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Chapter 11: Implementing the Social Contract and Promoting Student
Responsibility
From Transformative Classroom Management. By John Shindler. ©2008
Reproduction is unlawful without
permission
In this Chapter
·
The Big Picture
·
Delivering Consequences
·
What Constitutes a
Successful Implementation
·
Step-by-step Examples
·
What if a Student Says
“No”
·
Why Students Make Excuses
·
How to Foster Student
Responsibility
·
Comparing the Social
Contract in the 1- and 2-Style Classrooms
A social contract is only as good as its
implementation. The most critical elements in the process of the development
and use of a social contract relate to how effectively the teacher: a) fosters
an understanding of the cause-and-effect relationship between choices and
outcomes and b) intentionally and effectively implements the agreed upon
consequences within the contract.
Once the social contract has been initially
developed, it will be defined largely by how it is implemented in the first few
days. Whether it was developed with the involvement of the students, or
constructed by the teacher alone, the essence of the contract is that it
defines the collective good. It says, in effect, “we are the contract, and it
will work to the degree that all of us as members of the class community buy in
and commit to it.” Therefore, it is true democracy, in the sense that its power
comes not from the teacher, but from the collective commitment of the students
to their functioning as a body. In the early stages of any implementation of
the social contract the teacher needs to clearly project the following
fundamental concepts, both by word and deed:
1.
The
contract is about the welfare of its participants, not the wishes of the
teacher.
2.
I
(the teacher) am just a manager/steward/facilitator of the contract, not the
police, boss, or judge of good and bad behavior.
3.
When
contract violations occur I (the teacher) owe it to you (the participants) to
hold you accountable for what you have agreed to.
4.
You
(the participants) do not need to be sorry when you violate the contract, you
just need to accept your consequence and make an effort to learn from the
event.
5.
Therefore,
I (the teacher) neither need to ask for your repentance for what you did, nor
do I need to apologize for the discomfort a consequence may involve.
6. I (the teacher) owe it to you
(the participants) to implement the contract in a manner that protects and
respects your dignity, and as a result you (the participants) owe me (the
teacher) recognition of the difficulty of my role.
7. It is okay for any member of
community to raise concerns for the common good.
Chapter Reflection 11-a: Reflect
on the vastly different expectations and management systems that students will bring
into your class from home and from previous teachers. How long will it take to
get on the same page? Will you have the determination to be a beacon of clarity
and not get too distracted by all the growth pains that students exhibit?
Always Keep the
Big Picture in Sight
As the teacher, one must continually help each
student to recognize that the social contract is just one part of the overall
effort to support his/her journey to becoming more self-responsible,
disciplined, successful, and an integral part of the classroom community. One
way to do that is to help students recognize that consequences occur many times
a day, and that the majority of them are naturally occurring and even those
that are initiated by the teacher are primarily positive (see Figure 11.1).
Figure 11.1. Types
of Consequences: 4-quadrant matrix depicting types of consequences by the
degree to which they are naturally occurring and whether they are intended to
promote or limit behavior.
|
Effect on Student |
Positive/Promote |
Negative/Limit |
|
Origin of Consequence |
||
|
Naturally
Occurring |
·
Sense of accomplishment ·
Growth ·
Learning |
·
Unhappy recognitions that
a choice has led to an unwanted outcome |
|
Logical/Manufactured |
·
Positive recognitions by
the teacher ·
Good grades ·
More opportunities and
choices |
·
Lost opportunities ·
Teacher delivered
consequences |
If we allow ourselves to be genuine, enjoy our
students and the act of teaching, and invest in the emotional bank account of
our students, just being present in our class will be a substantially positive
consequence. Moreover, as suggested previously, if we make a very intentional
effort to use positive recognitions of our students’ efforts, most of the
interactions students have with us will be of the positive variety -- they
choose to invest in their work (cause/action), we recognize them and give them
positive, task-clarifying feedback (effect/consequence). Additionally, it will
be useful to support the students’ recognition of this cause-and-effect
relationship. Therefore, when they make a choice that leads to a significant
outcome either positive or negative, we supportively, caringly help them
connect the dots between the choice they made and the result. So when it is
time to approach a student with the fact that they have just violated their
agreement to the social contract, it should be seen as just another means to
help them in their growth toward personal responsibility and accountability to
their peers.
