"Principal Poon Says" – How to “Teach” Character Education?
With the rapid advancement of technology and the prevalence of artificial intelligence, it is natural to question whether computers can replace human brains. However, while technology is powerful, it cannot distinguish right from wrong or teach children the importance of character and values. This is why our school places great emphasis on character education: good character and values can accompany children throughout their lives and help them overcome obstacles and challenges on their journey of growth. But how can character education be "taught" specifically? In the fourth episode of "Principal Poon Says," Principal Poon will share how our school helps children develop their character on multiple levels.
In my opinion, values education has three levels:
Values in mind - Do you understand what character education is and the concept behind it?
Values in heart - Have you internalised these values and made them a part of your thinking process?
Values in action - Have you demonstrated these values through your actions?
Therefore, we teach children the meaning and embodiment of character and values in a step-by-step manner based on their age and level of understanding.
I believe that different subjects have different characteristics, and we can incorporate different values based on their unique qualities. For example, mathematics emphasises precision, while physical education emphasises perseverance.
However, regardless of whether it is independent or interdisciplinary learning, what is most important is the overall atmosphere of the school. For example, if we want children to care for others, teachers must also know how to care for their students, and the principal must know how to care for their teachers, creating a caring atmosphere throughout the school.
Our character education course is unique and has different teaching modes. For example, the Picture Book course is a mixed course of Chinese Language and Values Education, while Language Arts is a mixed course of English Language and Values Education. Both courses allow students to view the story development, character design, and outcomes from a third-person perspective, and then reflect on how the story relates to their own life.
The Character Building course focuses on values education and personal development, allowing students to participate in different games from a first-person perspective, experience different conflicts and challenges, and learn problem-solving and teamwork skills. Finally, students summarise and reflect on the whole activity.
Yes, the students really enjoy attending our character education classes! When designing the course, we connect different games with stories. We also include appropriate "conflicts" to challenge the students and encourage them to solve problems.
For example, one day when a typhoon hits, the suspension bridge on the small island is damaged. The students must use different materials to rebuild the bridge, but each group has different materials, just like in the real world where resource inequality exists. The children learn to negotiate and exchange different materials, as well as to compromise and accept differences.
The classes are primarily designed by teachers and different third-party professionals, such as the Positive Education Laboratory of City University of Hong Kong and Soso Enterprise Ltd..
Each student in the character development class has a record book to record and reflect on their own experiences and thoughts, which can also be shared with parents. I am pleased to hear from one parent that her child looks forward to attending the character development class every week because it's not only "fun," but also because they feel they have learned something important.
The four-part series of "Principal Poon Says" has come to an end. We thank Principal Poon for taking the time to share with us in-depth and interesting insights, and we hope that the interviews have helped you to learn more about our school. We look forward to the opportunity to exchange ideas with Principal Poon again in the future. Goodbye for now!