Our Language, Our Story Character Development Through the Virtues A Resource for Ontario Catholic...

Our Language, Our StoryCharacter Development Through the

Virtues A Resource for Ontario Catholic Schools

A Project of the Eastern Ontario Catholic Curriculum Cooperative

In Cooperation with the Ontario Ministry of Education

June 2009

This present resource continues a tradition of excellence as the EOCCC seeks to develop material that incorporates the Catholic perspective across the curriculum. By focusing the “Character Development Initiative” on the acquisition of the theological and cardinal virtues, this resource builds on and enriches the moral teaching of the Church.

I pray God's blessing upon all those involved in this project and hope that this resource will indeed help our students grow in a Spirit-filled life in which the Gospel truly shines forth.

+ Paul-André DurocherBishop of Alexandria-CornwallEducation Commission Chair, Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario(Our Language, Our Story, Introduction)

Our Language, Our Story

Overview of Presentation

IntroductionI. Why This Resource?II. Finding Common GroundIII. Ontario’s Catholic BishopsIV. Our Language, Our Story – Exploring

the Seven VirtuesV. Our Language, Our Story – Exploring

the Resource

VI. What Does Authentic Character Education Look Like?

Christina Hoff Sommers, Ph.D., tells this story about the relevance of teaching the virtues …

http://minerva.stkate.edu/news_events.nsf/stories/JCMR-7QGLLF/$file/christina-hoff-sommers.jpg

Sommers’ recommendations are helpful, but limited. Sommers proposes teaching morality within ethics classes that focus on the virtues.

This recommendation is at odds with traditional virtue theory, which recognizes ongoing practice as key to becoming a person of virtue.

Note what philosopher and author Dr. Donald DeMarco says about teaching the virtues …

“… Aristotle was at least in part right: Many of the virtues are little more than habits of character. As such, they cannot be instilled through formal classroom instruction.

“… One cannot inculcate courage (industriousness, honesty, concern for personal integrity, etc.) simply by reciting moralistic stories depicting courageous acts or by undertaking a philosophical analysis of the concept of courage. Courage, as an attribute of character, is acquired through habituation--the actual doing.”

We are not born virtuous. Nature does not steep us in good habits. Nor does moral development take place by means of cultural osmosis. Virtues must be pursued.

The virtuous person is a person of character, a whole person, a fully realized person. Virtue, as Plato has taught, is the health, strength, and excellence of a soul in communion with reality. It is virtue more than anything else that fills a person with a sense of [one’s] self, [one’s] vitality, [one’s] purpose, and [one’s] happiness.

Donald DeMarco in The Heart of Virtue (1996)

Another story ….

I. Why This Resource?

The Call for Character Development programs in Ontario’s publicly funded elementary and secondary schools have ... challenged us to draw on our deepest values whichshape the character of all who teach and learn in our Catholic schools and …

… are rooted in the language of Scripture and Tradition, the language of OUR STORY.


The language of our story points to Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh – origin and fulfillment of our sacred story.

All we say and do in Catholic schools is a means for supporting our students’ pilgrimage to fullness of life in Him.


The Virtues: Points of reference from our story -

Theological Virtues:Faith, Hope, Love

Cardinal Virtues:Justice, Prudence, Temperance and Fortitude

… touchstones for this resource’s contents.

II. Finding Common Ground

Character Education

Fall 2006:

- Formally mandated by Ontario’s Ministry of Education

- Release of discussion paper, Finding Common Ground: Character Development in Ontario Schools, K-12 through Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat and revised June 2008


Finding Common Ground (2006)- Calls for character education programs based on shared values transcending diversities such as ethnicity and creed (hence the title, Finding Common Ground ).

- Boards and their communities are called

… to identify universal character attributes

… to infuse these into every subject area,school activity.


Character Development

Finding Common Ground, 2008


Two key goals:

• improve student learning in cognitive, affective, attitudinal and behavioural domains• prepare young people for civic engagement, global citizenship in an increasingly interdependent world

II. Finding Common Ground:Catholic Educational Community’s

Initial Response

Mixed Reactions:Isn’t this what we’ve always done?

