Comments on: Who is responsible for getting students ready to be … uh … responsible? http://blog.schoollibrarymedia.com/index.php/2010/07/13/who-is-repsonsible-for-getting-students-ready-to-be-uh-responsible/ by Kristin Fontichiaro Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:56:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Laura Pearle http://blog.schoollibrarymedia.com/index.php/2010/07/13/who-is-repsonsible-for-getting-students-ready-to-be-uh-responsible/#comment-91132 Laura Pearle Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:52:57 +0000 http://blog.schoollibrarymedia.com/index.php/2010/07/13/who-is-repsonsible-for-getting-students-ready-to-be-uh-responsible/#comment-91132 The problem isn't just in education, it's all around: remember the McDonald's coffee lawsuit? Our current societal default is "I'm not to blame... someone else needs to take responsibility for my failure/problem/setback... or I'll sue until someone does." How do we change this mentality? When I was growing up, if the teacher gave me a bad grade or if I got detention or my report card had negative comments, my parents would tell me to study, or behave, or whatever was required (unless there was a clear case that I was not to blame). Today, parents blame the teachers for the same things, backing their children against the school. How do we educate parents? Only when we solve those issues can we expect that students will learn to take responsibility. The problem isn’t just in education, it’s all around: remember the McDonald’s coffee lawsuit? Our current societal default is “I’m not to blame… someone else needs to take responsibility for my failure/problem/setback… or I’ll sue until someone does.” How do we change this mentality?

When I was growing up, if the teacher gave me a bad grade or if I got detention or my report card had negative comments, my parents would tell me to study, or behave, or whatever was required (unless there was a clear case that I was not to blame). Today, parents blame the teachers for the same things, backing their children against the school. How do we educate parents?

Only when we solve those issues can we expect that students will learn to take responsibility.

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