Chapter Reflection 11-b: Recall
our examination of the idea of the “emotional bank account” in Chapter 3. In
your assessment, would it make a difference if you as a student were given a
consequence by a teacher who had invested something into the emotional bank
account of your relationship, as compared to if they had not? Is so, why would
you feel there would be a difference?
Many students will be new to being part of a
democratic classroom. If student have grown accustomed to classrooms managed by
punishments, shaming, a requirement of obedience, and/or a teacher as “the
boss,” it may take them a while to get used to being empowered. Using
empowering mantras and language in general that continuously clarifies the
roles of the participants is important, especially in the early going. You may
need to remind them that, “the class is full of only talented, responsible,
self-disciplined students.” And repeat to them on occasion that, “I am not the
boss or the police in here, I am not going to get mad at you. My job is to hold
you accountable for what you’ve all agreed to, and help you to become more
self-disciplined and responsible.”
Chapter Reflection 11-c: I recently observed a teacher/students interaction that I thought was instructive. It was the second month of school. The teacher had developed a relatively sound set of rules and consequences. At one point the student did something minor (but it was obvious to everyone in the class) to violate a rule, whereby the teacher calmly told them that they would lose a minor opportunity as a consequence. At this, the student became irate and said loudly to the teacher, “How come you are always getting me in trouble!” Where did the reaction come from? What would you do if you were the teacher in this class?”
While words are important in helping clarify the
conceptual framework from which the members of the class are operating, over
time the power and effectiveness of the social contract will come from
observation of your actions by the students when it is time to implement the
consequences outlined in the contract. As you recall from our discussion in
Chapter 5 related to the social learning model, actions speak louder than words
when it comes to what the student learn about the integrity of the social
contract and what to expect when violations occur.
Delivering
Consequences
Consequences exist only as abstractions. It is in
how they are implemented that will define whether students experience them as
fair and/or opportunities to learn rather than personal and punitive. Curwin
and Mendler (1986) suggest that, “Sometimes it is more how we say something
than what we say. A lousy consequence delivered (effectively) is better than a
good consequence delivered in a public humiliating manner.” They offer a series
of useful steps for implementing a consequence. Keeping each of these practices
in mind when it is time to address a behavior that violates the social contract
will help ensure that the intervention is effective and does not attack the student’s
dignity.
Figure
11.2 Curwin and Mendler’s 9 Steps for Consequence Implementation
1.
Always
implement a consequence: Be consistent.
2.
Simply
state the rule and consequence.
3.
Be
physically close: Use the power of proximity
4.
Make
direct eye contact. *
5.
Use
a soft voice.
6.
Catch
the student being good.
7.
Don’t
embarrass the student in front of the class.
8.
Be
firm, but anger free when giving the consequence.
9.
Don’t
accept excuses, bargaining or whining.
*(may be better said as “make
personal contact”)
Why is Consistency so Important?
As we have observed, when we examine what promotes either
function or dysfunction and movement up or down the effectiveness continuum,
applying our social contract consistently shows itself to be essential in our
efforts to move up the continuum. The younger the students we are teaching, the
more significant this will be. At the heart of the social contract is the
cause-and-effect relationship between the choices and consequences. If students
make certain choices, then the teacher is given the responsibility by the
contract to implement a consequence. The locus of control for the contract
rests with the students. The purpose for the teacher faithfully executing their
role in the contract goes far beyond making sure the student “gets what they
deserve.” When the teacher does what is
expected of them, the message is sent that the contract is working. It is not
an arbitrary instrument. It is a real and living thing. The message is sent
that the contract governs all students, not just those whom the teacher feels
need to improve behavior. With consistency comes a feeling that there is
“rightness,” justice, a security that governs the class.
Recall the social learning model. When the teacher applies
the contract inconsistently, students learn that the “implicit” rules in the
class include arbitrary teacher subjectivity. They learn that what and why
consequences get implemented is not so much about the contract that was agreed
upon by the collective as it is about the unpredictable desires of the teacher.
