Although she’s not in the classroom all day like most teachers, Bethany Buller still remains a large part of a child’s educational experience. Buller is one of three character coaches in the Hanford Elementary School District.

On a day-to-day basis you can expect her to either be in the classroom teaching kids about what it means to have good character or in her office waiting for the children to find her.

“It’s all about the kids,” Buller said.

She’s assigned to Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. and Roosevelt elementary schools.

Four years ago the school district was looking for a way to start a character education program and incorporate that program into the everyday classroom curriculum.

After receiving a four-year grant from Project CARE to start a program, the district decided upon Character Counts!.

“We picked this program not only because it is the most widely used program in the nation, but also because our junior high and high schools were using it,” said Buller, who is classroom teacher who took a three-day training course to become a character coach. “We thought this particular program would make for the most seamless transition from elementary school to the upper levels of education.”

Standing as the foundation of the program, Character Counts! teaches children the six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

“We feel that if we can incorporate the ideas of those characteristics into our curriculum and into our regular content, then our students would not only be getting their academics, but also increasing their knowledge on morals and ethics,” Buller said. “The kids have taken to it really well and we have had such a great amount of success with it.”

After the first year of the program, student citations dropped from 1,486 to 1,121; in addition, chronic offenders (15 plus citations) numbered 25 in year one of the program and dropped to 17 in year two, Buller said.

“There has been so much growth among our students (regarding) what good character is,” Buller said. “This program has allowed life-changing conversations to happen — we’re teaching kids about what is really important in life, while still teaching the core academics.”

Although the program is geared toward students, Marla Yadon, a fourth-grade teacher at Martin Luther King, Jr. School, said the program has even taught her some valuable lessons on character.

“It’s a very self-aware program and even as an adult you can learn a lot.”

Though funding for the program will be up after this school year, Yadon said she is confident in the progress they have made thus far and is hopeful that the idea of character will be enforced for a long while to come.

“It has made a great impact on the school,” she said. “Beth has been able to create a foundation and from here on, I know that there will be a lot more talking about and a lot more awareness on character.”

There are no plans to apply to renew the grant, Buller said.

To celebrate character in students, local schools participated in National Character Counts! Week. For students, it meant a week full of dress-up and face paint.

“The week is just a time to recognize what the kids try and do every day,” Buller said.

“We do things like dress-up days, carnivals, plays and special extra things that help further encourage these traits in our students — it gives them a chance to just have a good time with the idea of character.”

The reporter can be reached at 583-2424.

(Oct. 30, 2009)