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Character
Education - Responsibility
by
William Graham, elementary principal
Character
education responsibility is the title I was given for this article, and I
understand the reasoning behind that choice. As an Internet frequent flyer blessed
with a choleric temperament, I know that we all want to find information quickly.
In the best-case scenario, responsibility is behind that desire. We are taking
responsibility for the use of our time. At least, I like to view it that way.
But then, I want everything done immediately!
Character
education responsibility, then, is the topic of our short visit. The word
comes from the word responsible, which means- "1. Liable to respond; accountable;
answerable. 2. Able to respond or answer for one's conduct and obligations; trustworthy."
Responsibility is the state or quality of being responsible." (Webster's
New Collegiate Dictionary). |
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Two
major thoughts are inherent in this definition: 1.
The subject person is expected to respond, within the limits of his or her ability,
to the object person who has authority over him or her.
2. This expectation
carries with it an obligation to give account to that person in authority. When
character education deals with responsibility, it must convey the main idea that
responsibility calls for accountability. Students must be helped to understand
that responsibility and accountability are inseparable friends. They go everywhere
together. You will never see responsibility at the football game without accountability.
Likewise, you will never see accountability at lunch with someone other than responsibility.
These two friends are tied together.
Character
education responsibility must make it clear that we never talk of responsibility
apart from accountability. Accountability suggests that there will be a time of
reckoning. When we give a child responsibility, we should take responsibility
ourselves to append a time of reckoning. If Samantha is given responsibility for
feeding the gold fish, the day of reckoning is everyday the fish remains alive
- and the day it dies because she was irresponsible. She should be told this when
the responsibility is laid upon her. You see, character education on responsibility
is not education in a vacuum. It is one of the more easily illustrated character
traits. A very small gold fish can teach a very small child that character counts,
and that character can be a life-and-death matter. |
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