The result is a shift in locus of control away from the students to the
external agent – the teacher. Of course, subjectivity and discretion will
always be a reality, but when the students see variation in consequence implementation
resulting from laziness, favoritism, unpredicable moods, retaliation, weakness,
or just careless randomness, they lose some degree of faith in the integrity of
the social contract. Eventually most students will understand that there may be
a need for exceptions and variation because students have different needs, and
to best help the collective, the teacher must take each learner’s special
circumstances into account. But no matter how noble the intentions, it will be
difficult for many students to interpret differential treatment as anything
other than inconsistency.
Chapter Reflection 11-d: In your judgment, when it is better for the teacher to
be uniform in his/her consequence implementation and when it is in effect more “fair”
and effective to fit the consequence to the situation and needs of the
particular student?
Examining Privacy, Proximity, and Group Consequences: Using the Power of the Social Context Effectively
When you intervene with one student privately your interaction
is between that student and you alone. When you intervene with a student
publicly, you include an audience and all that that implies. Privacy requires
proximity. When implementing a consequence to one or more students, be
physically close to the student(s). Speak in a private tone. It may be useful
to bend down to the student’s level so as to reduce your position of dominance.
The power of the event will come from the fulfillment of your job in the
equation by holding the student accountable, and not in any display of your
toughness.
Students learn most lessons indirectly. They infer what will
happen to them in a particular situation by what they observe happening to
another student in that same situation. There is a temptation to use the public
dimension of an intervention with one student or group to send a message to the
whole class. The logic goes something like this: if the rest of the students in
the class see this student receiving a consequence, they will understand that
the same fate could be theirs. When it comes to positive consequences this is
pretty useful logic. If a student is making a good effort, we recognize it, or
if a student needs help, we give them support, or if a student is risking
sharing an idea, it can be very empowering to show publicly that we will
validate the effort and the risk. But when we use a public context for
implementing contract violations, we bring shame and embarrassment into the
equation. This can seem inconsequential to us, because the interaction
often feels the same from our perspective. But to the student, public penalties
hurt, and can be experienced as attacks on their dignity. And even if the
public consequence does not produce much negative emotion, the public shaming
component shifts the focus of the consequence from a natural and related
outgrowth of the social contract to a weapon wielded by the teacher. Possessing
the power of this weapon can make us feel influential, but giving in to the
“power trip” will undermine our authority, the legitimacy of the social
contract, and students’ dignity in the long-term.
Chapter Reflection 11-e: Recall teachers you have had or seen who liked to
publicly “flex their teacher power” and give public consequences/punishments.
What effects did you observe it having on the class over time?
What about giving
public group consequences?
When is the use of a whole
class consequence a defensible idea? That is, when would we want to withhold an
opportunity for all students, if a student or two failed to meet their
obligation? When would it be effective to use the power of peer pressure as
leverage?
Examining this question as
it relates to the long term health and functionality of the class, the answer
indicated is when three important conditions are met. First--the consequence
should not be aimed at an identifiable victim. For example if we say, “No one
leaves until all the paper is picked up,” we are using the power of the
collective (i.e., peer pressure) to motivate each individual to do their part.
But note that that is different from one particular individual. For example, if
we had said “No one leaves until Billy picks up his paper,” this focuses on one
person as the culprit. Second--there is no repetitive pattern that emerges,
certain students are at a disadvantage, or certain students become the target
of hostility from the group as a whole. For example, if we find that quite a
few students in the class did not treat the materials used in the lesson very
well (given a clear expectation of how the materials were to be treated
beforehand) and as a result we decide to withhold those materials for a couple
of days from the whole class, this can be an effective consequence. It
demonstrates active follow-through. It also demonstrates a clear a
cause-and-effect relationship – respect the materials and you can use them,
don’t and you will have to wait to try again later. But if the penalty is the
result of a few of the same students on a repeated basis, a group consequence
becomes much less desirable. The majority of the class feels penalized for the
actions of a few, and will likely develop a growing resentment for them and a
loss of trust in the teacher’s sense of fairness. Third--if we discover over
time that the strategies do not lead to resentment toward you or other
students, and/or the deterioration of the sense of community in the class.
These are subtle outcomes that are difficult to detect. The best evidence may
be the expressions on the students’ faces when you make your request. Is it a
sense of urgency and playfulness, or is it discomfort and impatience? If you we
feel that any of these three conditions are not met, then it will likely be a
better idea to stop doing what we have been doing and try something else. As we
have previously observed, it is not usually worthwhile to trade the emotional
quality in the class for more efficiency, in most cases.
