Character Dare
The "Character Dare" idea began with a team of teachers and administrators to develop a character initiative at Belleville East High School. Our mission was to have the students and staff becomes more cognizant of how their actions may affect others, both positively and negatively. After permission was obtained from the author of "The Love Dare," we assimilated those principles by creating our own Character Dare to improve morale and encourage empathy. A challenge was sent out every other day. Day 1 was: Teaching is Patient: Although teaching is communicated in a number of ways, our words often reflect the condition of our heart. For today, resolve to demonstrate patience and to say nothing negative to your students or coworkers at all. If the temptation arises, choose to not say anything. It's better to hold your tongue than to say something you'll regret. After reading the Character Dare, faculty composed responses about how to accomplish the dare. When the 12 Character Dares were completed, our principal sent a similar 12-day dare to challenge the student body to reflect on development of their own character, to become more caring, compassionate citizens.