Founded in 1802, the United States Military Academy at West Point sits on the banks of the Hudson River about 50 miles north of New York City. West Point is a four-year military service academy. It is a hybrid of higher education and military training. On one hand, it has 13 academic departments and 37 academic majors of study with graduates receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree. On the other hand, West Point trains future Army officers and commissions Second Lieutenants into the US Army upon graduation.
Character Journal and Virtue Reflection
Each summer in late June, cadets arrive to start their 47-month experience. Their time at West Point starts with six weeks of military basic training prior to the start of the academic year in mid-August. We are trying something new at West Point this summer. As the new cadets arrive in the coming days for their six weeks of Cadet Basic Training, we are providing a journal that encourages them to reflect on character and virtue as they relate to their lives at West Point. Additionally, these new cadets have one hour scheduled for reflection after dinner each evening. This reflection hour is facilitated by their squad leader (a slightly more senior cadet).
The purpose of the character journal is to aid the cadet in reflecting on their own character and virtues by observing which virtues were the most influential throughout their day. The character journal provides instructions and a glossary that contains the definitions of 30 specific virtues representing five categories of virtues: moral, intellectual, civic, performance, and military. The instructions recommend that each day the cadets read through the virtues listed in the glossary and decide which virtues were the most important in their experience of that day. There is a table provided in the journal that lists all 30 virtues for each day of the week. For their daily reflection, the cadets simply put a check mark in the boxes on the table that indicate the three most important virtues for that day. At the end of each week, the cadets engage in a more thorough reflection that involves several parts. First, they review their daily virtue table from the past week and select the three virtues that they demonstrated from the entire week which were most important to their success and why. Next, cadets are asked which three virtues they intend to focus on for the next week and why. Finally, there is a section for the cadets to reflect on any virtue failures that week. Cadets are encouraged to write down reasons why they think the failures occurred and consider how they might succeed in the future.
They can write as little or as much as they feel comfortable but must complete the reflection section weekly. Cadets are encouraged to be as open and honest as possible in completing their journals. What they write in their journals is for the cadet’s reflection alone. No one will see their journal unless they choose to share. The journal instructions clearly state, and the squad leaders reinforce, the privacy of the character journals.
Why Journals and Reflections?
There is a considerable amount of academic literature on the importance of reflection in character education and virtue formation. Much of this literature focuses on reflection within the context of higher education. The Jubilee Centre (2020; 8) points out that ‘taught’ and ‘caught’ methods of character education (such as directed habituation and emulation) are important in school aged adolescents, but the “focus at the university level turns to character ‘sought’ through the student’s own critical thinking and reflection.” The Jubilee Centre further points out that, “while habituation is foundational, the emphasis in higher education, where students are mature adults, must be on rational, reflective and self-directed habituation rather than the kinds of copying suitable in earlier years.” Thus, especially when dealing with mature learners, reflection is a critical component because it helps facilitate the process whereby students seek virtue for themselves.
Lamb, Brant and Brooks (2021; 3-4) have identified seven methods of character development that can be applied in university contexts: “habituation through practice; reflection on personal experience; engagement with virtuous exemplars; dialogue that increases virtue literacy; conversations about situational variables; moral reminders that make norms salient; and friendships of mutual accountability.” Of Lamb, Brant & Brooks’ seven character development strategies, the cadet character journal utilizes three: habituation through practice, reflection on personal experience and awareness of situational variables. The Jubilee Centre and Lamb, Brant and Brooks are not the only scholars discussing the importance of reflection in developing practical wisdom. Lamb, Brant and Brooks (2021; 15) cite three psychological models and measures that include the ability to be reflective as “a fundamental dimension of wisdom.”
Using the cadet character journal is new for us at West Point. We hope the journals will provide a strong start to cadets’ education, and support our commitment to integrating cultivation of the five categories of character virtues throughout a West Point education. We are excited to hear what the cadets say in focus groups at the end of the summer, and to build on what we learn.
References
Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues and the Oxford Character Project (2020) Character education in universities: A framework for flourishing. Birmingham: University of Birmingham.
Lamb, M., Brant, J. and Brooks, E. (2021) ‘How is virtue cultivated? Seven strategies for postgraduate character development’, Journal of Character Education, 17 (1).