Holidays are a natural time to promote character-building traits while celebrating. Use the Thanksgiving holiday to list important character traits and what they look like as things to be thankful for. Character traits like self-discipline, honesty, integrity and hard work can make up the feathers on a turkey's tail or the dishes on a Thanksgiving table. In the month of December, take advantage of gift-giving to decorate a bulletin board with gifts of positive character traits. Use brightly decorated boxes with the names of the character traits, like self-discipline on the outside, and have what each character trait looks like coming out of the boxes. Title this bulletin board, "Give the gift of good character!"
Use the changing of seasons to create colorful bulletin boards about self-disciple. For fall, decorate a board with a tree in the center and a basket and rake underneath. Label fall-colored leaves with different aspects of the character trait of self-discipline. Have some falling off the tree and some resting in the basket. Title the bulletin board, "Gathering the Leaves of Self-Discipline." For a winter self-discipline theme, title the board, "Don't Get Snowed Under by Homework: Practice Self-Discipline." Decorate the board with a person shoveling up clumps of snow. Each clump should be labeled with a distraction like "Too much TV," "Too much Internet," "Too many computer games," and underneath the snow is a homework paper with an "A" on the top.
Sports-themed bulletin boards are always popular with students. Choose one sport to develop the board around. For example, use a basketball team wearing jerseys that list some of the character traits of self-discipline like being on time, having classroom materials, turning in homework, doing chores and going to bed on time. Have the figures placed in different positions on the basketball court and one player making a basket. Label the basketball goal with the words, "Self-Discipline." Title the board, "Make a Slam-Dunk for Self Discipline."
At the beginning of each school year, have one bulletin board devoted to the character traits you'd like to see displayed in your classroom. Title the board, "Building Character in Room (number)." Use a building theme for this board with a teacher building a wall with bricks. Each brick represents a different character trait you want to teach children, like self-discipline, kindness, good manners, etc. Have figures of students carrying the bricks and giving them to the teacher. Change this board after the first four weeks of school to another character-building theme.