Delivering a consequence to an individual contract violation
Curwin and Mendler offer three pieces of advice when it
comes to how to deliver the message to a student who has violated the contract
– 1) simply state the consequence, 2) be firm and anger free, and 3) use a soft
voice. On the surface they all seem like good common sense. But the power of
these ideas lies primarily with what they imply not to do. If the social
contract is fundamentally about each participant’s commitment to an agreement,
then for the teacher to add anything other than delivering the news shifts the
focus (and locus of control) from the agreement (where it belongs) to the
teacher (the external agent) and weakens the relationship. So adding a little
guilt, or shame or lecturing, or putting the behavior into a broader context
such as “this is the third time you have done this,” or “if you keep doing
this. . “ is not only unhelpful, but detracts from the power of the lesson.
Even though it may feel natural and common and our parents and teachers likely
did it with us, we need to resist the temptation to add anything to the simple
message that the student made the choice that violated their agreement, and now
they must accept the consequence for that choice.
Chapter Reflection 11-f: Recall the last time you or another teacher was in the
position to deliver a consequence (i.e., discipline a student). Did you or that
teacher refrain from adding something to the consequence, such as guilt, shame,
or a lecture? In your assessment, why is it that we find it so difficult not to
add something to the equation?
What Constitutes a Successful Implementation?
It may be useful in the process to keep in mind what we are
trying to accomplish as we move to implement a consequence. First, the event
should help strengthen the students’ internal locus of control. That is, the
student should feel that their choice is the cause, and the consequence is the
logical effect. Second, the student should maintain a sense that they need to
be responsible for the group and making different choices in the future is not
only possible but good for the entire group. Third, we need to walk away having
opened the door to the student’s own internal reasoning process. We cannot make
them learn a lesson. We cannot tell them they did learn a lesson. But we can do
our job, and trust the process and the student’s sense of reason to result in
healthier choices in the future.
Chapter Reflection 11-g: Recalling our discussion of the construct for a
“psychology of success” in Chapter 8, when delivering a consequence we might
ask ourselves, “Am I taking the opportunity to have a transformative influence
on this student, by promoting their psychology of success, or am I simply
“giving them what they deserve?”
Conversely, signs that we will not likely see behavior
change in the future include the following. First--we see a student who is
acting highly repentant and projects a shameful affect. When we see a high
level of repentance, it is probable that the student will leave this
interaction without having learned a lesson that will lead to long-term
behavior change. This may be an unfamiliar notion, but as we examine the
student’s thinking more closely we see that they are caught up in the “sorry
game” instead of thinking of ways to do better next time. Second--the student
has difficulty accepting ownership and projects an external locus of control.
We can see this when the student gets overly fixated on how they perceive you
as being unfair, why you are picking on them, and focus excessively on the personal
aspect of the event. It is likely that this student is used to punishments, and
will translate your clear cause-and-effect consequence language into their
being punished. To help these students grow and become better members of the
community, we need to help them with their cause-and-effect processing,
approach them with an unconditional positive regard, gently help them
understand that we don’t need them to feel bad and that consequences are not
personal, and that, we are sincerely and steadfastly behind their efforts to
make thoughtful choices.
Step-by-Step Consequence Implementation Examples for Elementary and Secondary Levels
Elementary Level Case:
Interfering with others during a learning activity
Social Contract Agreement: We give
our attention to those that are speaking and keep our hands to ourselves when
we are on the carpet. If we need to speak, we raise our hands. And the
consequence for failing to do so is 1) removal from the activity. And if the
problem is chronic, 2) a behavioral contract.
Student Behavior: As the
teacher is leading a lesson as the students sit on the carpet. One student
(Liko) is not listening, touching and trying to engage other students near
him/her.
