Character Development
This morning, while at the gym, I listened to the May 13, 2019 podcast of Hidden Brain with host Shankar Verdantam which includes his conversation with the “Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman about the skills that predict how well you’ll fare in life” Standardized tests tend to measure how well one does a task but not the character of the person or the purpose of why one is performing that task.
Although I could not locate the most recent results of surveys of why students attend college, I know that for many years a very large percentage of students in the United States stated they attend college to learn how to make money. There is currently a push for individuals to consider trade schools which often result in a high income and does not leave one with college debt. This makes economic sense but leaves the question of character development unaddressed. As James Heckman points out on the Hidden Brain program, there was a time in the United States when one of the standard books used in grades 1-6 was McGuffey Readers. Some private schools or home school parents still use them. The primary focus of the McGuffey Readers in addition to learning skills such as reading was to introduce values or character. Sadly, when it was decided that one should use books which were more inclusive than Christian based values, the focus seemed to switch to learning skills. Obviously, we all need skills. I appreciate being literate and having a variety of personal and professional skills. At the same time, I must be clear about the goal of using those skills. Often some of the individuals with/for whom I work learn to use the problem-solving skills they learned to survive on the street to craft or design a life devoted to helping others or solving community problems.
No matter what the level of formal education often when I ask individuals or families to articulate their core values, to state their spiritual goals, or to describe the footprint they want to leave in this life dance/journey, they either do not understand the question or are not sure of the answer.
Most of us know that music and art feed the soul. Dance shows what is or what is possible. Building literal or metaphorical bridges connects people. Learning to live in synch with mother nature frees one. Not giving up and being willing to make mistakes allows one to invent or to be creative. Learning to love without expectations can help create a more just, loving world. Becoming a teacher because one has a passion for service and genuinely cares about teaching skills for a more meaningful life is rewarding and leaves a footprint of which one can be proud. Learning that no matter what job one is doing one can keep the focus on relationships rather than tasks will result in being more productive as well feeding one’s soul bodes well for a vibrant, satisfying life dance.
I do not want to return to using any material in school which is not inclusive of all religious and cultural traditions. I do want us as a community to keep asking ourselves the purpose for which we want to learn skills; to teach our children those character traits/habits which allow us to move toward a life-giving dance.
Written May 16, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
This morning, while at the gym, I listened to the May 13, 2019 podcast of Hidden Brain with host Shankar Verdantam which includes his conversation with the “Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman about the skills that predict how well you’ll fare in life” Standardized tests tend to measure how well one does a task but not the character of the person or the purpose of why one is performing that task.
Although I could not locate the most recent results of surveys of why students attend college, I know that for many years a very large percentage of students in the United States stated they attend college to learn how to make money. There is currently a push for individuals to consider trade schools which often result in a high income and does not leave one with college debt. This makes economic sense but leaves the question of character development unaddressed. As James Heckman points out on the Hidden Brain program, there was a time in the United States when one of the standard books used in grades 1-6 was McGuffey Readers. Some private schools or home school parents still use them. The primary focus of the McGuffey Readers in addition to learning skills such as reading was to introduce values or character. Sadly, when it was decided that one should use books which were more inclusive than Christian based values, the focus seemed to switch to learning skills. Obviously, we all need skills. I appreciate being literate and having a variety of personal and professional skills. At the same time, I must be clear about the goal of using those skills. Often some of the individuals with/for whom I work learn to use the problem-solving skills they learned to survive on the street to craft or design a life devoted to helping others or solving community problems.
No matter what the level of formal education often when I ask individuals or families to articulate their core values, to state their spiritual goals, or to describe the footprint they want to leave in this life dance/journey, they either do not understand the question or are not sure of the answer.
Most of us know that music and art feed the soul. Dance shows what is or what is possible. Building literal or metaphorical bridges connects people. Learning to live in synch with mother nature frees one. Not giving up and being willing to make mistakes allows one to invent or to be creative. Learning to love without expectations can help create a more just, loving world. Becoming a teacher because one has a passion for service and genuinely cares about teaching skills for a more meaningful life is rewarding and leaves a footprint of which one can be proud. Learning that no matter what job one is doing one can keep the focus on relationships rather than tasks will result in being more productive as well feeding one’s soul bodes well for a vibrant, satisfying life dance.
I do not want to return to using any material in school which is not inclusive of all religious and cultural traditions. I do want us as a community to keep asking ourselves the purpose for which we want to learn skills; to teach our children those character traits/habits which allow us to move toward a life-giving dance.
Written May 16, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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