The Virtues Project Friday Evening 7.00 pm
As a teacher in a local primary school I have been using the Virtues Project for about 12 years. I`ve found it invaluable in creating a culture of character. If you have never heard of the Virtues Project please go to www.virtuesproject.com where you will get an overview. For information on the virtues project in the UK please click The Virtues Project in Cornwall
This is the Virtues Box, it`s a way of encouraging my class to see the virtues in each other.
The children are encouraged to look for classmates demonstrating a virtue , and then they post a `Virtues Voucher `for that person `Virtues Vouchers` can be found in The `Virtues Project : Educators Guide` which I highly recommend .You can purchase this book at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Virtues-Project-Educator-Culture-Character/dp/188039684X/ref=sr_11_1/026-0343235-1345215?ie=UTF8 .
Virtues are the essence of the human spirit and the content of our character. They are more universal than values- values are often cultural, or even specific to a family, and they are not always shared by everyone else.
This is our schools Virtues Tree -every Monday we have a whole school assembly based on a Virtue, and then a Virtue Leaf is added to the tree
Virtues in Tom's name. Try it with your own name!
Once we have taught a class a particular virtue.. let's say for instance `flexibility ` then we look to see them practising it -giving a verbal acknowledgement " Good flexibility Fred!" . When someone has done something wrong then we look on it as 'a teachable moment` and we give a virtue correction " Fred what virtue could you use the next time you have a disagreement over sharing something with Bill?"
This is Mica at home doing a roleplay on the virtue of confidence.
Roleplay is much more interesting than listening to an adult. Once you have given a simple definition of the virtue from the guide let them roleplay using it in different scenarios . It's also great fun to do `with the virtue` and `without the virtue` roleplays
We`ve found it useful to take our Friday evening Virtues club out as a change. Here we all are
playing a warm up game
It`s been a revelation to us how much better the Friday evening classes go when they are run or facilitated by an older youth. Bonnie often runs our Friday night and she is 14. Mica at 10 yrs has also taught a class of her own age. Of course we are always hovering in the next room to give support>
Another learning point for us was to include the sacred word in our Friday night classes. We sent home to the parents a sheet with the prayers we were going to use explaining that we wanted to have a little quiet time at the start of the class and would they have any objections. What works really well is letting the children/junior youth set up the room with flowers ,candles so that they feel ownership of their sacred space.