Catholic schools have always been about intentionally building character …– in every subject area and school activity– in Religious Education, Family Life, Sacramental Preparation, Retreats, Community Outreach Initiatives, Athletic Programs, and much more.


Let’s embrace this initiative …

Let’s showcase our successes …

Catholic Educational Community’sEvolving Response

… and underscore our schools’ distinctive Catholic character.

… in ways that resonate with Finding Common Ground using the language of our story

II. Finding Common GroundCatholic Educational Community’s

Ongoing Response

Resource DevelopmentCatholic school boards across Ontario have been developing and sharing creative resources.

These resources have incorporated …- Gifts of the Holy Spirit - Fruits of the Holy Spirit, - Cultivating biblical and related virtues- Practical strategies and tools

To them we are all grateful!

III. Ontario’s Catholic Bishops

Character Development and the Virtuous Life: A Position Paper

Fall 2008: A formal response to Finding Common Ground.

III. Ontario’s Catholic BishopsCharacter Development and the Virtuous

Life

Clear Direction … for producing Catholic character development resources to Catholic school boards and professional associations. Reminder … that the virtuous life is already at the heart of our language and story.

New Return … to the language of the virtues; to the distinguished, time-tested standing of the virtues in our Catholic Tradition.


Life

Character : “something that is constructed, something I choose more or less deliberately.” (Character Development and the Virtuous

Life, p. 2)

vs.Personality : something more permanent; who I am.


Life

Virtue Education as Character Education

Character : - how I respond to life’s challenges, blessings or interact with others

Personality : - more ethically neutral

Applying the best of our faith heritage can help us become who God has called us to be,

persons of virtue.

- has a definite moral aspect


Life

The Virtues: Our Link to Character Development

Because virtue is “ … a concept central to Catholic moral doctrine, [it] is key in linking the Character Development Initiative to the Catholic school education project.” (Character Development and the Virtuous Life, p. 5)


LifeThe Virtues: Our Link to Character Development

Language of Virtues - associated with character formation since time of Plato and Aristotle - important part of Christian education, from fourth century onward- integral to Western civilization’s foundational values


The Bishops are saying to us:

You are already doing this.

The virtues are YOUR language and story.

Reclaim them in your practice.


This opportunity is a gift … embrace it; re-tell Our Story

The call for character development in Ontario schools a gift to Catholic education; an opportunity for us to re-tell our story as a people of faith.

It has the potential to help strengthen staff and students as followers of Christ; to bring new vitality into our province-wide system.


This Opportunity: A Gift Embrace it, Re-tell Our Story

Re-telling our story through the virtues:- allows us to proclaim our distinctiveness and importance to society

- especially crucial during this time of questioning the importance of multiple publicly-funded education systems

IV. Our Language, Our Story

Character Development Through the Virtues

in Ontario Catholic SchoolsA Response to Finding Common

Ground

Made possible through: Funding from Ministry of

Education Leadership by the Eastern

Ontario Catholic Curriculum Cooperative.

IV. Our Language, Our Story

Practical tools & Strategies: - for integrating theological

cardinal virtues into culture of our Catholic schools.

For Educators and Administrators: - to help foster Catholic character development across the broad curriculum.

IV. Our Language, Our Story Character Development Through The

Virtues

What Are The Virtues?

- good practices, which

over time, become part of our character. Practicing the Virtues

- tempers our personalities, enables us to live and work peacefully with one another.

IV. Our Language, Our Story Character Development Through The

VirtuesWhy Education Through the Virtues?– to help Catholic educators fulfill their mission to teach in light of the Catholic faith

– to strengthen distinctive Catholic character of students, school communities

– to help our young people grow as followers of Jesus and bring the transforming witness of His Gospel to the world

IV. Our Language, Our Story Exploring the Seven

VirtuesA. The Three Theological Virtues

Faith, Hope, Love:

As we practice these virtues …

God’s gift to us at Baptism

- they become more prominent in our lives- they guide our character as it develops over a lifetime of discipleship.

