Character Education Through Film: Why I’m Building Something Bigger This Break

There is something a little ironic about sitting on vacation and thinking nonstop about school.

And yet, here I am.

Because this week, instead of fully shutting off my teacher brain, I’ve leaned into something that feels different. Not burnout. Not obligation. Not “I should probably grade that.” Though I do have a ton of grading to do, but that’s a blog post for another day!

This feels like momentum. I have this incredible drive right now to build something meaningful. Not just another lesson. Not just another activity to fill time between bells. Something that actually sticks. Something that helps kids grow into better humans.

When an idea turns into a mission

At my school, we have the opportunity to propose new courses for upcoming years. And somewhere along the way, what started as a small idea turned into something much bigger:

Character and Leadership Through Film.

At first, it sounded simple enough. Use movies. Teach themes. Keep kids engaged. But the more I sat with it, the more I realized this is not just about showing films. It is about character education through film in a way that feels real, relevant, and actually impactful. If you’ve ever tried to turn a big idea into a real classroom resource, you might relate to this: teacher-created classroom resources. That post is basically the behind-the-scenes of how “I have an idea” becomes “this might actually work.”

The TikTok attention span problem

I love my students. I really do. But asking them to sit and focus on something longer than a few minutes can feel like trying to convince a cat to follow directions.

They are used to:

• 10-second clips
• constant scrolling
• instant dopamine hits
• quick reactions instead of deep thinking

So when you say, “We’re going to watch a movie,” you would think they’d be thrilled. Nope. I don’t get it, when the teacher wheeled in the T.V. and VCR, a mini celebration happened. Heck even a film strip (yes I’m that old) was cause to celebrate. But not any more.

It’s actually hard for them. They struggle to sustain attention. They miss key moments. They disengage if it isn’t immediately gripping. I see it all the time, and it’s no shade on kids. It’s the world they’re growing up in. And that’s the part that got me thinking. What if this isn’t just a challenge, but an opportunity?

Using film to rebuild focus

Film is one of the last shared storytelling experiences we still have. It’s visual. Emotional. Relatable. Human. And when used intentionally, it can do something powerful: it can help students rebuild focus and stamina for longer stories.

Not by forcing it, but by inviting them into stories that matter. This is why character education through film makes sense to me. Movies can hook students long enough to get them thinking, and then the discussion keeps them there.

Also, if you’ve ever wondered whether social and emotional learning actually has research behind it, it does. CASEL is a strong place to start: CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning).

More than movies, it’s a leadership lab

This course I’m building is not a “movie day every day” situation. It’s structured. Intentional. Thought-provoking. Each film becomes a case study, and students do the thinking work around it.

With character education through film, I want students to:

• privately commit to a position before discussion
• debate tough decisions and moral gray areas
• analyze leadership under pressure
• reflect on empathy, patience, integrity, and courage

We’re not just asking, “Did you like the movie?”

We’re asking:

• Was the character right or wrong?
• What would you have done in that moment?
• Does intention matter more than outcome?
• Can compassion be more powerful than control?

This is the shift. From passive watching to active thinking to personal growth.

Why this matters more than ever

Our kids are the future. I know that sounds like something printed on a motivational poster in the guidance office, but it is also very true. Right now, they need more than content knowledge.

They need:

• patience in a world that rewards speed
• empathy in a world that often lacks it
• resilience when things get hard
• the ability to listen, reflect, and grow

Those traits are not learned from a worksheet alone. They have to be experienced, felt, discussed, and challenged. That’s why character education through film feels like the right tool. Stories give students a safe way to wrestle with real-life choices before they are the ones living them. Edutopia has a lot of strong classroom-based ideas around discussion and engagement if you like browsing strategies: Edutopia.

The energy that comes from purpose

Here’s the part that surprised me the most. This doesn’t feel like work. This feels like alignment. That feeling when something clicks and you think, “Oh. This is what I’m supposed to be doing.” That’s where I am right now. Sitting on February break, probably should be relaxing, definitely should be ignoring my laptop a little more.

But instead, I’m building. Because when you find something that matters, it’s hard to look away. And yes, I’m putting these units on my website and on Teachers Pay Teachers. I’m not hiding that. Every teacher I know has some sort of side hustle, and this is mine.

But I want to say this clearly: this is not about the money. This is a passion project. Character education through film is something I believe in, deeply. This is me sitting on my couch during break thinking about my students and asking, “How do I reach them better? How do I help them grow?”

If another teacher finds this work and it helps their classroom too, that’s amazing. The real win is knowing students are having real conversations. Thinking a little deeper. Feeling a little more. Growing into the kind of people this world actually needs.

What I’m hoping this becomes

My hope is that this course helps students do something that is becoming rare: stay with something long enough to understand it. To question it and more importantly, to grow from it. To learn to become better people because of it.

Maybe it starts with a film and a discussion. Maybe it turns into patience. Empathy. Self-control. Moral courage. All traits they need to be a successful member of society.

Maybe it helps them build the kind of attention span and inner strength they will need out in the real world. And maybe, just maybe, they carry those lessons with them long after the credits roll.

If you want to see what I’m building and where it all lives, you can find everything in one place right here: Words & Wonders.