Schools and school systems in more than 25 states have benefited from staff development and "how to" workshops in character education from Dr. Philip Fitch Vincent.
Dr. Philip Vincent "...knows children; he knows schools; he knows his theory, he also knows how to put them all together."
—Dr. Kevin Ryan, Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character, Boston University.
Through character education, educators can play a vital role not only in developing better students, but in developing better people.
Dr. Philip Fitch Vincent, Director of the Character Development Group, brings more than 20 years of experience to his work in character education. Read on, and discover how he and CDG can help you build schools where staff and students are guided by civility and bound together by caring, responsibility, and mutual respect.
Dr. Philip Fitch Vincent and the Character Development Group can provide your school with workshops and staff development resources founded on insight and experience. We will help you
- cultivate respect, responsibility and caring in your school or classroom,
- enable your students to include character on their diplomas when they graduate into the working world
- help your colleagues feel fulfilled by the work they have chosen!
Dr. Vincent's approach to character education fosters school civility by structuring the student experience around certain key concepts. These concepts provide a "moral compass" for students, guiding them in their choice of behavior and attitudes. As Dr. Vincent says, "Character education helps young people to know, love and do the good."
Five concepts guide and structure a meaningful character education program:
- RULES AND PROCEDURES — As Harry Wong reminds us, the problems in our schools are not the result of a lack of rules but of a lack of procedures.
- COOPERATIVE LEARNING — It is not just a nicety: it is essential for both social and intellectual development. Well-designed cooperative learning activities give students the chance to develop vital skills for succeeding in real life.
- TEACHING FOR THINKING — What are the thinking skills needed to master the curriculum and prepare for life? What guidelines can help students analyze ideas and determine the right thing to do.
- QUALITY LITERATURE — Doesn't it make sense that if we want our students to develop character, we should include readings which reinforce moral lessons?
- SERVICE LEARNING — Students must engage in service learning both inside and outside the school environment.
Character education works: School systems across the country have implemented effective character education elements and have seen the results: a more civil school, fewer absentees, and higher grade averages.
Thousands of organizations, associations and community groups across the United States have been enlightened and entertained by Dr. Vincent's witty yet incisive keynote presentations.
The Character Education Series from Dr. Vincent, along with the Character Development Group's staff development materials, can give any school system or teacher, parent, counselor or parent-teacher organization a head start. CDG publishes insightful materials on how to instill character through
- classroom activity and instruction
- community action and support
- a focus on character education in the home.
