Ethics cuts across the culture at school

It doesn't feel like winter, but the Winter Fridays program at Parker keeps us grounded in the season.  In kindergarten through 8, students choose a variety of activities from swimming, dance, skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing.  Mixed age groups head out on six successive Friday afternoons to learn something new, build confidence and have fun.  The dedication of teachers and parent chaperones makes the program work.

Our teachers have had training from the Institute for Global Ethics and we receive their e-newsletters.  This is a list of their recommendations for building an ethical school culture.  I think we are doing pretty well!


7 ways to make ethics a cross-cutting dimension of your school culture:

1. Emphasize play.
2. Recognize and embrace the individuality of learners.
3. Ask “why” as often as possible.
4. Explicitly teach self-reflection.
5. Encourage personalized learning experiences in place of “one size fits all.”
6. Plan carefully for each individual learner.
7. Avoid standardized content—it’s an invitation to cheat.