Written by Karen Kinsey, Home School Advisor
At Paul Saylor Elementary, we are committed to giving our students the tools they need to lead happy and successful lives. That said, we realize that beyond the academic wisdom that students gain as they reach their goals, we also must teach them the critical values they will need in order to be happy, productive citizens.
Every single person on earth has the opportunity to make the world a better place, which is why we focus heavily on making sure students have a deep understanding of values such as honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness and having compassion for others. With these skills in their back pocket, they can be the ones to change the world. They can be good workers, good parents, good citizens, and good neighbors.
Good character is not formed automatically. Character is developed over time through teaching, learning by example, and practice. In today's society, our children are faced with negative influences in the media and dangers unknown to previous generations. At the same time, families are spending less and less time together. Since educators have the privilege of spending more than 1,000 hours each year with students, it is clear developing critical values becomes just as important as teaching reading and math.
At Saylor, we took all of September, October, and November to really focus on compassion. We worked on cultivating a desire to show mercy and tenderness to others. Teachers often referred to this value in their lessons, and did many different activities to highlight examples of compassion. We recognized and talked about every day acts of compassion such as noticing when a friend is feeling down, or sitting with someone who is alone. We also found in our hearts a desire to show compassion to the community, so we collected peanut butter for the food pantry and made Thanksgiving baskets for those less fortunate than ourselves.
As much as we talk about values at school, we are well aware parents are a child's first and most influential teachers. It's true life is busier these days, but teaching values at home isn't something that needs to take a lot of time or planning. Rather, it takes place naturally in our day-to-day routines. Even when watching TV, parents can have conversations with their children and ask questions like "How do you think that person feels?"
Being able to understand how another person feels and showing concern for others is the greatest skill we can have as a human being. Close your eyes and imagine: what if all parents made it a priority to teach their children to have compassion for others, to treat everyone with kindness and respect? I see a different world, where children are relaxed and feel free to be who they are. I see children who feel empowered to make positive changes that have a real effect on their community. Now, if only I could see this with my eyes open.
Parents: please don't underestimate the role you play in shaping whom your child becomes. Be intentional in teaching your children to care about others. It is the greatest gift you can give to them.