Module 1 > Topic 1-A > Key Information >Compelling Whys

• Overview
• Topic A
  • Key Information
    • Course Goals
    • Compelling Whys
  • Activities
    • Activity 1-A-1
    • Activity 1-A-2
• Topic B
  • Key Information
    • Self-Responsibility
  • Activities
    • Activity 1-B-1
    • Activity 1-B-2
    • Activity 1-B-3
• Topic C
  • Key Information
    • Personal Power
    • Mental Models
  • Activities
    • Activity 1-C-1
    • Activity 1-C-2
    • Activity 1-C-3
• Topic D
  • Activities
    • Activity 1-D-1

Compelling Whys

Many educators are tired of seeing unself-responsible behavior in students. They see far too many bored expressions and lack of initiative or follow-through. They are tired of students acting, talking, and thinking like victims. It is time to help students learn to take responsibility for their own behaviors.

Employers want employees who are capable of self-management and independent thinking. They desire employees who see problems and initiate a search for solutions. Obedience, once thought of as a great virtue, is no longer held in high esteem. Self-responsibility has replaced obedience on employers’ lists of desires (Kohn, 1997).

"At risk" students who drop out of school often possess a low level of personal power and an external locus of control (Jones & Jones, 2004). Christenson and Thurlow's (2004) research suggests that developing supportive in-school relationships is key to decreasing the drop out rates. Such connections embody mutual trust and open communication among students, teachers and staff.

Self-employment and the development of small businesses  demand self-reliance, self-management, and self-responsibility. No one tells a self-employed adult what to work on, when to begin work, or how long to continue. It takes self-responsible behaviors to become a successful entrepreneur in today’s world.

Successful adults learn to take responsibility for their own lives — physically, emotionally, and intellectually. They see themselves as “the cause” and hold themselves accountable. This is important in almost every sphere of life: marriage, career development, parenting, citizenship, and schooling.

Children do not enter this world as independent, self-responsible beings. Without nurturing, supportive adults who know how to teach self-responsibility, children can grow into adulthood while remaining stuck using adolescent behaviors. 

Character education can prove to be valuable in teaching self-responsibility and self-respect. Steen, Kachorek, & Peterson (2003) conclude that character education programs will only succeed if they maintain a positive focus, not merely a list of behaviors students are admonished to avoid. Advocates of classroom character education encourage schools to incorporate components such as caring, values instruction, classroom environment, moral discipline, the democratic classroom environment, conflict resolution, cooperative learning, and ethical reflection (Berkowitz & Bier, 2005; Knapczyk, 2004; Lickona, 2004; Rivers, 2005; Scanio, 2005). Ryan and Bohlin suggest
character is “simply the sum of our intellectual and moral habits. That is, character is the composite of our good habits, or virtues, and our bad habits, or vices, the habits that make us the kind of person we are” (2003, p. 9).

This course is designed to help students progress from dependence to independence. It will also explore different aspects of character education that can help develop self-responsible behaviors. It will assist them in their growth from lack of responsibility to self-responsibility. It will help them develop their STAR Power.

More Key Information

• Course Goals
• Compelling Whys