Developing a Sense of Responsibility
Being responsible is one of the key traits to success for our children both at school and as they grow up and move out into the world. Schools, working closely with families, play an important role supporting children as their understanding and demonstrations of responsibility grow and develop. As a student in my primary school years I needed to learn to be responsible. This was taught to me by some very good teachers early on and supported at home by both my parents. That is why a direct link can be established with the College Strategic Pillars, particularly the pillar of College Community. Building and nurturing meaningful relationships between all in our community lends itself to being responsible and connects with the College Vision 'To develop young men and women of character – leaders now and for the future'.
One aspect of responsibility that we encounter time and again at school is the scenario of the lost belongings. Each week, the Junior School lost property box is overflowing with drink bottles, items of uniform, lunchboxes, bags, towels, learning equipment and even the occasional laptop. These items have been left in various places around the campus at various times throughout the day. In many cases, unfortunately, these items are unnamed, which makes returning them to the owner very difficult. For the named items, we support the development of responsibility by involving the student in a community service activity prior to the return of the item. This gives the student the opportunity to reflect on their personal role in being responsible for their own property. We also regularly encourage students to come to the lost property area and look for their own gear. In addition to this, teachers work diligently in the classroom to foster a sense of personal responsibility through formal and informal activities.
In the vast majority of cases, ‘lost belongings’ are actually not lost at all. The child has simply walked away and left their belongings behind and not given any thought to checking for themselves that they have collected everything they own. This is particularly concerning when the items are expensive, such as items of uniform, their bags or indeed their laptops.
Parents can help their children at home to become more responsible for thinking about ensuring they have everything they need in a number of ways:
- Don’t pack your child’s bag for them. In the younger years, parents can supervise the packing of the bag, but children should be encouraged to take responsibility for this themselves. By the time children are in upper primary, they should be responsible enough to undertake this task independently. If parents continue to take responsibility for the packing of their child’s belongings, you are denying them a valuable growth opportunity. This gradual release of responsibility is essential in their learning journey.
- If your child forgets to bring something to school, don’t rescue them by bringing it into school later for them. This does not help them develop a sense of responsibility and does not allow them to experience the consequences of not being responsible. School is a safe environment and a forgotten hat or diary bag, for example, is not the end of the world. Teachers will support students on these days.
- Support the development of responsibility by using checklists. Placed in a convenient location, like on the refrigerator, these can be used to help children work through a list of tasks logically and systematically and reduces the need for you to do the simple things for your child.
- Encourage your child to be responsible if they have misplaced something. Teach them to retrace their steps, ask for help, look in lost property and then keep checking.
These are 7 Steps of Highly Responsible Students:
- They set goals
- They plan their time
- They study regularly (this is on top of allocated homework/home learning)
- They take notes in class (and keep them)
- They have the tools they need (pencil, paper, textbook, laptop…)
- They keep their commitments
- They get ready ahead of time
The process of helping your child to develop a sense of responsibility can be a challenging one, but also rewarding as you see them grow into capable, confident and independent people. As we make our way to the end of the first term of this year, please challenge your child/children to adapt and pack their own bags… soon they may be cooking dinner for the whole family, mowing the lawn or tending to the pool!
Simon Edgar
Head of Junior School
