Values in Action! is the name of the outstanding character education work of Gene Bedley. Gene has been one of America’s exceptional leaders in the character education field for many years.

One of the many publications produced by Values in Action! is Essential Ethics Education for Teens. In the workbook Gene has produced his Rules for Responsible Students. I believe they’re outstanding. I am sure you will agree. Here they are:

Rule 1: Making responsible choices means that I live with the consequences of my choices and I relinquish the alternatives.

Rule 2: If you make the wrong choice and find yourself in a hole, stop digging!

Rule 3: Do better today than you did yesterday.

Rule 4: Recognize that your feelings can lie to you and cause severe damage to you and your family.

Rule 5: Reject Rejection!

Rule 6: Be happy when you can manage it. Happiness is a feeling you get expecting the feeling you want.

Rule 7: Consider assisting and helping others as an avenue for discovering your own self-worth.

Rule 8: Always evaluate respect by the ways you want your best friend treated.

Rule 9: Be self-disciplined.

Rule 10: See setbacks and mistakes as only temporary. Recognize that they can teach you what to do in the future.

If you’re a parent of a teen, you might want to find a visible spot on your refrigerator door for Gene’s top ten responsibility rules. If you’re a teacher of teens, they represent a great handout to your students for this coming fall. By the way, they’re quite helpful for us, adults, as well!

If you’re interested in learning more about Gene Bedley’s work and Values in Action!, go on the Character Education Center website at www.ethicsusa.com. You will experience a wealth of excellent information on character education.

Russell Williams is President of Passkeys Foundation~Jefferson Center for Character Education. For more information contact 949.770-7602 or www.jeffersoncenter.org.

Passkeys Foundation~Jefferson Center for Character Education

P.O. Box 4137, Mission Viejo, CA 92690-4137

– Russell T. Williams – Article 63