Teacher intervention: For mild
cases in which students simply appear to be fidgety or distracted and have lost
focus, it may be most efficient and helpful to use a combination of eye contact
and a clarifying statement or clarifying question. For example, we may stop (an
active consequence), give Liko a second to recognize that he is violating the
contract, and then resume our lesson after we get active recognition that the
student understands and is ready to be more responsible (e.g., they stop and
demonstrate attentive behavior). We may also use a clarifying statement such as
“We all need to have our eyes up here right now,” or “W are all giving Jose our
undivided attention. Jose, could you start over, and we will all do a better
job of listening this time.” Or we could use a clarifying question such as,
“What would it look like if we were all doing a great job of listening right
now?” or “Are we all listing like Pumas right now?” Use a positive tone and
avoid glaring at the student. As we discussed in Chapter 6, avoid all negative
recognitions such as “Liko, I need you stop talking and pay attention.”
Occasionally they may feel necessary at the beginning of the year, but
eliminate them from your language quickly and completely. You will be surprised
that you will not miss them.
Side Note: It is useful to keep in mind
throughout the process that the contract is not intended to corral students or
offer short-term solutions. It is intended to change awareness and as a result
patterns of behavior. So solutions such as proximity alone, or what Jones
refers to as “camping out” will most often stop the behavior in the short-term,
but send the message that the teacher is the police and that one should not
misbehave around them (as well as result in the need for an increase of the
same intervention in the future). Also, the technique of using personal
recognitions (discussed in Chapter 6) such as the phrase, “I like the way
Kabira is listening right now,” will have a limited and confusing affect, and
will lose power over time.
Assume this is the beginning of
the year, and Liko is still learning how to be a functional part of a group. We
may want to give him a break due to what we see to be a lack of understanding
of the expectation (if it is not the beginning of the year, we may want to skip
the warnings and move straight to the consequence). If the eye contact and
clarifications did get the result we needed, we should then make private and
personal contact with the Liko. Subtly, and without drawing the attention of
the other students, we need to get close to Liko and help him understand the
expectation and the consequences. We might say, “Liko, what is the expectation
when we are all on the carpet?” There is no need to include any negative
language. Liko may need some help, but at some point we need to hear him
correctly state the expectation. Then we need to ask the student what the
consequence is (that has been agreed to in the social contract) for failing to
be self-responsible during time on the carpet. If the student does not know, we
need to remind them (and again, not knowing is a defense that needs to be
sincere and in any event cannot be used long). Warnings and reminders send the
message, “I will assume that you did not understand what you did, and from now
on, after this warning, you will.” If this is such a case, we might say to
Liko. “So Liko, when I look back here later, what am I going to see?” Liko
repeats the expected behavior. “And what is the consequence, if you aren’t able
to show me that you can be a responsible part of the group?” Again, Liko needs
to state the consequence. At that point we can smile genuinely at Liko, and
then shift our attention back to the group. We do not want to hover, or get
caught up in anticipation of what Liko is going to do. We need to be in the
moment, and let Liko make his choice.
In most cases, eye contact and
clarifying recognitions will do the trick. When that does not work, making
personal contact and reminding the student of the expectation will take care of
most problems. But we need to provide meaningful and related consequences that
fit the severity of the situation. If we look back and see Liko talking to his
neighbor, we should not repeat the more subtle consequences such as eye
contact. We asked Liko to act responsibly. He told us that he a) understood and
b) was committed to fulfilling his responsibility. His behavior demonstrated
that he made a choice to violate his agreement. Therefore the time for warnings
and group consequences has passed, and we need to deliver the next level of
consequence. In this case, Liko has lost his opportunity to be part of the
group. We need to approach Liko, and privately, speaking softly and plainly, we
need to tell him in so many words, “Liko, I just observed you talking to your
neighbor. What was the consequence that we agreed to when one of us does that?”
(Let Liko answer.) “That’s right, so since you chose to talk, I want you to sit
by yourself at your seat while we continue here on the carpet. Can you do that?
Do you understand why? (Wait for recognition.) And when we are on the carpet
tomorrow, you will have another chance to show that you can listen and keep
your hands to yourself.”
It is important that in this case
that we send the message to the rest of the class, that we put our energy into
those that are choosing to be responsible. If students see us putting a great
deal of attention into Liko, those who are seeking attention may (usually
unconsciously) conclude that misbehaving is a good way to get it. At some point
during the transition to the next activity we will want to send the quick
private message to Liko, “Thanks for sitting quietly, I know that you will be
able to do better next time.”