The language of our story speaks of Faith :

- God’s gift to us at Baptism

- Christian faith transforms our minds with God’s self-understanding.


VirtuesA. The Three Theological Virtues

Faith - A new way of seeing, a shared way of believing.

A. The Three Theological Virtues

Faith - A new way of seeing, a shared way of believing. Gives us a new way… - of seeing: God, ourselves, everything around us

The faith we share through Baptism into Christ’s body (the Church), leads us to believe, pray and worship.


Virtues

- of believing: what Christ has taught us in the Gospels, handed on to us through His Church

Witnessed in love of God, in love of neighbour - made in God’s image.

Visible in our Catholic schools whenever there is trust in God, belief, prayer, worship and the witness of love.

A. The Three Theological Virtues Faith - A new way of seeing, a shared way of believing.


Virtues

The language of our story speaks of hope.

Christian Hope: - God’s gift at Baptism (unites us with risen Christ) - desire for the happiness of the Kingdom and eternal life - makes us able to trust to trust God’s promises, no matter what the obstacles. - keeps us from despair and presumption

A. The Three Theological Virtues Hope – Trusting God’s promises in prayer and work for

justice.


Virtues

- expressed principally in prayer.

A. The Three Theological Virtues Hope – Trusting God’s promises in prayer and work for justice.

Hopeful people …- live the Gospel with joy- work for peace and justice despite many obstacles - trust God’s plan will be fulfilled, even if not in their lifetime

Visible in our Catholic schools whenever we find prayer, trust in God’s faithfulness, and work for peace and justice.

IV. Our Language, Our Story Exploring the Seven Virtues


Love - Loving God above all things, others as God loves them. The language of our story speaks of love.

God’s gift to us at Baptism enables us … - to love God above all things- to love others as God loves themGreat insight of St. Thérèse … We have been made by love for love.


Gift of love directs and gives strength to our life of virtue.

Our model of love is Jesus, who laid down His life so that we might have life to the full (John. 10: 10). Our encounters with Jesus in His Gospel and the sacraments nurture us so that we can love as He has loved us.

Visible in our Catholic schools wherever the kindness, service and self-giving of Jesus are found.



Love - Loving God above all things, others as God loves them.

B. The Four Cardinal Virtues

PrudenceTemperance Justice FortitudePractices on which all other virtues hinge (cardinal - hinge in Latin).

These practices are learned and developed over time.


The language of our story speaks about justice. - seeking what is good in every situation


B. The Four Cardinal VirtuesJustice – Seeking the good, meeting obligations to God and neighbour

- living in right relationship with God and neighbour

Fulfilling one’s obligations …

Visible in our Catholic schools whenever we see people striving to meet their obligations to God and neighbour.


B. The Four Cardinal VirtuesJustice – Seeking the good, meeting obligations to God and neighbour

- to God in prayer and worship- to neighbour in mercy and fairness


Prudence – Seeking, judging, acting with confidence and lovePrudence (good sense) “the watchful eye of love.” Three steps: • seeking the proper, most loving thing to do; • judging what is the best choice;

• confidently acting.


“What is the right, most loving thing to do?” 1. Considering others’ advice … - looking to the Gospel, Church teaching to inform and guide conscience 2. Praying and thinking things through 3. Confidently acting in truth and love



Prudence – Seeking, judging, acting with confidence and love

In this way, practicing prudence unites us more closely with God and neighbour.

Visible in our Catholic schools when we reflect as Jesus’ disciples and act in His love.



Prudence – Seeking, judging, acting with confidence and love

A temperate person practices staying away from excesses. She or he strives to practice …

• moderation in eating and drinking • self-control in emotional expression• balance in living responsibly• forming chaste, healthy friendships• honesty about who they are (humility)



Temperance – Enjoying life’s pleasures in keeping with the Gospel

Practicing temperance frees us from slavery to unhealthy habits so that we can live a fully human life as God intended for us in Christ.

