A Teacher's Journey: How Character Counts + Kindness 101 Transforms My Classroom Each Year

My Name is Sean Taylor, and This is My 26-Year Story

After 26 years of teaching in Arizona's diverse classrooms, I've learned that textbooks and test scores only tell part of the education story. My journey through self-contained cross-categorical classes, kindergarten, 4th grade, and most recently 6th grade has taught me something profound: nothing matters if the kids aren't grounded in character first.

Like my colleague Derek Brown in Phoenix says, "Math, English, reading, writing — nothing matters if the kids aren't grounded and good." That statement resonates deeply with my experience across Arizona's varied educational landscape.

The Reality of Today's Classrooms: A SILENT REBELLION 

Let me be honest about what I've witnessed over my 26-year career. When I started teaching, kids came to school with different challenges. But the 6th graders I face today struggle immensely with social-emotional intelligence, executive function, and basic empathy toward each other. The screen time crisis is real—many of my students are exposed to over four hours daily, and I see the impact:

• Delayed social-emotional skills • Difficulty with face-to-face communication • Reduced empathy and emotional regulation • Challenges with fine motor development • An alarming lack of connection to their peers

In my diverse classrooms, I've worked with students from every imaginable background—different socioeconomic levels, various cultural identities, and vastly different levels of emotional intelligence and family support. What I've discovered is that character education isn't a luxury—it's a necessity.

In today's world of AI and endless distractions, building character, building ohana, building Ubuntu has become more critical than ever. We need that human connection more than we ever have before.

The Search for Solutions

Early in my career, I tried various approaches. Behavior charts, token economies, consequence systems—they all had limited success. Students would follow rules but weren't developing the internal compass they needed to make good choices when no one was watching.

Then I discovered the powerful combination of Character Counts and Steve Hartman's Kindness 101, and everything changed.

Character Counts: The Framework That Works

Character Counts gave my classroom what we desperately needed—a common language and consistent framework. The Six Pillars became our classroom constitution:

• Trustworthiness (Blue): In my cross-categorical classes, building trust was essential for students with diverse learning needs • Respect (Yellow): Critical for my kindergarteners learning to interact with peers • Responsibility (Green): Game-changing for 4th graders developing independence • Fairness (Orange): Essential for my 6th graders navigating complex social dynamics • Caring (Red): The foundation for building empathy in all my students • Citizenship (Purple): Teaching students to be community builders, not just rule followers

Having taught every level from kindergarten through 6th grade, I can testify that these pillars are developmentally appropriate at every age—you just adjust the conversation to meet them where they are.

Kindness 101: Stories That Transform Hearts

Then came Steve Hartman's Kindness 101, and suddenly I had the perfect complement to Character Counts. These 3-5 minute "On the Road" segments aren't just videos—they're windows into the human heart.

I'll never forget showing my struggling 4th graders the story about the teenager who befriended a lonely classmate. One of my students, John, who typically showed zero empathy, quietly said afterward, "Maybe I should check on David. He sits alone every day."

That's the power of real stories about real people demonstrating real character.

The Research Backs What I See Daily

Recent studies confirm what I've witnessed firsthand. Research published in PMC shows that character strengths like perseverance, prudence, self-regulation, hope, and social intelligence directly correlate with both positive classroom behavior and academic achievement. In my experience:

• 6 of 12 character strengths measurably impact school success • Character development improves classroom behavior, which then enhances academic achievement • Students need both the cognitive framework (Character Counts) and emotional engagement (Kindness 101)

This isn't soft skills fluff—this is hard data supporting what transforms classrooms.

My Implementation Strategy: Morning Meetings with Purpose—A Global Perspective

Over my 26 years, I've refined my approach to character education, drawing inspiration from educational practices around the world. As an educator who studied multicultural education in Sweden, I've always been fascinated by how different communities start their mornings. In Hawaii, teachers and students go out onto the lawn and sing and chant to each other as a morning ritual and greeting. Many schools and communities worldwide start with music, uplifting announcements, and community building.

The Daily Ritual: From Edelweiss to Kindness

My morning meetings have always started with a song—usually "Edelweiss" from The Sound of Music. This tradition has been the heartbeat of our classroom community for years. When "The Leader in Me" books came out in 2008, we began incorporating story reading into our routine. We also read fairy tales to teach social-emotional intelligence, using these timeless narratives to explore complex emotions and moral choices.

The morning meeting has always been grounded in trying to build empathy and community, usually through read-alouds. Eventually, this evolved to include Steve Hartman's "On the Road" segments, but there's always been this core mission: to build that connection, that ohana, that Ubuntu that is so desperately needed.

