Before the first session
- Read the four sample sessions and choose the one that fits your class first. The order is not fixed.
- Tell students plainly that nothing here is graded and no answer is reported to anyone.
- Send the parent letter home in the week before you begin.
The session template
| Phase | Minutes | What the teacher does |
|---|---|---|
| Situation | 5 | Read the situation once. Resist explaining it. |
| Private choice | 5 | Every student writes what they would actually do. No discussion. |
| Pooling | 10 | Collect answers anonymously and sort them on the board. |
| The idea | 10 | Name the one idea the session turns on. |
| The act | 10 | Agree one small act for the week and write it where it will be seen. |
Parent letter (copy and adapt)
Dear parent or guardian,
This term our class begins PSR, Personal Social Responsibility: a short weekly session on character, developed by the Institute of Goodness.
There is no grade, no test and no report on your child. Each week the class works through one real situation and agrees one small act to practise. You may hear about these at home; that is the point.
You are welcome to ask to see the material at any time. It is also published openly at instituteofgoodness.org.
With warm regards,
The class teacher
Common difficulties
"Students say what they think I want." Keep the private-choice phase silent and anonymous. Read pooled answers without comment.
"One student dominates." Pool answers in writing before anyone speaks. The board, not the loudest voice, sets the agenda.
"It turns into a lecture." End every session on an act, not a conclusion. If the class cannot name the act, the session is not finished.
"Parents ask if this is religious." It is not. PSR practises everyday values (integrity, responsibility, compassion, respect and stewardship) that people of every faith, and of none, can share.