CENTER – First grade teacher Lindsay Stillwagon was all smiles when talking about the Super Student program that K-5 classrooms are using in the Center Consolidated School District. 

“It’s a great program,” Stillwagon said. “Each week one student is recognized from each classroom. This month we are working on the character responsibility, last month we worked on respect. Each month we have a different habit of character because we want to focus on the whole child. We want to showcase that side of each student.” 

Stillwagon said the Super Students are called to the office over the intercom and receive a prize and a certificate. 

“The students really enjoy it, and they work hard for it too,” she said.  

Stillwagon explained that the ways in which the habit of character is taught to students begins each morning and continues throughout the day. She said she intentionally teaches the habit during the morning circle time, and each student is encouraged every morning during circle time to learn the habit of character for the month. 

“We talk to the students about what it means to be responsible. The kids then get to go around and talk about when they use that word, or if they caught someone else being responsible and what they saw them doing. They encourage each other by saying, ‘you are doing a good job, I caught you,’” she said. 

Stillwagon said as part of an incentive for the kids to use the habit of character she has a poster in her classroom that she allows the kids to color when they show responsibility. 

“I have a poster up there that the kids are coloring. If I catch the kids being responsible or respectful I will tell them to go color a piece, that way they are all trying to earn something, by being able to color in the whole poster. Other teachers do different things, too,” Stillwagon said.  

Stillwagon explained that if the poster gets completely colored in the class has decided they want a pajama day. 

“The kids want to wear pajamas to school, so we are working toward that by coloring in the poster and using the habit of character of responsibility,” she said.  

Stillwagon said that each student has the chance to earn the Super Student status once a week, but they can also earn it multiple times. 

Stillwagon said that other habits of character that her students will also be learning will be honesty, integrity, perseverance, determination and several more. 

“This is our second year doing this. It has been successful. We have been seeing kids showing these great habits of character,” she said.  

Stillwagon said that the main goals for the children in using these habits of character are to go into the world, and into their other classrooms and use these habits of characters in their everyday lives. 

“We are trying to teach the whole child about being a good person. It’s important for them to learn young and to build on that for the rest of their lives,” Stillwagon said.