5 Pennies - Day 12

Character Counts Summer Workshop Day!

So if you don't know about this program, please let me briefly introduce you to the concept. It is an educational program that helps teaches students 6 positive qualities - 'pillars':
Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Trustworthy, Citizenship
It's mainly push in elementary schools, but we have happily adopted it in our middle school as well in order to further promote positive school climate.

1. Waited for a friend/teacher in the lobby before the meeting.
                I hate going to meetings and never knowing anyone. I normally just sit by myself - I know, my anti-socialism ways. However, today I brought a partner along with me and waited for them.

2. Got another person a drink because they were thirsty.
           There was another woman at the table that I was sitting at the complained how hurt throat was hurting because she was getting over a summer cold. The very least that I could do - other than excusing myself to the bathroom and scrubbing the germs off of me.

3. Advised a parent in how to help her son like school.
             There was another woman at the table whose son was just going into middle school and she was worried because he wasn't looking forward to it. I talked to her about all of the wonderful extra opportunities that her son may be interested in at the middle school level - different clubs, sports, music ensembles, etc. This seemed to help her.

4. Cheered for others that won door prizes at the end of the meeting.
          So I am the one at the faculty meetings that claps and cheers for anyone that states good news or receives special honors. Please understand that I am not hooting and hollering, I'm modest - but it is still nice to cheer for everyone. Regardless if you know them or not, if you are friends with them or not - it's just nice to have that extra applause.

5. Advised another teacher about how to incorporate the CC Rules into her classroom.
           She said that she was having issues with her students understanding the difference between home and school rules. Especially with her boy students. I went to an earlier workshop that the presenter explained that if you discuss the rules in terms of 2 different sports - they tend to get it a little bit better.
Football rules (home rules) vs. Basketball rules (school rules)
I've used it in my classroom because many of the boys are into sports at my school - it does tend to work.