The first step to teaching any new character trait is simply to accentuate it to students. Many schools have found emphasizing a different character trait each month can be a successful as well as practical strategy. When everyone at the site is reinforcing and modeling the same trait, students are more likely to learn the new character trait. As each new character trait is introduced, a student campaign committee can start a blitz creating banners, signs, and posters to hang up around the school convincing the rest of the students of the trait's merit. An easy way to begin your lesson is to ask students to make posters about the trait.
Many sites introduce the trait at a school-wide assembly.
This is the time the staff describes the trait's value, and even presents a short skit about what the trait looks like. Each day, a staff or student writes a brief sentence describing the trait's benefits on the central screen saver. The second step to teaching a character trait is to convey to students exactly what the trait means and why it is important to learn. Explain the trait to your students' within their realm of experiences never assuming they've been exposed to the trait. Many have not.