Week 4 Activity on Being the Board

'It's not you, it's me'...I have a blouse that says that. Of course, many of us associate this phrase as the break up speech headliner. Well, imagine if you will that more people used this philosophy in their everyday instead of playing the blame game. How much different would society be? How many differences would we see in the realm of education? There would be fewer instances of passing the buck and way fewer children being left by the wayside or being left behind. Sure, we have the law of No Child Left Behind but as educators, we know that there are many children still being left behind through no fault of their own yet no one takes accountability because too many are trying to pass the buck. With budget cuts being the administration's first priority, no teacher wants to be blamed for a child's shortcomings.

What a world we can have when we stop saying others did it, and say, what can I do to improve this circumstance? What can I do to make things better and keep this child from failing? How can I be the change I want to see in this child's existence? Taking accountability is not an easy thing to do however, it begins with small steps. Accountability makes us take more time to weigh decisions, use critical thinking, and seek solutions that will really work versus just applying a small Band-Aid to a gashing wound.

It isn't even just a scenario painted for educators and administration. Parents also need to embrace accountability for their child's failed educational goal. Not enough parents are involved. Not enough know what is going on in their child's school and classroom. Whether due to employment, social obligations, or total disregard, parents are just not as involved as they need to be to ensure the success of their children's education.

I am also of the mind that I am the master of my own destiny. As such, what occurs in my life is what I allow to happen even if outside influences beyond my control affect it. I must be the one to transform any negative effects into a positive framework for my existence. This philosophy creates accountability in my life. By blaming myself for anything occurring in my life, I am embracing both successes and failures for failures are learning experiences. To learn, we must often fail. Through this trial and error, we can see where mistakes happen and we can then prepare to prevent further mistakes.

When we teach children to accept responsibility, we must be mindful that we, too, must do the same. Accountability is the name of the game. We must indeed be the board that the game of life is being played on for every move our player takes, is one that we have caused whether through knowledgeable desire or ignorant indifference. I don't know about you but I prefer to be the control behind the pieces rather than just a pawn.