Midterm Teaching Character 19/20
Question 1
Please fill in the blank from this quotation (referenced in the first video of the course)
"...Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed
to _______ them.” -- James Baldwin.
Your Answer
Imitate
Heed
Ignore
Make fun of
Question 2
What is a "fragile thoroughbred?"
Your Answer
Students that are generally in lower grades who exhibit a lack of self control
Any high achiever
A high achieving student who enrolls in a school's most challenging classes
A high achieving student who succeeds easily and has never experienced failure
Question 3
What is PERMA?
Your Answer
Dr. Martin Seligman says that PERMA is the state of being when a person is
floundering.
PERMA is an acronym coined by Dr. Martin Seligman to refer to the five aspects of a
life well lived.
PERMA is the key to happiness according to Dr. Martin Seligman.
Question 4
Which of the following best summarizes the relationship between positive institutions,
character strengths and PERMA?
Your Answer
PERMA is a state of being that can only be experienced in positive institutions that
facilitate character.
Innate character strengths can be maintained by PERMA and positive institutions.
Positive institutions help facilitate the development of character strengths, which in turn
help facilitate positive experiences, which in their turn help develop PERMA.
Character strengths, positive experiences, and positive institutions are all part of
PERMA.
Question 5
Which of the following is not a character strength, as identified by Dr. Martin Seligman & Dr.
Chris Peterson?
Your Answer
Wit
Self-control
Curiosity
Hope/Optimism
Gratitude
Grit
Question 6
Which of the following is NOT a "ripple of optimism" as discussed by Dr. Martin Seligman in
Week One?
Your Answer
People who are optimistic have better health.
People who are optimistic are better liked.
People who are optimistic achieve more.
People who are optimistic try harder.
People who are optimistic are less likely to get angry.
Question 7
Complete the following statement as spoken by Dr. Angela Duckworth: "We know that
character skills like ______ & ______ are not entirely genetic…"
Your Answer
Grit, zest
Optimism, self-control
Social intelligence, grit
Grit, self-control
Question 8
Dr. Angela Duckworth talks about how to use practice to improve. Which of the following is
NOT an attribute of practice as defined by Dr. Duckworth?
Your Answer
Practice matters a lot in helping people achieve their goals
Practice requires feedback
Practice should be difficult
Practice should always help people feel that they are getting closer to achieving their
goals
Question 9
According to Dr. Walter Mischel, what is the impact of toxic stress on a young person?
Your Answer
In an environment of toxic stress, people tend to display more grit in response to the
stress. This helps children learn despite the stressful environment.
In an environment of toxic stress, people are not responsible for their own actions and
therefore children never learn the consequences of their actions.
In an environment of toxic stress, people are unable to cool, or control, their hot
emotions. This undermines children's natural inclination to learn.
In an environment of toxic stress, a person's immune system begins to weaken. In this
state, it's more difficult for children to fight off illness.
Question 10
According to Dr. Walter Mischel, what's the ideal age for teaching self-control to children?
Your Answer
Any time during adolescence
Self-control is a fixed trait. As such, it can be tempered but not taught.
Before 5 years old
Between 4-8 years old
Question 11
Which of the following statements does NOT apply to Daniel Kahneman's research about
micro-moments?
Your Answer
Taken as a whole, an experience can be recalled by actively remembering either its
beginning or its very end.
People remember the good and the bad micro-moments, but usually forget the neutral
ones.
Micro-moments are tiny moments in time in, usually only a few seconds long.
We combine all of the micro-moments from an experience, and thus we are able to make
meaning from that experience.
Question 12
Listen to this audio recording from a 5th grade class.
If the audio file does not play, click here to access. You can also access a transcript here.
Is the teacher in this audio clip being destructive or constructive, based on the constructive
responding grid?
Your Answer
Destructive
Constructive
Question 13
Students in this class are reading about the poet, Phillis Wheatley. Listen to the description of
the character that the student provides.
If audio file above does not play, click here to access. You can also access a transcript here.
To what character strength could the teacher connect these behaviors?
Your Answer
Social Intelligence
Curiosity
Zest
Grit
Question 14
Watch the below video. If you don't have access to YouTube, you can watch the video here.
You can also access a transcript here.
The teacher's response, "Exactly" is clearly a constructive response to the student, and her
smile probably makes this active constructive. How could the teacher make her response even
more active for this student?
Your Answer
The teacher could tell the student how her response correctly answered the
question.
The teacher could have responded to the student in a quieter voice.
The teacher could have used the word "good" instead of "excellent."
The teacher could have complimented the whole group, not just the student who Inorrect
answered.
Question 15
Watch the below video. This question and the next question are based on this video. If you
don't have access to YouTube, you can watch the video here. You can also access a transcript
here.
It’s time to take a quiz on “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but the five students at
this table didn’t complete the reading. In giving these students feedback, the teacher is talking
about grit and growth mindset to encourage the students to complete their reading
assignments. Which quote and explanation best explain how the teacher is using growth
mindset?
Your Answer
The teacher says, "This is a book that we're all going to read. No matter what, we're
going to read it." Here, she is teaching her students that focusing on effort helps maintain a
growth mindset, which helps you achieve your goals.
The teacher says, "So when you don't understand something, you can do two things..."
Here, she is teaching her students how to use good strategies to maintain a growth mindset.
The teacher says, "Why didn't you read the whole thing?" Here, she is teaching her
students how to proactively seek help when they need it. This helps maintain a growth
mindset and keeps you from giving up.
Question 16
Refer to the video in question #15. At 52 seconds, the teacher says, "It's a zero." She wants to
help her students improve at certain character behaviors. Which of the below character
behaviors is she NOT focusing on in this moment and this clip?
Your Answer
Showing appreciation for opportunities
Finishing whatever s/he began
Working hard even when s/he felt like quitting
Trying very hard even after experiencing failure
Question 17
In this audio clip, Kevin engages in a reading conference with one of his 1st grade students. In
the conference, he provides three separate pieces of feedback. Listen to the clip, then answer
the following three questions.
If the audio file does not play, click here to access. You can also access a transcript here.
Kevin's first section of feedback (from :00 to :47) is associated with which character strength?
Your Answer
Optimism
Zest
Self-control
Social Intelligence
Question 18
Refer to the audio clip in question #17. Kevin's second point of feedback (from :48 - 1:11)
compliments the student on her character voices. The ability to "approach new situations with
excitement and energy" is a behavior associated with which character strength?
Your Answer
Grit
Social Intelligence
Optimism
Curiosity
Gratitude
Zest
Question 19
Refer to the audio clip in question #17. In Kevin's last point of feedback (1:11 - end), he asks
the student to practice reading silently in order to increase her read rate. Ultimately, he tells
her that reading faster will help her raise her reading level. Why is this feedback illustrative of
being in a growth mindset?
Your Answer
Kevin encourages the student to stay motivated, even when things don't go perfectly.
Kevin wants the student to be able to find solutions during a physical conflict with
another student.
Kevin provides feedback that identifies a goal, teaches a new strategy to reach that goal,
and expresses confidence in a student's ability to reach that goal.
Kevin pushes the student to try very hard even after experiencing failure.
Question 20
What did you learn by comparing your VIA Character Strength scores against your
expectations for students? (If you haven't completed the VIA exercise, you can find the
directions here. Any written answer will receive credit on this question for this quiz. A similar
question also appears on the final assessment, and you can build on this answer when you
work on that assignment.)
that my own core values are Well represented in the student list.