Every morning, we gather for our community circle. I start with connection—our traditional song or greeting—then we dive into our character story. A Kindness 101 video provides the emotional hook, then we connect it to one of the Six Pillars using our common vocabulary.

Age-Appropriate Applications

• Kindergarten: Simple stories, big feelings, concrete actions ("How can we show caring today?") • 4th Grade: Complex scenarios, peer problem-solving, leadership opportunities • 6th Grade: Abstract thinking, personal reflection, community action planning • Cross-Categorical: Individualized connections, peer support systems, strength-based character development

Real-World Results in My Classroom

The transformation I've witnessed is remarkable:

Behavioral Changes:

• My 6th graders went from constant conflicts to peer mediation • Kindergarteners learned to include rather than exclude • Cross-categorical students found ways to support each other's unique needs • Bullying incidents dropped dramatically across all my classes

Academic Improvements:

• Better focus during lessons (character builds self-regulation) • Increased collaboration during group work • Students willing to take academic risks in a supportive environment • Higher engagement because students feel valued and connected

Social-Emotional Growth:

• Students developed emotional vocabulary to express feelings • Conflict resolution became a teachable skill, not just a consequence • Empathy grew through exposure to diverse stories and perspectives • Leadership emerged as students saw themselves as community builders

Addressing the Challenges

"We Don't Have Time for This"

I hear this constantly. Here's my response: You can't afford NOT to do this. When students lack character, you spend all day managing behavior instead of teaching. The 3-5 minutes invested in Kindness 101 saves hours of disruption management.

"Parents Should Teach This"

In my diverse Arizona classrooms, many parents are working multiple jobs, dealing with language barriers, or struggling with their own challenges. Some students come from homes rich in character modeling, others don't. School might be the only place many of my students encounter systematic character development. We can't control what happens at home, but we can control what happens in our classroom.

"This Seems Too Idealistic"

My tough 6th graders taught me that idealism isn't naivety—it's necessity. These kids live in a harsh world. They need to know that kindness isn't weakness, that character isn't outdated, and that they have the power to choose who they become.

The Ohana Effect: Building Ubuntu in the Classroom

In my classroom, we don't just learn about character—we become a family bound by shared values. The Hawaiian concept of ohana and the African philosophy of Ubuntu perfectly capture what happens when Character Counts and Kindness 101 work together:

• Everyone belongs: From my highest achievers to my most struggling learners • We celebrate differences: My diverse students learn that variety strengthens our community • We support each other: Peer tutoring becomes peer caring • We share common values: The Six Pillars become our family principles

We have all these opportunities to build the most important thing, especially in today's world with AI and all the distractions—building character, building ohana, building Ubuntu.

The Long View: Creating Citizens of Character

After 26 years, I've learned that education isn't just about preparing students for the next grade—it's about preparing them for life. The combination of Character Counts and Kindness 101 creates students who:

• Value themselves and others as inherently worthy • Understand that character is a choice they make every day • See themselves as problem solvers and community builders • Possess the emotional resilience to navigate challenges • Demonstrate grace, courtesy, and respect as natural behaviors

My Challenge to Fellow Educators

If you're struggling with classroom management, if your students lack empathy, if you're tired of behavior battles overshadowing learning—try this combination. Join the 30,000+ educators in the Kindness 101 Teachers Facebook group. Access the free curriculum on the Character Counts website.

Don't just teach standards—teach character. Don't just prepare students for tests—prepare them for life.

The Evidence is Clear

The research supports it. The testimonials prove it. My 26 years of experience confirm it: When you combine a 30-year-proven character education framework with the systematic integration of inspiring real-world stories, you create transformative learning environments.

What teachers have been doing informally for decades—connecting human interest stories to character development through fairy tales, read-alouds, and community songs—now has the structure and support it deserves. Students don't just learn about character—they live it, breathe it, and become it.

In Arizona's diverse classrooms, with students facing unprecedented challenges in an age of digital distraction and artificial intelligence, this combination isn't just good teaching—it's essential teaching. Because at the end of the day, what our students remember isn't the worksheet they completed or the test they passed. What they remember is how we made them feel, how we helped them grow, and how we showed them their potential to make the world better.

That's the true power of Character Counts + Kindness 101—30 years of proven framework meeting decades of teacher innovation in storytelling, song, and community building. That's the powerhouse combination that transforms not just classrooms, but lives.

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Sean Taylor has taught in Arizona public schools for 26 years, working with students from kindergarten through 6th grade in diverse, inclusive environments. He is passionate about character education and building classroom communities where every student thrives. His multicultural education studies in Sweden have informed his global perspective on community-building practices in education.