Copley-Fairlawn Middle School Guidance Resources
Responsibility

 

What Is Responsibility?

Being responsible means that others can depend on you.  Being responsible means to do something well and to the best of your ability.  Being responsible is being willing to be accountable for what you do or not do.  You accept credit when you do things right (humbly, of course!) and you accept correction when things go wrong.

When you are responsible, you keep your agreements.  If you agree to do something for your family or for a friend, you don’t put it off or forget about it.  You make sure it gets done.  Being responsible is the ability to respond ably. 

When you make a mistake, you take responsibility for it.  You don’t blame the weather, someone else, or your memory (“I forgot!”).  If something goes wrong, you may give an explanation for why things happened the way they did, but you make no excuses.  When you take responsibility, you are telling others that they can count on you.  Being responsible is a sign of growing up.  

Why Practice Responsibility?

When you take responsibility for your own actions, others can count on you.  When you are willing to be accountable, you get a lot of things done, and people feel they can trust you.  When something goes right or wrong, people like to know who to thank or who to go to in order to make things right.  When you act responsibly, people know they can do this with you. 

 


When people are not willing to be responsible, things they have agreed to do may never get done.  Homework is forgotten, promises are not kept, jobs are left undone, and others become disappointed. 

People who make excuses instead of taking responsibility keep making the same mistakes.  Others begin to wonder if they are trustworthy.

How Do You Practice It?

When you agree to do something, whether it is homework, a job, or watching your little brother, you take it seriously, like a sacred trust.  You take responsibility for things you can do.  You don’t agree to do things which are too hard or that you don’t really have time for.  Taking on too much responsibility and then not doing it is irresponsible. 

When you act responsibly, you do things as well as you possibly can.  If it isn’t just right, and a mistake is made, you don’t act defensive.  You are ready and willing to clear up misunderstandings. 

What would responsibility look like if . . .

  • You are given a job to do at home and you’d rather read or watch TV?
  • You are given a lot of homework at school?
  • You just broke something in you home?
  • You promised your friend you’d meet her right after school, but then remember you have to get to a music lesson?
  • You are watching your little brother in a store while your mother finishes shopping?

Signs of Success

Congratulations!  You are practicing responsibility when you…

  • Respond ably by doing things to the best of your ability
  • Focus on your own part, not someone else’s
  • Are willing to accept credit or correction
  • Are ready and willing to clear up misunderstanding
  • Admit mistakes without making excuses
  • Take on new responsibilities when you are ready
Keep trying!  You need more practice when you …  
  • Don’t keep your agreements
  • Agree to do things that are beyond your ability

  • Don’t listen to what people tell you about what you have done unless it’s good

  • Focus on what others are supposed to be doing

  • Make excuses for your mistakes

  • Do things just so-so

  • Take on nothing unless you are forced to

visits to this page since September 2004.

© 2004, Copley-Fairlawn City Schools, Copley, Ohio 44321. This page last updated October 28, 2007 .   For questions about the website content or to report errors contact the webmaster.