Visible in our Catholic schoolswhenever moderation, chastity, balance, self-control and humble attitudes are practiced.



Temperance – Enjoying life’s pleasures in keeping with the Gospel

The language of our story speaks about fortitude.

This involves practicing what is good and just when it is difficult or even dangerous.


Fortitude – Practicing the good and just in challenging situations; patience with obstacles.


A person of fortitude practices patience when meeting obstacles while working to do what is right, even when others criticize or remain silent. Visible in our Catholic schools whenever we see persons defending truth and kindness in challenging situations.



Fortitude – Practicing the good and just in challenging situations; patience with obstacles.

V. Our Language, Our Story Exploring the ResourceWeb-based, six main sections:

+ Virtues and Themes - points of reference for this resource

+ Curriculum Connections - curriculum expectations linked to virtues & themes

+ Staff Development - prayers/activities linked to virtues & themes

+ Additional Resources - curriculum resources linked to virtues & themes

+ School Activities - prayers/activities linked to virtues & themes

+ Community Outreach - school outreach linked to virtues & themes

Accessible in 2 Formats:

- Via the internet at www.ourlanguageourstory.organd from the EOCCC Home page atwww.eoccc.org

- On CD ROM for PC

V. Our Language, Our Story Exploring the Resource

http://www.ourlanguageourstory.org/

http://www.eoccc.org/

Let’s go take a look ….

V. Our Language, Our Story

Exploring the Resource


According to Dr. Thomas Lickona, whose work has informed many

character development

initiatives, there are 11 core principles…

1. Character education promotes core ethical values as the basis of good character …. - as captured in Virtues & Catholic Character Themes.2. "Character" must be comprehensively defined to

include thinking, feeling, and behaviour. - Catholic education addresses the whole person: spiritually, physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially.

3.Effective character education requires an intentional, proactive, and comprehensive approach that promotes the core values in all phases of school life. - Catholic education promotes our deepest values in all subject areas and activities.


4. The school must be a caring community. - Every student has supreme value as a child of God.5. To develop character, students need opportunities for moral action. - Catholic education promotes a vision of life that invites students to live the Gospel and its enduring values in the day-to-day world.

6. Effective character education includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners and helps them succeed. - Catholic educators strive to help all students reach their God-given potential in every area of development.


7.Character education should strive to develop

students' intrinsic motivation. - Catholic educators encourage students to become self-directed, responsible, lifelong learners (ICE CGE 4).

8. The school staff must become a learning and moral community in which all share responsibility for character education and attempt to adhere to the same core values that guide student education. - Catholic schools’ sense of community derives from Baptism, and is rooted in the local Church and parish. All share in the Church’s mission to live and preach the Gospel.


9. Character education requires moral leadership from both staff and students. - Our sense of community in Catholic schools impels us to lead one another as pilgrims on the road of discipleship.10. The school must recruit parents and

community members as full partners in the character-building effort. - Catholic schools provides discipleship formation for meaningful and engaged citizenship. This involves collaboration and mutual support with the wider community.


11. Evaluation of character education should assess the character of the school, the school staff's functioning as character educators, and the extent to which students manifest good character.

- Catholic schools are about educating in the light of shared values rooted in the Word of God (Scripture) and Church teaching (Tradition), for virtuous character and meaningful relationships between students, staff and the wider community. All are accountable for their role in this mission.


Components of Good CharacterMoral Knowing:

• Moral awareness

• Knowing moral values

• Perspective-taking

• Moral reasoning

• Decision-making

• Self-knowledge

To which we would add … openness to the revelation of God through JesusChrist and the Holy Spirit in Scripture and the living Tradition.


Moral Feeling:

• Conscience

• Self-esteem

• Empathy

• Loving the good

• Self-control

• Humility

To which we would add … as informed by the teaching of the Church.


Components of Good Character

Moral Action:

• Competence

• Will

• Habit

To which we would add … as inspired by the example of Jesus and the Communion of Saints.

Components of Good Character


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