educators in this vital area. They introduced a curriculum that assists in discovering tried-and-true principles of a successful life. Called "Discovering the Real Me," this is a series of books, some geared by age group and others by topic, which can be used in any educational setting.

The elementary-age workbooks use stories, such as Aesop's fables, classic fairy tales or other literature. Each one illustrates a certain desirable character trait, such as hard work, loyalty or honesty. Following the story, there are exercises and ways to reinforce the story's theme, which can be done in groups or individually.

The books for middle-school-age youths still use a story format, but one based on typical experiences: changed relationships, bullying, fairness on the sports field, respecting others. The authors engage the student in thinking about what values will promote good results that are lasting, not simply expedient.

The books for high-schoolers focus on skills needed in adult relationships, such as listening, empathy, planning, responsibility, altruism and sexual integrity. The exercises are still thought-provoking, but focus more on preparing for a lifetime of being in relationships with co-workers, spouses, parents and others.

For the parent or teacher, there is a book called "Cultivating Heart and Character," which provides the clear goals and reasons each aspect of the character must be developed, and the ways the family relationships are key in that process. The authors present the concept that the family is actually a school in which relationships and love are developed, and where the character of each person is able to grow through the interaction of the key experiences of being a child, a sibling, a spouse or a parent.

According to this premise, we are all in the constant process of growing and learning, as long as we are in relationships with others. As our hearts expand and deepen, there is a ripple effect in the rest of our lives as well. A loving husband and father is a different type of worker, and a different type of leader, than one who is frustrated or self-centered, and the same is true of moms and sons and daughters.

Practical examples, and ways to extend one's own ethics into the teaching process, are sprinkled through the book. Many precepts contained in the world's religions are examined from a scientific and societal standpoint. Embodied in the book is a framework for a multicultural, inclusive approach to character development. For instance, the respect for elders that is found in most traditional societies is examined from the standpoint of how it develops heart and responsibility. At the same time, examples from America's inner cities -- usually the setting in many works for cautionary tales about human development -- are also given as examples of loving interactions for a greater good.

Parents and teachers both may find these to be thoughtful and practical ways to incorporate values into instructional settings.

To purchase "Cultivating Heart and Character" or to see excerpts from the book, visit www.amazon.com/gp/product/1892056151. If you would like to examine or order the student workbooks, visit www.peacefederation.org/publications/curriculums/.

• Kate Tsubata, a home-schooling mother of three, is a free-lance writer who lives in Maryland.