Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral
Development
IT’S ALL ABOUT
CHARACTER
BASED ON THE TEACHINGS OF RAFE
ESQUITH FOUND IN CHAPTER 2 “SEARCHING
FOR LEVEL VI” IN TEACH LIKE YOUR HAIR’S
ON FIRE
Level I
I DON’T WANT TO GET IN
TROUBLE
FEAR OF PUNISHMENT
I don’t want
to get in
trouble
Fear
 “Shhhh….The teacher is coming!”
 “You just wait until your father
gets home”
 “You are in so much trouble”
 Students fear the teacher’s anger
and power
Level II
I WANT A REWARD
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME
I want a
reward
What’s
in it
for
me?
 Ms. Earnhart said she will give a
special treat to those students
who bring in all of their school
forms.
 If you clean your room, you will
earn money.
Level III
I WANT TO PLEASE
SOMEBODY
DO YOU LIKE ME?
I want to
please
somebody
Do you
like me?
 “Look Mommy, is this good?”
 Student being a super helper in
order to please the teacher.
Seeking the teacher’s approval.
 Can you think of an instance
where this happens between peers
or friends?
Level 3
Teachers
Parents
 Do you brush your
 Do you sometimes do
teeth for me?
 Do you tie your shoes
for me?
 Do you see how silly
that sounds?
things just because
your parents want you
to and you are trying to
please them? Maybe
taking a certain class or
playing a sport?
Level IV
I FOLLOW THE RULES
I DO WHAT SOCIETY SAYS IS RIGHT
I follow
the rules
I abide
by the
rules
 I know the classroom rules and I
abide by them
 I do not get in trouble because I
will not break the rule.
Beyond Level 4
 Did you know some of the greatest heroes of history
did not follow the rules?
 Can you name some?
Level V
I AM CONSIDERATE OF
OTHER PEOPLE
I THINK OF OTHERS WHEN I MAKE A
DECISION
I am
considerate of
other people
I think
of others
when I
make my
decisions
 Empathy for others
 Putting yourself into another
person’s position
 “You never really understand a
person until you consider things
from his point of view….until you
climb inside his skin and walk
around in it” ~ To Kill a
Mockingbird
 Kindness is contagious
 Quiet so as not to disturb other
classes, etc.
Level VI
I HAVE A PERSONAL CODE
OF BEHAVIOR AND I
FOLLOW IT
I WILL DO WHAT IS RIGHT DESPITE WHAT
THE RULES SAY
 Resides within the soul of an
Level VI
I have a
personal
code of
behavior
and I
follow it
individual
 You do what is right because that
is who you are