Responsibility is not a dirty word

As I have shared before...I spend my day with young people.  I work every single day to help educate them and help to shape their character.  I am also a sports fan...especially basketball and football (primarily college football...though I will watch the NFL from time to time).  On a regular basis, my students come into class asking "Mrs S! Did you see the __________ game last night?!?! It was awesome!" "Mrs S, who is your favorite team/player/coach? Mine is ______."  I happily spend what little, if any, free time before the tardy bell rings/at lunch discussing these things with them.  Many of those same kids call those athletes their heroes.  When I ask them "What makes someone a hero?" they reply "It has to be someone you look up to because of the cool things they do...or what their job is...or how much money they make...or someone you just want to be like."  Fair enough.  Based on that definition of hero, it is logical that 13/14 year-olds with dreams of being professional athletes would select current athletes as their heroes.  Some of the players they talk about are excellent heroes...others are not.  When I think about what I want "my kids" to be, one of the biggest things that comes to mind is responsible...I want them to be responsible teens that grow into responsible adults...both in their actions and in their character.  This is why I spend so much time teaching the things that others consider "unimportant."  So, here I am trying to teach my students to be responsible for their words and actions....and those that they admire so much do not always paint a good picture of that responsibility...and often seem to be rewarded for that lack of responsibility.  Whether their heroes are athletes, movie stars, musicians, teachers (no pressure here...yikes!), or their parents it is important for those people to be good examples of responsibility.  That does not mean you won't ever make mistakes...we're human and hopelessly flawed...mistakes are to be expected.  It means that when you do make a mistake, own it...apologize when appropriate...and do your best not to make the same mistake twice.  Don't make excuses or blame others for your actions...that is the opposite of responsible.  Responsibility is not a dirty word...it is perfectly acceptable for use with all ages...so feel free to not only use it but demonsrate it whenever possible.