I am piloting in my Spanish classes a collaboration project that is going awesome so far---we will see how it is tomorrow, when the project is due! My Spanish students are required to make a project through a web application and have equal group work while working with students from two other schools. Not one student has a partner from this school. First excitement was displayed at the new venture, then frustration at their inability to communicate---they need my guidance! Frustration on my part, then success as the project is coming together and the partners are communicating, then anger, at the fact that their partner did ALL of the work, due to lack of communication…and now FEAR…that their partners won’t do their share to get the job done…this coming from my habitual students who never pull their weight! I found it ironic. The assignment being due tomorrow, my students are feeling success again and excitement that the project is pulling through. They learned some valuable lessons that one can only learn through experience Communication, Collaboration (what that truly means) and RESPONSIBILITY. I am constantly asking my husband at night—where is the responsibility, why am I having to make students stay after school for some quality learning time so they can finish an assignment from two weeks ago because the student just simply chose NOT TO DO IT…and then I remember I am the teacher, and responsibility is something we have to teach in school. If High school is preparing students for life beyond, that is part of our job. When some students have it, and some don’t, it mind boggles me to wonder—is it the parents, society…the student? Is it possible for them to gain responsibility? I think for most students—YES, however they have to have a drive for what they want out of life. I think we have a lot of students going through the motions and no guidance at home or expectations to be responsible. If it then is my job to teach them to be responsible, how do I teach a student to be responsible that does not want to be responsible?
It drives me crazy when my students don’t take responsibility and I know they are capable. Yesterday I had to be absent, and today my students missed my class due to testing. They have a project due for the collaboration piece that I am doing in my classes. I tracked down specific students to remind them to do their part. They said, ”I know….” When I asked if they were close to being done they answered, “I hope so.”. Oh dear! I don’t know if there was something in the water when that person was born or what? Don't get me wrong, of the 140+ students I have in a day, majority of my students are responsible, and in my eight years of teaching it has not changed greatly. There are some students who do not model responsibility--they are the ones who scare me- how do we continue to teach responsibility?
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