Writing my way through the school year!

Posts tagged ‘student responsibility’

Parent Accountability: LETTER TO A PARENT #2

Dear Parent,






Parents: Enabling Your Child Isn’t Helping Him


“Your Actions, Your Responsibility”

I have a Garfield poster hanging in my classroom that says, “Your Actions, Your Responsibility.”  I decided to have my kids live by that motto and I tried something new. Now, whenever they don’t bring in notices or tests that need to be signed, I have them call their house. It has worked pretty well. The phone is right next to me when they call, so I am privy to the conversation, and I interject when needed, but I do not take the phone.The first thing my kids say when they call is, “There’s nothing wrong.”  I learned this after the first phone call when I heard a parent’s frantic, “What’s wrong?” I haven’t had a parent complaint yet.  The responsibility falls on the student.  They have to explain why they’re calling, and most of the time, they have to explain why their parent never saw the notice or test folder.  This is a time-saver for me,  I usually get what I wanted,  and it makes the student take some responsibility for his or her actions. A win-win all around!

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