Chapter Reflection 11-h: As you read the intervention above, where is the locus
of control? If you are Liko, and you have been asked to sit out of the
activity, who do you feel is responsible for what has just happened? What would
you guess Liko is thinking in terms of the choices that he intends to make in
the future?
Secondary Case – Abuse of the Pencil Sharpening Privilege
Social Contract Agreement: In this
class we use the pencil sharpener when absolutely necessary, and do not disturb
others when we go. The agreed-upon consequence is loss of opportunity to use
the sharpener.
Student Behavior: During
one period, a student (
Teacher Intervention: If we interpret that the
expectation is weak, and that most students do not assume that there is any
problem with using the sharpener multiple times in a period, we may want to
take the opportunity to clarify the expectation and remind the class of the
consequence. This is may be especially useful at the beginning of the year. A
reminder is not a consequence, but we may need to take responsibility this time
for a poorly understood expectation.
However, if the consequence is
clear and well understood, we need to simply implement the consequence. If we
feel
You will need to approach
Side Note: Culturally, eye contact can be
problematic. It can make students feel either threatened or disrespectful to be
forced to look us in the eye. Get to know what works with your students.
Speaking in a soft tone, we need
to help
In this scenario, it will be
important to help
Chapter Reflection
11-i: Ask yourself
an honest question. If you were the teacher in the situation above, walking
away from
Dealing with Bargaining, Pleading and Whining
In the development of the social contract, the existence of
bargaining can be a healthy thing. And as events arise where students and the teacher
recognize that a new expectation, rule, or procedure may be in the best
interest of the collective, negotiating revisions to the contract or class
expectations can be valuable. Yet these are examples of pro-active,
democratically developed changes.
Nevertheless, it is rarely a good idea to bargain after the
fact with a student who is trying make a deal to avoid a consequence. For
example, in the examples above,
Chapter Reflection 11- j: Have you ever told a student/child “No” (when they
made a request for something that you had clearly let them know they could not
do or have), and had to endure the look of resentment in their eyes as they
walked away? When they came back was the look still there? You may have assumed
that they would hold it against you, but did they? Did they respect you more or
less in the future? What is your explanation for this?
What if a Student says “No” to You and the Contract?
The more consistent we are, the more clear and related the
consequences are, and if we implement them in a way that preserves the students
dignity and sends the fundamental message, that “we know that they are capable
of responsible, mature and considerate behavior,” we will get an ever
decreasing amount of bargaining, whining and excuses, along with fewer contract
violations. However, the possibility will always exist that a student says “No”
to the contract. As we will discuss in more detail in Chapter 15, examining
conflict resolution and power struggles, the contract cannot maintain its
integrity if there are those in the class who deliberately disrespect it. A
student has the choice to say “No” to the contract (e.g., a reasonable request
from us), but the choice leaves them outside the community until they choose to
reaffirm their commitment to the collective, by way of their actions and living
up to their agreement. We never have to fear a student saying no, if we keep in
mind that all we can do is offer choices to students and encourage their
success. We cannot make students’ choices for them.
Promoting
Student Responsibility
It is difficult to conceive of a more important aspect of
the job of teacher or parent than promoting a sense of responsibility in young
people in our lives. Responsibility is basic to a psychology of success, being
a member of a democratic society, and what it takes to achieve in and beyond
school. Talent and intelligence are valuable, but more essential to one’s
happiness and success in life will be the degree to which they take
responsibility for their thoughts and actions. It could be said that the
patterns that we form as students will have a powerful effect in shaping our
destinies and determining the degree to which we become responsible adults.
Chapter Reflection 11-k: Do you know anyone that you would consider to be
highly irresponsible, yet happy and achieving to their potential? Do you know
anyone that may not be have been the smartest person in the class, but today is
highly happy and successful? Would you say that was a responsible person?
Making Sense of Responsibility
At the root of a responsible attitude is acceptance – acceptance of one’s reality
(i.e., what “is”), acceptance that our thoughts will manifest themselves in
behavior, acceptance that we are the authors of our own fate. There is a great
temptation to resist what is. Our minds in their desire for relief from
discomfort become skilled at the practice of denial, making excuses, shifting
responsibility, and taking on the role of the victim. If being responsible were
easy, we would see more people demonstrating it. But it is difficult and takes
a lot of practice, and support from others, especially those entrusted to teach
us in our time in school.
