[LM_NET] Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire

[Shayne Russell <shayne.russell@GMAIL.COM>]

Hi Everyone,
Several teachers from my school are reading *Teach Like Your Hair’s on
Fire*by Rafe Esquith as part of a summer book club and discussing it
online using
a Ning.  In chapter two, Esquith talks about Lawrence Kohlberg’s Six Levels
of Moral Development and how he uses this as a behavior model in his
classroom.  For some of the levels, particularly Level 6, he gives examples
of characters from literature or film whose behavior represents that level.
We’d like to introduce the 6 levels to our students (5th – 8th graders) in
September and would like to work on compiling examples for each level from
books and movies (or real life!) that kids would relate to.  These are the 6
levels as described by Esquith:

*Level 1.  “I don’t want to get in trouble.”*
Behavior is guided by fear and a desire to stay out of trouble.
*Level II. “I want a reward.”*
We need to show kids that proper behavior is expected, not rewarded.
*Level III. “I want to please somebody.”*
That’s nice, but we can do better.
*Level IV. “Follow the rules.”*
If you do the right thing just because it’s a rule, will you still do the
right thing outside the classroom?  Many heroes throughout history are
remembered today because they broke the rules.  Martin Luther King, Gandhi,
Rosa Parks…  They need to think beyond level 4—the classroom chart will not
always be there.
*Level V.  “I am considerate of other people.”*
Empathy.  Example:  Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird: “You never
really understand a person until you consider things from his point of
view.”
*Level VI. “I have a personal code of behavior and I follow it.”* (the
Atticus Finch level)
Cannot be modeled, but Esquith shows this level to students through
literature and films.
Examples:
Phineas in *A Separate Peace* by John Knowles
Bernard in *Death of a Salesman* by Arthur Miller
Will Kane, played by Gary Cooper in *High Noon *
Morgan Freeman’s character in *Shawshank Redemption
*
If you’d like to join us in this project, and/or tap into the examples
generated, here’s our workspace: http://6levels.pbworks.com/
I expect it will take my group of teachers a little while to really get
going on this.  I’m at a loss for examples myself right now, but if you
think of anything, jump right in!!  You are also welcome to join our book
discussion at http://omsummereading.ning.com/ .

-- 
Ms. Shayne Russell
Library Media Specialist
Kenneth R. Olson Middle School
Tabernacle, NJ
shayne.russell@gmail.com
http://inforetriever.net

"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments,
but what is woven into the lives of others."  --Pericles

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