Personal Responsibility

September 18, 2009,

From the Assistant Head of School

Every Monday afternoon in the middle school, we meet as a community in what is known as Middle School Gathering.  This is a time when student government shares ideas, teachers make announcements, and special guests are invited to present; generally speaking, the middle school comes together.

Gathering provides a different kind of space for powerful learning to happen. Often times, as happened this past Monday, the components that we have put on the agenda meld in unexpected ways that we could not have planned, and we watch the students learn and grow right then and there.

We began by watching and listening to a tape of President Obama’s September 8 speech about the importance of personal responsibility and making sure that students do their best each and every day.

Following on the heels of President Obama, Channing Nesbitt, president of the student council, did a great job as he spoke about decision-making, personal responsibility, and learning from one's mistakes.  On his own, Channing personalized and epitomized the message that students had just heard from President Obama. 

Coach Turner then gave his own story about personal responsibility. He related what life lesson he had learned from letting his baseball teammates down in college by showing up late for practice because he had tried to schedule his life too tightly and did not make his commitment to his team the priority.  While his story was nuanced, he made it clear that personal integrity is having the ability to look at oneself honestly, not to blame others, and understand how essential it is to do one's best for others on a team or in a group, and ultimately for oneself. 

We have invited teachers to speak at Gathering for the past two years. It is an opportunity for them to share with students a situation or recognize a person who has had a dramatic influence on their lives. Their stories have led to some of the most meaningful teaching that has taken place in Gathering.

What we want our students to gain and to know at intellectual and emotional levels is how essential it is to do one's best, no matter what the circumstances. President Obama spoke about being raised by a single mom and the very tough challenges that they both faced. He spoke about three American teenagers who faced daunting challenges in their lives as well, who refused to let their respective cases of cancer, limited knowledge of English in the family, or lack of finances at home deter them from their dreams to attend university and make their communities and their own lives better. He used those examples to let his audience know that we all have challenges in life and we all must learn to do our best, no matter what the circumstances.

As I listened to Obama’s speech, I couldn't help but think of my own mother, who raised four kids as a single mom. There are still days when I am not sure how she did it: getting our lunches made, getting us to school on time, and getting to work herself. I know that she would have enjoyed hearing Channing, Coach Turner, and President Obama speak about their own lives, what they had learned, how they had grown, and how personal responsibility played a part in all of that.

Personal responsibility is one of the most important and enduring lessons we can teach our students. One of the beautiful aspects of an RDS education is that this lesson can be learned in the classroom, in the gym, in the library, in a drama production, or at recess, each and every day.

Warren Sepkowitz
Assistant Head of School
Middle School Director