{"id":11792,"date":"2023-11-02T15:07:30","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T19:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/character.org\/?p=11792"},"modified":"2023-11-03T08:36:24","modified_gmt":"2023-11-03T12:36:24","slug":"character-and-the-power-of-reflective-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/character.org\/character-and-the-power-of-reflective-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"Character And The Power of Reflective Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Content” module_id=”content” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_width_px__hover=”1080px” custom_width_px__hover_enabled=”1080px” custom_width_percent__hover=”80%” custom_width_percent__hover_enabled=”80%” global_colors_info=”{}” make_fullwidth__hover=”off” make_fullwidth__hover_enabled=”off” use_custom_width__hover=”off” use_custom_width__hover_enabled=”off” width_unit__hover=”on” width_unit__hover_enabled=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1280px” custom_width_px__hover=”1080px” custom_width_px__hover_enabled=”1080px” custom_width_percent__hover=”80%” custom_width_percent__hover_enabled=”80%” global_colors_info=”{}” use_custom_width__hover=”off” use_custom_width__hover_enabled=”off” width_unit__hover=”on” width_unit__hover_enabled=”on” make_fullwidth__hover=”off” make_fullwidth__hover_enabled=”off”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||-6px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
By Dr. Arthur Schwartz – President
Wendy Horbinski – Coordinator, Laws of Life\u00a0<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.23″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
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We do not learn from experience. Most educators strive to apply Dewey\u2019s famous maxim, especially when their students act out or make a poor decision. School counselors especially will use <\/span>behavior reflection activities<\/a><\/strong> to help students process their choices in a culturally responsive, non-threatening, child-friendly way.<\/span><\/p>\n But have we developed and implemented school-wide practices and resources that encourage students to reflect on the positive experiences that are shaping their character?<\/span><\/p>\n These questions are especially salient in the context of the Jubilee Centre\u2019s <\/span>model of moral development<\/a><\/strong>. The model posits that character is not only taught and caught, but that character is also <\/span>sought<\/span><\/i>. The Centre suggests that character formation, especially during the middle school years and beyond, involves students pursuing their own ethical growth and development, rather than simply following rules to avoid getting in trouble or being punished.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n More recently, the Jubilee Centre published a <\/span>white paper<\/a><\/strong> on \u201ccharacter sought.\u201d The authors argue that to encourage the \u201csought\u201d dimension of character, parents and educators need to find opportunities that encourage students to:<\/span><\/p>\n Reflective writing is a powerful tool to inspire students to identify the character strengths they want to practice wherever they go or whatever they do in life. All students have had \u201caha!\u201d moments and experiences that offer them glimpses into the kind of person they want to be (or not to be).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Putting pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard) offers students the opportunity to explore and discover new insights and glimmers of wisdom that connect their personal experience to universal principles, ranging from the Golden Rule to the virtues we practice when being a friend (such as sacrifice or honesty).<\/span><\/p>\n Researchers<\/strong><\/span><\/a> suggest that there is a three-part process at the heart of reflective writing. First, students need to write about \u201cwhat happened\u201d (explaining in narrative form their observation or experience). Part two is where students explore the \u201cso what\u201d question: in what ways is their observation or experience relevant to the core values they want to develop or strengthen? Finally, students need to address in their reflection \u201cnow what.\u201d How can they relate their observation or experience to their own character, identity, and future choices?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Reflective writing is most powerful when students have an opportunity to share what they\u2019ve written with others. Some schools encourage students to share their writing with family members. Other schools find ways for students to share their writing with classmates, either through small group or partner sharing. Schools also have established opportunities for younger students to share their writing with older students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ultimately, we encourage schools to find ways for students to place their reflective writing in an <\/span>E-Portfolio<\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong> We imagine a future where eighth graders are encouraged to read and reflect on what they wrote as fifth graders, and the ways in which their observation and experience \u201cback then\u201d continues to shape and foster their character, identity, and choices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The research on <\/span>social-emotional learning<\/a><\/strong> tells us that self-reflection strengthens self-awareness. We also know that reflection is an essential disposition of the <\/span>Habits of Mind<\/a><\/strong> framework. Yet reflective writing remains an undervalued tool for schools looking for ways to embrace the proposition that character is not only taught and caught, but also sought.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Together, let\u2019s change the tide and encourage all our students to grow by reflecting on the core values that mean the most to them \u2013 and why.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Comments” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1280px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”003e9429-8e11-4d9e-968b-8881092bbf81″ header_2_font=”Vidaloka||||||||” header_2_text_color=”#161616″ header_2_font_size=”40px” header_2_line_height=”1.35em” header_2_font_size_tablet=”30px” header_2_font_size_phone=”20px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9jb21tZW50X2NvdW50Iiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiPGgyPiIsImFmdGVyIjoiIENvbW1lbnRzIDwvaDI+IiwibGlua190b19jb21tZW50c19wYWdlIjoib2ZmIn19@[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”20px|||” custom_padding_tablet=”0px||” custom_padding_phone=”” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}” padding_tablet=”0px||” padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding__hover=”|||” padding_phone=”0px||”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1280px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_comments show_avatar=”off” show_count=”off” _builder_version=”4.16″ form_field_background_color=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” form_field_text_color=”#161616″ header_level=”h4″ header_font=”Work Sans|700|||||||” header_font_size=”18px” header_line_height=”1.4em” title_font=”Vidaloka||||||||” form_field_font_size=”16px” form_field_line_height=”1.8em” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”16px” button_text_color=”#161616″ button_bg_color=”#e3e1dd” button_border_width=”0px” button_border_radius=”0px” button_font=”Vidaloka||||||||” button_custom_padding=”10px|24px|10px|24px|true|true” button_text_size_tablet=”17px” button_text_size_phone=”16px” button_text_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” border_radii_fields=”on|0px|0px|0px|0px” border_width_all_fields=”1px” border_color_all_fields=”#E3E1DD” form_background_color=”rgba(26,10,56,0.03)” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-70e8f1e6-78eb-4f52-a811-0c9b614afdc2%22:%91%93}” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off|hover”][\/et_pb_comments][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Dr. Arthur Schwartz – PresidentWendy Horbinski – Coordinator, Laws of Life\u00a0 We do not learn from experience.We learn from reflecting on experience.-\u00a0 John Dewey Most educators strive to apply Dewey\u2019s famous maxim, especially when their students act out or make a poor decision. School counselors especially will use behavior reflection activities to help students […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42,40],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
<\/i><\/strong>We learn from reflecting on experience.<\/strong>
–\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>John Dewey<\/span><\/p>\n\n