In an effort to operationalize the broad notion of
responsibility, we could begin by breaking it down to its essential factors.
The building blocks of responsibility include the following:
·
A sense of cause-and-effect -- recognizing that what
we choose to do will have consequences and what we think will manifest itself
in our actions. Like the law of conservation of energy, there is a natural law
that what we think and do matters and will cause effects to come back to us.
·
An internal locus of control – as discussed in
Chapter 8, if we see ourselves as the authors of our fate, we have the capacity
to be intentional and become what we choose to become. Research in human behavior
demonstrates a
consistent relationship between one’s level of Internal LOC and the degree of
personal responsibility one exhibits (Chubb, Fertman & Ross; Adolescence,
1997).
·
The
working social frame defined by the relationship between freedom and
responsibility – as discussed in Chapter 3, at the heart of a social
environment (e.g., class, family, team, group, etc.) that promotes
responsibility is a clear agreement that when responsibility is shown the young
person has earned more rights and freedoms, and when it is not shown, the young
person must be made to wait until they can show the necessary responsibility to
earn those freedoms.
·
The
law of responsibility – Tracy (2005) defines the law of responsibility in four
parts; 1) You are completely responsible for
everything you are and for everything you become and achieve, 2) You are always
free to choose what you think and what you do, 3) Responsibility begins with
your taking full and complete control over the content of your conscious mind,
4) No one is coming to the rescue. He states that one’s degree of
achievement will be directly related to the degree that one accepts
responsibility for all outcomes within their power--most importantly their
thinking.
·
Making
choices and learning from the consequences of those choices. Most of this
learning occurs naturally, but it can, as we have discussed in this chapter,
also include consequences that are manufactured within a situation, such as
a classroom with a social contract.
·
Being in the moment – responsible thinking is not
rooted in the past or what may be in the future. It is grounded in WIN, or
“what’s important now.”
Conversely, those factors that could be considered
“responsibility destroyers” include the following.
·
An attitude of blame – when we blame, we inherently
fixate on the past and on an external cause.
·
A victim mindset – when our thinking goes to “poor
me,” we lose not only a clear sense of cause-and-effect with regard to the
past, but in essence, toss the law of responsibility out the window. We make
the psychological trade in which we give up power and an opportunity for growth
for some pain relief.
·
Making excuses – when we make excuses we essentially
externalize the cause-and-effect of the situation.
·
An external locus of control – as discussed, basic to
a psychology of failure is the externalizing of the cause of one’s fate or
“fatalism.” The external LOC views life as a series of accidents, and there is
nothing that we can do or could have done. Again, as we look closer at this
mindset, we see an effort to avoid guilt and ownership (Wang & Anderson,1994).
Why Do
Students Make Excuses and What Can We Do About them?
If we deal
with enough students, we find that some are constantly making excuses and
others almost never make excuses. The student’s age, gender, ethnicity, or
learning style seem to make no difference when it comes to excuse making. So
why do students make excuses. There are three primary reasons (Wang & Anderson,
1994; Whitehead, & Smith, 1986). First, avoidance of guilt and an attempt
to protect one’s self image. Second, in situations in which there is a
perceived benefit within the context and/or a desire to manage the impressions
of others. Third, it can be a practical response to achieving a desired result
– i.e., an excuse would potentially improve a desired outcome. Below we will examine each reason, followed
by how to promote less of a need for the students to make excuses for each of
the three areas.
Reason 1:
Protecting one’s self image and feelings of guilt. When the
student feels that if they admit to themselves that they did the act (e.g.,
forgot their work, said the hurtful words, made the mistake, etc.) and they do
not see themselves as the kind of person that would do something like that,
they experience inner conflict (e.g., cognitive dissonance). In other words,
“Only a dumb, irresponsible, or bad person would have done that, and I am I am
not any of those.”
What we can do to support more healthy and responsible thinking? An environment that promotes a success psychology will reduce the students’ inclination to make excuses on all levels. In this first case, creating an environment in which making mistakes is okay will go a long way. Moreover, as we focus more on process and mastery rather than a fixed view of ability, it will help the students see choices as opportunities to learn rather than events that define who they are as people. In a success psychology environment, the students learn to live and learn, a