52 Character Building Thoughts for Children By Leah Davies, M.Ed.

The following quotes may be used in a variety of ways by both teachers and counselors. One idea is for a thought to be posted, read, and discussed at the beginning of each week. It could then be read daily with the students. At the end of the week ask them what they learned or how the thought applied to their lives or activities during the week. Have the children give written or oral examples, or have them draw a picture to illustrate their ideas. 1. How I look is not as important as how I act. 2. I treat others the way I want them to treat me. 3. I am a good sport; I follow the rules, take turns and play fair. 4. It is okay to laugh at funny things, but not to laugh at others. 5. I do not gossip; if I cannot say anything helpful, I do not say anything at all. 6. When I am sad, I help myself feel better by thinking of things that are good in my life. 7. In order to have friends, I must act in a kind way. 8. I believe that I am someone who can do important things. 9. What I say and how I say it tells others the kind of person I am. 10. I appreciate my family, my teachers, and my school. 11. I treat everyone with respect. 12. When I listen, I show others that I care about them. 13. I am being a good citizen when I volunteer to help others. 14. I think for myself and make smart choices that are good for me. 15. Each day offers a new start to do my best. 16. I try to understand what my friends are feeling. 17. Everyone makes mistakes, so instead of getting angry with myself, I try to do better.

18. I do not give up; I keep trying until I can do my work. 19. Sharing with others makes me feel good and makes them feel good too. 20. I work out my problems without hurting myself or others. 21. I am being polite when I wait for my turn and say please and thank you. 22. When I smile at people, they usually smile back. 23. I encourage my friends to do their best. 24. My values guide me to do what is right. 25. I am honest; I do not cheat or steal. 26. When I am angry, I use self-control and do not hurt others. 27. I am being creative when I dance, draw, paint or write a poem or story. 28. I say, "No!" to things that could hurt my body like tobacco and alcohol. 29. When I do what I say I will do, I am being responsible. 30. I am grateful for what I have, so I share with others. 31. I try to learn something new each day. 32. When things do not go my way, I stop and think of what I can do to make them better. 33. I do not make fun of other children because I don't know what their life is like. 34. I feel successful when I do my best. 35. Everyone has good and bad feelings. 36. I take care of myself by eating healthy food, exercising and getting enough rest. 37. I am being punctual when I am on time and do not keep people waiting. 38. When I cooperate with others, I get more done. 39. I follow the rules and try to make my school a better place. 40. I like to get to know children who are different from me. 41. Since I tell the truth, my friends trust me. 42. I look for what is good in others and I say what I like about them. 43. I buy only what I need and I save my money.

44. When I use my time wisely, there is usually enough time to do what I want to do. 45. I think before I act; how I act affects how others treat me. 46. Using manners helps me keep my friends. 47. I have courage to stand up for children who are teased. 48. Before I do something, I ask myself, "Is it safe?" 49. I am me -- I do not try to be like someone else. 50. I care about living things on earth so I recycle and do not litter. 51. When I write down what I think and feel, I learn about myself. 52. I plan ahead and think about what I want to do when I grow up.

PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER Deklarasi ASPEN (dalam Brooks, 2001) mengemukakan adanya nilai-nilai yang perlu dikaji dan dijadikan barometer serta fokus pendidikan karakter ada 6 nilai ethik utama (core ethical value) yang meliputi: (1) dapat dipercaya (trustworthy) meliputi sifat jujur (honesty) dan integritas (integrity), (2) dapat memperlakukan orang lain dengan hormat (treats people with respect), (3) bertanggung jawab (responsible), (4) adil (fair), (5) kasih sayang (caring), dan (6) warga negara yang baik (good citizen). Dari enam pilar karakter tersebut, dijabarkan menjadi 52 nilai karakter (indikator) yang perlu diajarkan kepada anak. Sejalan dengan itu, nilai-nilai etika yang dikembangkan Josephson Institute of Ethics (2005: 7-12 ) terjabar dalam buku Making Ethical Decisions, menjelaskan adanya enam pilar karakter yaitu: (1) trustworthiness, (2) respect, (3) responsibility, (4) fairness, (5) caring, and (6) citizenship. Selanjutnya Lewis A. Barbara (2004) dalam bukunya Character Building For Children mengemukakan adanya 10 pilar karakter yang terjabar menjadi 56 indikator nilai. Sepuluh pilar tersebut adalah: (1) peduli, (2) sadar akan hidup berkomunitas, (3) mau bekerja sama, (4) adil, (5) rela memaafkan, (6) jujur, (7) menjaga hubungan, (8) hormat terhadap sesama, (9) bertanggung jawab, dan (10) mengutamakan keselamatan. Sangat mirip dengan apa yang dikemukakan Linda di atas, Diane Tillman (2004: xvi) menguraikan dalam bukunya Living Value activities for Children Ages 3-7, tentang adanya 11 pilar karakter yang terdiri dari: (1) kedamaian, (2) penghargaan, (3) cinta, (4) tanggung jawab, (5) kebahagiaan, (6) kerjasama, (7) kejujuran, (8) kerendahan hati, (9) toleransi, (10) kesederhanaan, dan (11) persatuan. Pilar-pilar tersebut kemudian dijabarkan pada cara-cara mengajarkannya masing-masing pilar tersbut kepada anak.

Tanpa menunjukkan adanya perbedaan prinsip Megawangi (2005: 95) merangkum berbagai teori dan menuangkannya dalam sembilan pilar karakter meliputi: (1)

cinta Tuhan dengan segala ciptaannya (love Allah, trust, reverence, loyalty), (2) kemandirian dan tanggung jawab (responsibility, excellence, self reliance, dicipline, orderliness), (3) kejujuran, amanah dan bijaksana (trustworthiness,reliability and honesty), (4) hormat dan santun (respect, courtessy, obedience), (5) dermawan suka menolong dan gotong royong (love compassion, caring empathy, generousity, moderation, cooperation), (6). percaya diri kreatif dan pekerja keras (confidence, assertiveness, creativity, resourcefullness, courage, determination, and enthusiasm), (7) kepemimpinan dan keadilan (justice, fairness, mercy, leadership, (8) baik dan rendah hati (kindness, friendliness, humility, modesty), dan (9) toleransi, kedamaian dan persatuan (tolerance, flexibility, peacefullness, unity).

Terkait dengan pendidikan karakter dan pembentukan akhlak mulia ini, Pemerintah telah pula memberikan respon positif dengan digulirkannya Kebijakan Nasional Pembangunan Karakter Bangsa yang berisi tentang arah kebijakan, kerangka dasar, tahapan serta strategi yang digunakan dalam pembangunan karakter bangsa. Kebijakan yang terkait dengan strategi pembangunan karakter bangsa melalui pendidikan, telah ditindak lanjuti oleh Kementerian Pendidikan Nasional dengan berbagai pedoman dan bahan pelatihan tentang penguatan metode pembelajaran berdasar nilai-nilai budaya untuk membentuk daya saing dan karakter bangsa. Dalam materi pelatihan tersebut juga digambarkan bahwa pendidikan karakter yang dikembangkan melalui jalur pendidikan akan melingkupi pengetahuan, sikap dan perilaku terkait dengan nilai nilai moral (moral knowing, moral feeling, dan moral doing). Nilai yang perlu dikembangkan memalui pendidikan formal di sekolah terdiri dari 18 yaitu (1) religius, (2) jujur, (3) toleransi, (4) disiplin,(5) kerja keras, (6) kreatif, (7) mandiiri, (8) demokratis, (9) rasa ingintahu, (10) semangat kebangsaan (11) cinta tanah air, (12) menghargai prestasi, (13) bersahabat, (14) cinta damai, (15) gamar membaca, (16) peduli lingkungan, (17) peduli sosial, dan (18) tanggungjawab. Selanjutnya pemetaan nilai-nilai baik-buruk dan benar-salah, diklasifikasikan menjadi lima yaitu (1)

nilai-nilai yang terkait dengan hubungan manusia dengan Tuhan YME, (2) nilainilai yang terkait dengan adab terhadap diri sendiri, (3) Nilai-nilai tentang hubungan dengan sesama, (4) nilai-nilai kebangsaan, dan (5) nilai-nilai yang terkait dengan lingkungan (Kemendiknas, 2010: 148).