Responsibility for Actions

Heather Hernandez Bill Fredrickson

MSUM Intern 2002-2003 Professional School Counselor

Mankato West High School Mankato West High School

Mankato, MN Mankato, MN

Description of the Lesson:

Responsibility for Actions is part of an overall series of developmental guidance lessons about academic development at the high school level. It was adopted from the North Carolina Public Schools Curriculum for Comprehensive School Counseling Program. The objective for the lesson is for students to be able to verify their responsibilities for their actions. It logically follows a time management segment.

The counselor would begin by briefly discussing responsibility. Break the class into groups of 4-5 students for the following activities. Counselor would have students define “responsibility,” then list some of their school responsibilities. Next have each group develop a list of five frequently used “excuses” for not meeting a responsibility. Students would then think of a situation for each in which the excuse would be justifiable and a situation for which the excuse would not be justifiable. Each group would share their lists with the whole class.

Generate a discussion on the questions “Who is responsible to whom?” “What should individuals do in order to behave responsibly?”

Have the groups brainstorm significant contributions others have made to society. List at least 5 people that the group feels have made the most significant contributions to society. Clearly identify why their actions were considered to be significant. Have students complete the sentence, “This (my) world is a better place because of the contributions of…” with reasons for this choice. Share their thoughts with their groups or a partner.

Connections to Related Standards, Competencies, and Domains

Responsibility for Actions directly relates to National Standards for School Counseling Programs domain regarding Academic Development. Specifically, it relates to standard one under that domain, which states, “Students will acquire the attitudes, knowledge, and skills that contribute to effective learning in school and across the life span.”

It also relates to the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee standards under Competency V: “Understanding the need for positive attitudes toward work and learning.” It relates to this competency because students will understand that they have contributions to make to society and responsibilities to meet, and an individual needs a positive attitude (i.e. no excuses) in order to do so.

Additionally, the lesson relates to the Personal / Social, Educational, and Career domains of the Minnesota School Counselors’ Model of Developmental Guidance and Counseling. It fits the Personal / Social domain in the way that students will analyze excuses they and others make, contributions of others in society, and why their world is personally better because of those contributions. It relates to the Educational domain in the way that students will define the term “responsibility,” a word they hear often but may never truly analyze the meaning of. Also, they will think of people in society’s history who have given significant contributions. The lesson relates to the Career domain in the way that students will understand that the contributions that were made by others were often done so in the role of worker, and that as future employees they will also have responsibilities and contributions to make.

References and Resources:

North Carolina Public Schools Guidance Curriculum for Comprehensive School Counseling Program. Retrieved January 18, 2003, from www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/Guidance/index.html