Day Forty Four.
“Sy, may I turn this in on Saturday again this week? I am swamped with other work.”
My response: “Abosfreakinlutely.”
She didn’t have to ask. She knows my policy. So–really–she didn’t need to ask. But she did. Matter of manners? Concern of conscience? Reach at responsibility? Yes. No. Maybe. All or none of the above, she asked.
Kids know my policies. Kids know I am flexible, and while some of the adults look in and see flexible as easy, I am sorry they misinterpret my practice, for if they were to look in a little more closely, I believe they would see something else at play.
I am not giving them an easy out. I am asking them to make decisions about their own journeys. I am asking them to weigh their own choices and consequences, their own causes and effects. But I don’t see it as my “teaching responsibility.” I don’t think that’s my job. I don’t think that’s our job. I think the only true teacher of responsibility is life. And as our lives come into contact with the kids we serve, we simply give them experiences. And from those experiences may come opportunities for them to regard responsibility from their own choices.
So, then, does that mean that the teacher who presents penalties for late work is providing an important experience in responsibility? Seems many believe this, but I do not believe that this–compliance–creates true responsibility. I think it creates deficit avoidance (often through inauthentic acts like “copying” work), and though we often sell this as “responsibility,” I don’t buy it. I think, commitment, not compliance, a better sell for reaching responsibility. So, maybe that’s it, then. Maybe my responsibility is to encourage kids to reach for responsibility. Either way–and in earnest–I don’t believe I am responsible for responsibility.
Happy Thursday, all. Stay safe.
Do. Reflect. Do Better.
Hi Sy, I do not know how it works in your district but in Ontario, Canada, there are separate rubrics where we, teachers, need to evaluate our students’ learning skills such as responsibility, organization, collaboration, etc… It is also a requirement from the ministry that we teach our students those skills.
In the above case I would say your student DID show responsibility. She “completed and submitted her work according to agreed upon timelines” (she re-negotiated those timelines with you).
She may need some help with how to organize and manage her time (organization skills). She said she was swamped with other work. Was it because she lacks those organization skills or is she well organized but has too many other responsibilities? (looking after younger siblings, cooking for family, taking care of a sick family member, working part-time…). Unless we ask, we do not know.
As for the penalties for late work, I think they misrepresent what is truly important. The mark we assign for anybody’s work is supposed to reflect the quality of that work. If we take away points for late submission then what does this mark really reflect?
In the end I believe we, teachers, do have an important role to play in “teaching” our students life skills and from what I read in your posts you teach plenty of those. In my opinion, when you “ask them to make decisions about their own journeys…to weigh their own choices and consequences, their own causes and effects” you teach your students that they are responsible for the choices they make daily.
Good morning, Ewa. Thank you for connecting and sharing such a thoughtful comment. I appreciate your wise words–plenty of thought food. Thank you for the support. Hope you are safe. Happy Friday.